Arthur's Seat & Salisbury Crags

An Extinct Volcano in the Heart of the City

Arthur's Seat is the eroded core of a volcano that erupted some 350 million years ago, now the highest point of Holyrood Park. Its grassy, rounded summit rewards climbers with a panoramic sweep over Edinburgh, the Firth of Forth and the surrounding Lothian countryside.

The Salisbury Crags

The dark cliff line in view is the Salisbury Crags, a curving escarpment of dolerite that played a key role in the birth of modern geology. James Hutton studied these rock formations here, and the path beneath them — the Radical Road — is one of the park's best-loved walking routes.

Wildlife and Open Ground

The slopes form an unexpected wilderness inside a capital city, carpeted in heather, gorse and bracken and home to skylarks, kestrels and grazing wildlife. Lochs at the foot of the hill draw waterfowl, making the park a haven for naturalists steps from the Royal Mile.

A Living Edinburgh Landmark

Towering above the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Scottish Parliament, Arthur's Seat is woven into the city's identity. The camera offers an ever-changing study of its crags and grassland, a place where four seasons can pass in a single day.