Visiting Arthur Seat and Edinburgh, Scotland

We started this second day in Edinburgh by going up to the top of Arthur Seat. Arthur Seat is an extinct volcano located in the park of Holyrood about 2km from the city centre. The park and the summit are quite easy to access by the path that leaves from the Palace of the Holyroodhouse and Queen’s drive. This is the path that we follow to go down to the Royal Mile as we had taken another one to go up.

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The trail is quite muddy, and it is better to wear good shoes. Once at the top, the 360 ​​° view of Edinburgh, Leith and the surrounding area is breathtaking. It’s a really interesting place because we feel like we are in the country while actually being just outside the city. I highly recommend this hike if the weather allows it.

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Scottish Parliament

When we got back down the summit, we stopped to visit the Queens Gallery palace shop and then observe the exterior of the Scottish Parliament with its modern architecture before wandering in the shops of the Royal Mile.

For lunch, we decided to try the vegetarian restaurant David Bann which is one of the best known in Edinburgh. As a starter, I took the gnocchi with pears which I shared with my mother while Matthieu tested their hummus. As a main dish I tested their potato blue and rutabaga gratin, while Matt and my mother had a kind of filo pie stuffed with mushrooms and goat cheese served with polenta fries. All the dishes were well presented and delicious. The swede was a nice culinary discovery for me.

Information: David Bann restaurant website.

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We then set out again towards the castle and then went to visit the National Museum of Scotland. This free museum is a masterpiece as much for its architecture as for the collection it contains. We only did a small part given its immensity. I will gladly return to discover more.

Find more information about the National Museum of Scotland on their website.

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Finally, we ended this day with a little detour to the Christmas market to see the illuminations. Considering the people, we did not stay long. It was a busy day, but it gave my mother the opportunity to have a good overview of this magnificent city. I’m sure we’ll go back to find out more.

Have you ever been to the Edinburgh Christmas market? Or the top of Arthur Seat?

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Inside Holyrood Palace
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Find all our blog posts about Scotland on this page. If you would like to visit the Lake District National Park it is on this page.

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