in my last post i showed you some pictures of Edinburgh Castle, which is visible from the kitchen window i am looking out of right now. i have yet to discover the history of that castle's occupation, but once i do, i will let you know. about a mile east of this castle is a Holyrood Park. there are lochs, there are swans, there are thistles, hills, streams, old fort walls, grass greener than anything i have ever seen, and Arthur's Seat.
formed by volcanoes, the peak is nearly 850 feet and consists mostly of rocky crags. surrounding the peak are several more plateaus that are covered with the softest and squishiest grass i have ever encountered. from the top you can see the whole of Edinburgh, the Firth of Forth, the mountains in the far North of Scotland, and the ocean. glorious. many claim that the name 'Arthur' pertains to King Arthur and that this place once housed one of his many castle dwellings. the more likely scenario however, is that it is a corruption of the name 'Archer's Seat' because as you will see in these pictures, this would be a super awesome place to put your bowman in the Middle Ages.
i have already been to the peak twice, once during an epic 2 hour run in which my thighs were left tight and burning and once with 3 of my friends. i've nearly pitched myself off a cliff up there once or twice, but that's half the fun. these pictures are from the second time, the slower, yet no less vigorous hike. here's the blow by blow.
now approaching Arthur's Seat (from the southwest)
at the base of the beast (Atticus, Marissa, Craig)
a third of the way up. looks like Arthur's Foot.
the path was paved with stone steps
carved out centuries ago by former prisoners.
dramatic but true.
nearing the top with a golf course in the background (Marissa, Craig, Atticus)
this guy.
ah, the peak.
Atticus and the great Northeast. the inlet is the tip of the Firth of Forth.
Marissa and Craig checking out the Northwest view.
Edinburgh Castle zoomed in from the peak.
our flat is near the bottom left corner of this shot.
St. Margaret's Loch. those specks are swans.
picture of the day. this mighty dog made it to the top. what a stud.
the way down. near disaster. (Craig, Marissa, Atticus)
