Holyrood Park offers a piece of the Highlands in Edinburgh

By Patrizia Schlosser Aug 9, 2011, 3:06 GMT

Edinburgh - Visitors to Scotland wishing to experience the rugged beauty of the country's Highlands normally have to travel north, but Edinburgh's Holyrood Park also offers typical Scottish landmarks such as an imposing castle and pristine lakes.

Holyrood Park is situated in the Scottish capital's centre and is dominated by lakes, rugged rocks and Arthur's Seat, the 251-metre-high main peak of the group of hills which form most of the park.

Like the castle rock on which Edinburgh Castle is built, Arthur's Seat was formed by an extinct volcano system. Today, many of Edinburgh's citizens meet here for an evening beer after work, while others use the exposed rocky crag as an open-air fitness studio or simply to enjoy a spot of urban hillwalking.

The park is also a huge attraction in the evening for amateur photographers, who like to take snapshots of Edinburgh's medieval skyline in a red glow as the sun sets below the horizon.

The summit of Arthur's Seat offers a panoramic view of Edinburgh, from the modern New Town in the west, including the modernist Scottish Parliament, to the narrow streets of the old city and the imposing Edinburgh Castle.

There are distant views across the Firth of Forth to Fife while the mountain ranges of the Scottish Highlands can even be seen on a clear day. In the spring, the grassy slopes are covered in yellow-flowered gorse, while there are well-maintained paths to the top.

Arthur's Seat, which is shaped like a reclining lion, was created around 350 million years ago as a massive glacier made its way from east to west. The immense natural forces at work are clear to see in the basalt cliffs between Arthur's Seat and the city centre.

The Salisbury Crags, a series of 46-metre cliffs at the top of a subsidiary spur of Arthur's Seat, are situated in the western part of the park and have a long history of rock climbing. There is also a long history of human activity here with evidence of human settlement dating back 10,000 years.

Holyroodhouse Palace, the official residence of the British royal family in Scotland, borders the park. It was here where David Rizzio, private secretary and minion of Mary, Queen of Scots, was murdered.

The Queen's husband, Henry Stuart, is said to have been jealous of rumours that Rizzio made her pregnant and joined in a conspiracy of Protestant nobles to stab him to death.

Today, the palace is used by Queen Elizabeth for garden parties. The activities and customs at the base of Arthur's Seat may have toned down over the years, but the wildness of the park has remained.