Arthur's Seat

Arthur's Seat sits on top of an extinct volcano right smack dab in the middle of Edinburgh.

Here's how it appears from the entrance to the Scottish Parliament:

When Thom refused to put on his hiking shoes before we left the hotel, I retrieved my headphones.  We went our separate ways at Holyrood Palace after I declined to contribute any more pounds to the royal treasury.  I'd had quite enough of castles, thank you very much.

The trail took me and the latest iteration of Chiffon Spins (Conan Gray's "Best Friend" is in heavy rotation, along with Harry Styles's "Grapejuice") into Holyrood Park past the ruins of a chapel built in the early 15th century.

 

Here I am at the very windy summit about 50 meters below the one we reached at Storr.  A stone marker helped maintain my selfie balance.  

Binoculars would  have been able to pick out the Royal Yacht Britannia in the distance. The Water of Leith empties into that body of water, the Firth of Forth.

It took me less than 90 minutes to climb up to the summit and back down.

Here's a better view of the chapel ruins.

That's Holyrood Palace just beyond the road.  Conveniently for the Queen, it's right across the street from the Scottish Parliament.  Independence could make that proximity awkward.

 Edinburgh castle is a mile due west from Holyrood.  Thus, the Royal Mile.

I took this shot through the wrought iron.

Although this little annex to the palace is called Queen Mary's Bath House, no one knows whether she used it for that purpose.