Overview
It is a genuine piece of wild upland inside a capital city, and the geology here is where James Hutton worked out that the Earth was far older than anyone had assumed — modern geology begins on this hill. Three routes go up: the gentle one from Dunsapie Loch, the steep direct scramble from Holyrood, and the Salisbury Crags path that traverses the cliff edge with the whole city below. The summit gives the castle, the Firth of Forth, and the Pentlands in one turn.
Highlights
Wear proper shoes; the last section is rock and it is slippery wet. Go early or late — the light is better and the summit is small. The Crags walk alone is worth an hour if you do not want the full climb.