Holyrood Park

Holyrood Park is a beautiful and large park in the centre of Edinburgh, stretching from Duddingston to Newington and of course to Holyrood as well.
Encompassing Arthur’s Seat and the Crags, walking and jogging opportunities are endless, and the amazing views atop these hills make it very worthwhile. Of course, you don’t have to climb to the very top, as there’s a beautiful walk along a ridge at a lower altitude, which is a nice way to walk from Pollock Halls to the Parliament or Holyrood Palace, for example.
There is a road running through the park, which vehicles can and do use, so be careful with dogs and children. At night time, most parts of the road are not well-​lit, so high vis jackets are recommended.

I jogged it.
It was steep as fuk.
I almost passed out.
Vacations should not include death.

Great place to go walking, climbing, and taking pictures.
Holyrood Park is where I go for my morning walks, usually along the side of Arthur’s Seat as the path’s incline increases –making the exercise better for me. Sometimes I also go the other way, which is a «flatter» walk, but also has nicer views of the park.
The view of everything is quite nice from Holyrood Park. The Parliament building is nearby, the multiple lochs, and the old ruins are all right there. The view from Arthur’s Seat is amazing as well of course.
I often have wanted to bring my camera with me to take photos as I walk around, the views are all impressive and on a nice day this place could produce some amazing pictures. I would recommend photographers to come and check it out.
This is a great place to hang out or get some exercise. It isn’t really a traditional park with stuff for kids to do, so be aware of that. But for family time or group walks, this is a great place to go and get some great views of the city and enjoy the green.

Great place, great hike. Did the whole loop, which took a couple hours, but it was worth it. The view from the top is great, on all sides. And the valley between the two structures really give you the feeling that you’re like in the highlands doing some hillwalking.

Absolutely gorgeous and worth your time. I’m not a «nature person» or a «hiker,» but I found the strenuous hike up to the top to be full of rewarding and stunning views. There’s not much of a set trail, so you can pretty much mosey up the hill/​mountain at your own pace. You can go off the heavily trafficked path and take a nap or rest on a lovely, thick bed of wild grasses with the river to your right and rolling hills all around. Every city needs a Holyrood Park!

I love Holyrood Park, which is one of the reasons why I moved to this area of Edinburgh. It has a bit of everything: the road for biking or running, trails criss-​crossing hilly expanses, beautiful lakes, old ruins, gorgeous views of both the city and the sea, and of course the famed Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags. As a word of warning to those who haven’t been yet, it sure is hilly and will get you in shape quickly! When running clockwise around the road, the uphill is steep and considerably short, as compared to going the other way around where the uphill is still nothing to laugh at and is less steep but still 1.5k of climbing. The whole way round is 5k, and there are many race events that take advantage of this scenic and challenging space.
Of course Arthur’s Seat is most people’s main destination in Holyrood Park, which is gorgeous and has great views. I am also particularly fond of the Salisbury Crags which are incredibly easy to access during a quick trip to the park. You get a ‘big bang for your buck’ and are quickly rewarded with fabulous views of the city without much climbing. It’s also a perfect place for a romantic summer evening’s stroll.
In short, Holyrood Park is such a beautiful area to explore, and what a treat it is to have it on the door step of the city centre!

My favourite location in the city too like many others. I love wandering round the endless tracks lovely views and good exercise. Some of the climbs are quite steep though so its a great idea to take drinks and some snacks with you as well as have enough rest breaks if you feel you need them.

Great place for the kids to run about wild and tire themselves out so they will sleep the whole night. oh and cracking ice cream van near there too so the kids can get covered in ice cream.

Holyrood Park is great for flying kites. It’s much bigger and emptier than the Meadows, which means you are less likely to be disturbed by groups of students playing hackey-​sack or strumming a guitar badly, and also it has the added bonus of having a rather lovely view. You can see Dynamic Earth and the Scottish Parliament building, and also Arthur’s Seat looms leonine over you always. Amazing.

There are certain things which makes Edinburgh a unique city and Holyrood Park is one of them. This massive expanse of land situated in central Edinburgh is a great spot for walking the dog or going out for a run and feel like you’re getting away from the bustle of the city streets.

Holyrood park is a fantastic park right at the bottom of the Royal Mile. It is huge and for a while you forget you are in the centre of a city. Its a fantastic place to walk your dog as you can get off the beaten track and not come across many people. Arthurs Seat the extinct volcano is in Holyrood Park and its great to climb up to the top on a nice day and have a fantastic view over the city. There is plenty of room in the park to play football, fly kites, cycle and jog. There are also several small lochs with ducks and swans.

Forget you are in the city, escape from the crowdsrelaxing place to take a walk, have a picnic, play with the kids (or the dog)
Views of the new Scottish parliment and Dynamic earth. short walk from the Royal mile.

Absolutely worth the visit. Set in the middle of Edinburgh it a large park where you can forget for a while your in a City. Is it Edinburghs answer to Central Park, no, its different with I would argue a greater variety of countryside. Definately dog and child friendly

Grandmother visiting while you’re at uni? Take her here! It’s really relaxing and is what Edinburgh’s all about once you’ve forgotten about the pubs!

country side in the city. Beware, the weather can change from one side of the hill to the other

Modern Art

For me the beauty of Holyrood Park is, if you are facing the right way, you can pretend you are in the middle of the countryside, with no cars, city, no hustle and bustle on your doorstep. It is a short walk from the city centre and yet has an abundance of greenery that makes it the perfect place to go for a walk, cycle, fly your kite, have a picnic, feed the swans, jog or do anything else that takes your fancy. You can admire Arthur’s Seat from a distance, and watch all those people climbing the Crags while chilling out in the park, reading your magazine, just resting while everyone else does the hard work. If you do feel energetic you can climb every hill in sight, or walk the road around the hills too, especially on a Sunday when the Queen’s Drive is shut to traffic and the road is yours. A chunk of countryside in the heart of town.
Don’t forget to wave to the Queen in the palace, she might just wave back.

If you’re looking for stunning views, fresh air and some peace and quiet than you don’t need to go far. The Holyrood Park is a place anyone can try out!
Based just behind the Palace of Holyrood it provides us with at least 3 paths to the summit. The 1^st one going way round the cliffy edge to turn left and up to the top. 2^nd and 3^rd one going from the left side (near the ruins of and old church) and then straight up.
The best is to be up there when the weather is clearest with blue skies and sunshine. The other one you an try is to get up either at sunrise or dusk. The views are beautiful at that time believe me!
Approx time to reach the summit from the bottom is less than 1 hour (normal walk) or up to 30mins (for those who are used to fast climbing)
Be sure to wear warm clothes as it’s pretty windy at the top all the time, plus the weather can change rapidly!
Enjoy your trip!

This is really a haven in the centre of the busy city of Edinburgh. It’s a great place to be to get away from the noise of the city centre.
The park itself consists of Arthur’s Seat, (used to be a volcano!!) Salisbury Crags both wonderful rocky hills/​mountains and green fields. There are walks through and around the park which give you both fantastic panoramic views of the city and sore legs. The Park is always great for running, dog walking, cycling, and sports on the sports field near Meadowbank.
The park is near several tourist attractions for those that are not particularly into walks such as the Queens Gallery, Dynamic Earth, Holyrood Parliament and Holyrood Palace. Furthermore, you can walk up along the Royal Mile directly from the Park getting you to the heart of the old town in no time.
Please note Sunday is the best day for visiting as this is when cars are not allowed on the road which runs through the park.

This is a great place to visit in Edinburgh. There is a lovely pond at the bottom which is a favourite for feeding the ducks and the very brave swans that toddle around your feet! There is also another pond further up which is possible to drive to if you dont want to walk. If you plan to climb Arthurseat you can drive to this point and start from here if you want to cheat a bit! Children also love to climb around the old castle ruins which is only a short climb from the first pond. This is a great place for a walk, picnic or to walk your dog and the parking is in great supply.