Holyrood Park

Holyrood Park is a beautiful public park in central Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located about 1 mile (1.6 kilometres) to the east of Edinburgh Castle. The park covers 650 acres (260 hectares) and features hills, lochs, glens, ridges, basalt cliffs, and patches of gorse. It offers a wild highland landscape right in the heart of the city.

The park has a rich history, once serving as a royal hunting estate. It was created in 1541 when James V had the area enclosed by a stone wall. At the centre of the park stands Arthur's Seat, an extinct volcano and the highest point in Edinburgh, with the cliffs of Salisbury Crags to the west. There are also three lochs: St Margaret's Loch, Dunsapie Loch, and Duddingston Loch. The ruins of St Anthony's Chapel can be found above St Margaret's Loch.

Holyrood Park is owned by the Scottish Ministers, with the roads classified as Crown Property, and is managed by Historic Environment Scotland. In 2013, most of the park was made a scheduled monument, recognizing its historical and cultural importance. Archaeological surveys have taken place, though some findings are still being studied.

Natural features

Arthur's Seat

Main article: Arthur's Seat

Arthur's Seat is the tallest hill in Holyrood Park. It stands at 251 metres tall and offers great views of the city. It's easy to climb and very popular with walkers. The easiest way up is from the east, starting near Dunsapie Loch, a small pond that attracts many birds.

Salisbury Crags

Salisbury Crags are tall cliffs that are 46 metres high. They are part of a smaller hill connected to Arthur's Seat. Below the cliffs is a steep slope, and a path called Radical Road runs between them. This path was built after a big event in 1820 to give jobs to weavers.

Over time, people started climbing the cliffs for fun. Today, climbers need special permission to climb in one area called the South Quarry. The most famous climb is called "Cat Nick," near the highest point. Sadly, Radical Road closed in 2018 after rocks fell. Plans were made to reopen part of it by June 2026 after safety checks.

Samson's Ribs

Samson's Ribs are interesting rock formations made of tall, thin columns.

St Margaret's Loch

St Margaret's Loch is a small, shallow pond made by people. It was created in 1856 to improve the area near a palace. Today, it is a nice spot for ducks, geese, and swans.

Other geographical features

Holyrood Park also has other features like Haggis Knowe, Whinny Hill, and Hunter's Bog, which feeds into St Margaret's Loch.

Cultural heritage

There are traces of old hill forts in the park at Arthur's Seat, Salisbury Crags, Samson's Ribs and Dunsapie Hill. You can also see old cultivation terraces on the eastern slopes of Arthur's Seat.

Holyrood Abbey

Main article: Holyrood Abbey

The ruined Augustinian Abbey of Holyrood was built in 1128 by King David I of Scotland. It was used until the 1500s and later became ruined in the mid-1700s.

Palace of Holyroodhouse

Main article: Holyrood Palace

The Palace of Holyroodhouse started as a small room inside the Abbey but grew into a big palace. James IV built the first parts around 1500, but most of the palace we see today was built in the late 1600s. It is now the official home of the British monarch when they visit Scotland.

St Anthony's Chapel

Not much is known about this old chapel, but it was built by the early 1400s. It might have been linked to a nearby holy spring. Over time, the chapel fell into ruins, and today only a small part of it remains.

Margaret Hall's Cairn

This cairn, or pile of stones, remembers Margaret Hall. It was placed where she was sadly hurt a long time ago. The cairn was renamed to honor Margaret in 2024, so it now stands for her memory rather than the person who hurt her. The current cairn was built in 1823, replacing an older one.

St Margaret's Well

The old well house of St Margaret's Well was moved to its current spot near Salisbury Crags in 1860. A plaque there tells us about its history and how it was moved from its original location.

History

Royal Volunteer Review

One of the most exciting events in the park's history happened on August 7, 1860. Many Scottish volunteer soldiers gathered to meet Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. They stayed in schools and warehouses before the event. Famous artists like William McTaggart, John Pettie, and Samuel Bough were part of the "Artists Company."

The soldiers stood in groups near a special grandstand built for the occasion. Thousands of people watched from the slopes of Arthur's Seat. Queen Victoria drove by the soldiers in a carriage and later sat at a special platform. The soldiers marched past her, saluting, which took almost two hours. After marching, they all saluted together and cheered for the Queen. The event ended at 6pm, but people stayed until sunset.

The park also hosted cycling races during the 1970 British Commonwealth Games. The race covered many miles and went through the gardens at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Road network

Before 1844, there were no paved roads around the park. Today’s roads were created when Prince Albert made changes in 1844, adding a circular road called Victoria Road, later known as The Queen's Drive.

The roads in Holyrood Park are not part of the City of Edinburgh’s road system. They are cared for by Historic Environment Scotland and do not receive direct funding for maintenance.

Historic Environment Scotland can close most roads to cars when needed for safety, maintenance, or events. All roads are closed to vehicles on weekends, with some car parks still accessible. They also close for many events and holidays, like Christmas and the Edinburgh Marathon.

There are gates at five entrances to help close the roads when needed. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, the High Road was closed to cars, originally because of toad migration, and this closure continued even after that. Now, the High Road is only open to cars on certain weekdays and during toad migration.

The park follows several rules to protect it, including limits on commercial vehicles and special permits needed for coaches. Efforts were made starting in 2011 to reduce traffic because more and more cars were using the park, which can damage the roads and create risks for people and wildlife visiting the park.

There is a shared cycle and walking path on the south side of Queen's Drive, from St Margaret's Loch to Broad Pavement car park.