| Edinburgh Town Guide |
| Edinburgh is situated on top of a series of extinct volcanoes, the tallest of which, at 825ft, is Arthur's Seat. Located in the heart of the city, in Holyrood Park, it is one of Edinburgh's most distinctive landmarks. |
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If looked at from certain western angles, the rock is said to look like a crouched lion. However you will more likely view the rock from the Old Town part of Edinburgh, where the most obvious feature is the prominent ridge known as the Salisbury Crags. The volcano is geologically fascinating for although Arthur's Seat has been extinct for over 350 million years, you can actually still see evidence of some of the lava flows that erupted eons ago! In fact, it is supposedly this landmark that led the Edinburgh scientist James Hutton to first develop the study of geology. |
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The name Arthur's Seat is often assumed to refer to the legendary King Arthur. However, the gaelic name for the volcano is Ard-Na-Said, meaning "Height of Arrows", and so the name is more probably a corruption of "Archer's Seat". There are several paths to the top of the volcano which, although fairly arduous, are well worth it for the views are magnificent. It is said that on a clear day you can see right to the hills of the Highlands! |
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