This weekend the weather was great, but again I couldn't go out on my bike as I was too busy jollying in Edinburgh with my husband! However, I was surprised and delighted to be able to sneak a walk in amongst the usual tourist attractions, and was amazed to find a piece of countryside within the city limits!
On Friday afternoon, which was a very,very hot day we walked to the top of Arthur's Seat. This wasn't a planned adventure as I had no idea such countryside existed in Edinburgh's City Centre. We had been doing the touristy wander through the streets and shops (hence the handbag!, not my usual hiking attire!) when we spotted in the distance people on top of a hill, and set off in search of this walk.
Arthur's Seat is an extinct volcano, which erupted around 340 million years ago. It is Edinburgh's highest hill, visible for miles around (We spotted it!!!). The rocky slopes and cliffs of Arthur's Seat rise above the city to a height of 251 m (823.5 feet), providing excellent panoramic views of the city, and is (in my opinion!) relatively easy to climb. There appears to be many paths leading different ways up the hill, but we climbed from where a grassy slope rises from the Scottish Parliament building turning into a well walked track. We made it to the top in about 30 minutes, even allowing time for my husband to take a few deep breaths and have a rest on the way! The top section was more rocky and difficult to climb, but posed no problems to us in trainers rather than boots. The view from the top was spectacular to say the least...it was a very hot climb but the view made it worth it! :) I was expecting it to be a place of sanctuary from the crowded city, but unfortunately on such a beautiful clear day the crowds had preceded us!
After enjoying the views and deciding we best get back to get washed and changed for dinner we set off down the hill. Many paths greeted our descent, so we opted for a different route from the one we climbed up. This proved to be a painful decision as the track we choose was much rougher than the original path and had lots of loose gravel and stones. I found it difficult to remain upright and on several occasions slipped and slid around until finally ... THUD! I slid right down on my bottom, and my left buttock is now sporting a colourful bruise as a memento! After this fall I rather nervously continued to the bottom and made it back to the hotel without any further injuries!!! Take my advise - if you want to descent this way wear walking boots and NOT trainers!!! To view the route we took and more photos visit -
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