Arthur's Seat & Holyrood Park
Around 5km for the full circuit from Holyrood · 251m summit; around 250m of ascent from the palace gates elevation
About
A genuine 251-metre hill, the remains of a 350-million-year-old volcano, inside the city boundary and free to climb at any hour: Holyrood Park is open around the clock, year-round. The classic circuit starts at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, passes St Margaret's Loch and the ruin of St Anthony's Chapel, and climbs by Dunsapie Loch to a bare rock summit with the whole city, the Forth and Fife laid out below. One long-standing caveat: the Radical Road, the famous path directly under the Salisbury Crags cliffs, has been closed since a 2018 rockfall, with works toward a partial reopening consented in May 2026; check Historic Environment Scotland for the current position before planning a route that depends on it.
Photos
Highlights
- ✓The 251m summit of an extinct volcano inside the city
- ✓St Anthony's Chapel ruin above St Margaret's Loch
- ✓Salisbury Crags' basalt wall facing the Old Town
- ✓Gorse in bloom across the park in spring
Tips
- →Wear real shoes: the summit paths are rough volcanic rock, polished slick in places, and the top is far windier than the street
- →The Radical Road under Salisbury Crags has been closed since 2018; a partial reopening was in progress during 2026, so check the current status rather than assuming
- →Go at dawn in August: it is the one place in festival-season Edinburgh with no queue
- →The road route via Dunsapie Loch is the gentlest way up; the direct paths from Holyrood are steeper
