Hotels near Arthur's Seat and Holyrood Park

Arthur's Seat is the 251-metre remnant of a Carboniferous volcano sitting inside Holyrood Park, and the climb takes 45 minutes to an hour from the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Autumn is arguably the best season for it. Summer haze has cleared, the grass on the lower slopes turns bronze, and the air is usually sharp enough to pick out the Forth bridges and the hills of Fife. The geology of Arthur's Seat is worth reading before you go.

The colour in Holyrood Park sits low down rather than on the summit. Duddingston Loch on the southeast edge is ringed with trees that turn gold and russet over the water, and St Margaret's Loch below the ruins of St Anthony's Chapel does the same on a smaller scale. The Radical Road under Salisbury Crags has been closed to the public for years following rockfall, so check its status before planning a route that way.

Pro Tip: Take the gentler eastern path up from Dunsapie Loch rather than the steep scramble from the west. October rain makes the basalt genuinely slick, and Lothian Buses route 6 leaves you 10 minutes from the Dunsapie car park, which cuts 150 metres off the climb.