The Hughs Volume 1 by Andrew Dempster sampler

arthur’s seat
23
View from Salisbury Crags
gorse. Here, you gain a fine bird’s eye
view of Duddingston Loch, nestled in
greenery in the heart of the city. After
about 1km, cross the road and follow
another footpath, taking you uphill to
the start of Salisbury Crags.
The name ‘Salisbury’ seems strange
for a Scottish location, but the crags
may have been named after the Earl
of Salisbury who visited here with
Edward iii in 1335. Others argue
that it means ‘willows hill’ from the
Cumbric ‘salis bre’.
The path winds round the foot
of these crags and is known as
the Radical Road, constructed
by unemployed weavers in the
19th century. It was here that the
geologist James Hutton made the
groundbreaking discovery that the
crags were formed by the intrusion
and cooling of molten rock during
volcanic activity.
The final kilometre’s stroll round
the base of Salisbury Crags is a
delight, with ever-changing vistas of
Edinburgh’s magical skyline backed
by the soaring buttresses of basalt
to your right. It is also possible to
follow a rough path along the top of
the crags. For reasons of public safety,
climbing on the crags is restricted
to a designated area (putting out of
bounds some of the best routes in
south Scotland).
The Radical Road descends quite
steeply in the latter stages down to the
road and your starting point.