What Is It Like To Run Up Arthur's Seat In Edinburgh?

‘ This is a city of shifting light, of changing skies and of changing vistas. A city so beautiful it breaks the heart again and again.’ When a queen of England ( Victoria in this instance ) describes Edinburgh like this, then you know that it must be a pretty special place. After visiting recently, I can indeed confirm that it is a beautiful city. It oozes historical charm at every turn, but a discovery of Holyrood Park proved to be the cherry on top of the cake. This is where I enjoyed the memorable run up Arthur’s Seat. Scaling an extinct volcano in a capital city is a rare thing to find and the views at the top made all the burning in the legs more than worth it. It also allowed me to enjoy a guilt-free all you can eat breakfast afterwards. Just one of the less mentioned perks of being a keen athlete.

A Prime Location

Many cities like London have hilly areas you can walk and run in. Hampstead Heath is one such example. Get up there on a clear day and you are treated to some exceptional views over London. It’s hardly central though and usually involves a tube journey or drive to reach it. The offensively expensive pay and display car park doesn’t help either. I guess it doesn’t really matter much though if you live in the area. I suspect even a garden shed wouldn’t leave you with much change from a million pounds.

Holyrood Park offers no such inconveniences though. The maps below hopefully show just how central it is. The compact nature of Edinburgh means that Arthur’s Seat is easily accessible from all directions. It’s easy to spot too, so hunting it down won’t take much work if you’re new to the city.

**You can see here how it’s hard not to marvel at Arthur’s Seat. You can’t miss it!**

**All of the charms central Edinburgh has to offer are just next door. The location could hardly be better.**

run up Arthur's Seat — **There are numerous routes to choose from on your walk or run up Arthur’s Seat.**

Another reason why its location is so awesome is because it allows you to gain an excellent view over the city in a completely natural way. London has The Shard. Edinburgh has an extinct volcano. Yes you can get a drink and slap up meal in London’s tallest building, but I still know which one I prefer. If you are partial to a natural viewing location in a city, then feel free to check out this website. It could at the very least provide you with some food for though….

The Ascent

As already mentioned, there are various routes you can take to the summit. Some are clearly tougher and steeper than others. I did a bit of research and fancied something relatively easy. Time was at a bit of a premium plus I’d been out the evening before enjoying the food and drink on offer. No records would be set on this workout.

I was lucky enough to staying close to the government buildings and so started the run here after a warm up on some of the local streets. The route plotted above shows the paths I took. In all it was 1.6 km in total and offered a total ascent of just over 209 metres.

I found this run up Arthur’s Seat to be brilliant. Clearly I can’t comment on the other routes available due to this being my first trip to the city. This website focuses on walking to the summit, but includes an excellent map, which helped me decide to take the route I did. It is the most popular route up and I have no doubt that it can get very busy at times. Thankfully, I completed my run up Arthur’s Seat on a cold January morning just as the sun was coming up. Crowds weren’t an issue.

Conditions On The Way Up

You can’t get lost on this climb, nor will you be complaining about boggy ground that swallows your feet whole. The path I took was clear all the way up and alternated between some rocky, grassy and muddy sections. The variety along the route made it enjoyable and almost made me forget where I was. With the city view behind me, I could have almost been running a Lake District Fell like this one. In that moment it was hard not to envy the runners of Edinburgh, who have this training option right on their doorstep.

Reaching The Summit

After blowing through my bottom and fighting gravity for a good twenty minutes or so, I finally reached the summit of Arthur’s Seat. It was apparent straight away that the early get up and struggle to the top had been worth every step. What a cracking panoramic view there was. It was also that wonderful time of day, when the first warmth of the sun’s rays would appear above the eastern horizon. That would explain why I wasn’t alone up there. Several photographers had set up their equipment ready for the perfect shot, while various languages showed that many tourists were up there to beat the crowds. I shall let the photos below do the rest of the talking. Hopefully, you’ll see yourself why a run up Arthur’s Seat is well worth it.

**A trig point clearly marks the summit. A perfect place for a selfie.**

This photo doesn’t do the views justice. You need to get up there and experience it yourself.

The Route Back

Upon leaving the summit, I followed the road clockwise around the base of Arthur’s Seat and then descended a brilliant grassy hill. Perhaps I’m mad, but I even turned around and ran back up it to gain more elevation on the route. If you like hill reps, then you will be a very happy runner indeed!

**Some of the views and terrain I enjoyed on the way back.**

**It might look flat, but I assure you it wasn’t.**

**Heading back into Edinburgh, as the first warming rays of the day light up the city buildings.**

The photos I’ve included hopefully show that there is more to Holyrood Park than just Arthur’s Seat. There are several other lower hills to be explored and I have indeed found a local event that tackles most of them. If you’re up for a challenge and like climbing on your runs, then this event might be right up your street.