Introduction

This evening, I am posting information on Holyrood Park, an extensive open space just one mile from the city centre. Here dramatic hills and crags shape the skyline whilst the history and archaeology span thousands of years.

Information on Holyrood Park

The park comprises an extensive open space featuring small lochs (lakes) but is essentially hilly. At the centre is the peak known as Arthur’s Seat which reaches a height of 251 metres/823 feet. The adjacent area is of volcanic origin dating back 310m-360m years when Scotland was situated near to the equator. There is also an exposed cliff edge named Salisbury Crags which was formed slightly later than Arthur’s Seat. These crags were formed by magma flowing from deep inside the earth.

The entire park is open to the public and offers facilities for walking, cycling, climbing, photography, connecting with the geology or just admiring the extensive views which include:

• Pentland Hills to the south.
• Duddingston to the east.
• Calton Hill ‘ Athens of the North’ to the north-west.
• Firth of Forth.

Edinburgh City to the west, including such notable sites as Palace of Holyroodhouse, Dynamic Earth and Edinburgh Castle.

Ruins of St. Anthony’s Chapel which may date from the 15th century or earlier.

More Information

For more information on Edinburgh and other aspects of Scotland please refer Visitors Guide to Scotland, ISBN 978-1-9161332-0-4. This book is also available via Kindle.