King Arthur's Seat
Edinburgh has what few other cities do - a small mountain range in the middle of the city. A few American cities have unique natural features like this in the heart of the city. Colorado Springs (Garden of the Gods) and Bellingham, Washington (Whatcom Falls Park) are two that come to mind. Holyrood Park is adjacent to Holyroodhouse at the base of the Royal Mile. The peak of the park is known as King Arthur's Seat where numerous visitors of all abilities traverse the park.
The previous night (after our Royal Mile excursions) Jenny and I went to a local bar and wound up listening to great Scottish music and meeting a group of Americans (including a woman from Decatur). They were doing a tour of Scotland based on the Highlander series. Needless to say the day started a bit later and we eventually headed to Holyrood Park after lunch. The Park has few signs and the wayfinding is pretty poor. Thats great for locals but not so great if you aren't sure exactly how to get to the top (or come down again). There are paths that spill in all directions throughout the park and several obvious ones that get you to the summit.
Beyond King Arthur's Seat there are a number of other peaks and crags (narrow and vertical rock formations) that you can traverse. Upon making it the top, we circled around the peak and ultimately down "Radical Road" which offered great views Holyroodhouse and the Scottish Parliament Building.
For all of you architect lovers, the Scottish Parliament is a really fascinating example of modern architecture completed in 2004 with its share of controversy and praise. It sits in the heart of the World Heritage site that is the Royal Mile; was designed by a non-Scottish architect; and it had huge cost overruns. Like a lot of modern architecture the ground floor interaction with the pedestrian has a lot to be desired but they have done some creative things. It is a remarkable design on many levels.
We finished our day with a tour of the Palace at Holyroodhouse. The house, as you can imagine, is wonderful, and there is a lot of history associated with Mary Queen of Scotts and baby James the VI (later James the I of England). Jenny and I know more and at the same time are more confused than ever about the Scottish/British monarchies. Then there is the Jacobite Revolution (but that's another story). The best part of the Palace are the Abbey Ruins in the rear. They are awe inspiring and worth the price of admission.
See below for some photos of our day.....click on the photos to scroll to the next
