Holyrood Park, Edinburgh

The origins of Park dates back to 340 million years when a volcano had erupted at some point in the Carboniferous Period. Existence of humans since 5000 BC was revealed after Mesolithic, Neolithic stones and flint tools were found here. Traces of people belonging to Bronze Age who once farmed and lived here exist even today. Four Dark Age forts used for fortification now are visible on the park’s rocky slopes of Salisbury Crags, Samson’s Ribs, Arthur’s Seat and Dunsapie Crag. Here is a detailed overview of them:

Salisbury Crags: The cliff stands tall like a fortress overlooking Edinburgh and is half a mile southeast to Princess Street. Representing the glaciated remains of the Carboniferous time along with sedimentary rocks which once had formed in a shallow sea, Salisbury Crags are of great significance. It is a series of 46-metre cliffs that rise on the west of Holyrood Park along with a track known as Radical Road on its foot. Named after Radical War of 1820, the path was paved by the unemployed weavers from the West of Scotland.

Samson’s Ribs: These are an excellent representation of columnar jointing formed by lava flows and sills during the cooling period. Samson’s Ribs are situated to the south of Arthur’s Seat leading from Newington to Duddingston Loch.

Arthur’s Seat: This is the main peak forming the hilly region of Holyrood Park with a height of 823 ft. Easy to climb and a popular walking spot the Seat provides breathtaking views in every direction. Although the origin of its name remains uncertain, it is believed that there was a connection between Edinburgh and King Arthur. A Hill Fort resides on the summit of Arthur’s Seat, likely to be centres of powers in the prehistoric era.  The large green, grass covered hill is remains of an extinct volcano that erupted 350 million years ago. Trekking time at Arthur’s Seat usually takes around 30 to 60 minutes depending upon the route and direction you choose.

Dunsapie Crag: Originally the summit of this rocky hill was bordered by a wall and the fragmentary remains occupy the top of Dunsapie Crag. Most of its slopes are precipitous except the steep grassy slope on the East of Crag. The summit area here is divided into three smaller sections each having different natural levels, the northern ones being the largest and circular in area.