Climbing Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh

Arthur’s Seat is an extinct volcano which towers over the city of Edinburgh, and it gets its name from its distinctive shape, which many people think looks a bit like a seat, which King Arthur might once have sat upon.

(I’ve personally always thought it looks more like a bed, tbh, but I guess ‘Arthur’s Bed’ didn’t have quite the same ring to it, so Arthur’s Seat it is, and I’m going to stop talking now…)

When I was at university, I spent my first year living in Pollock Halls of Residence, which are situated right at the very foot of Arthur’s Seat: a location which makes them particularly well-placed for drunk students to decide to climb the seat – and the Salisbury Crags, right next to it – in the dead of night, say. I’m obviously not saying I’VE ever taken part in such drunken shenanigans, you understand, but I’m also not NOT saying that, and, again, I’m going to stop talking now, before I get myself into trouble.

Anyway, this week we decided to climb Arthur’s Seat while sober, and, yes, that’s definitely the best way to do it, take it from me. As it’s not a particularly high hill, the climb is easy enough (As you can see, I even managed it in ridiculous shoes, without any issues…), and the views from the top (And the middle, for that matter…) are well worth the effort you put into getting there. On a sunny day, the summit of the hill can get fairly crowded, but don’t let that put you off – at least it’s better than the icy winds Edinburgh more usually gets at this time of year…