Yesterday I decided to do some sightseeing, and decided that I wanted to visit Arthurs Seat. As I walked to the bus, I noticed that it was a windy day, but decided to go anyway. After all, I was wearing a wind proof jacket and mountain shoes.
I was on my way to Arthurs Seat, I turned my head and noticed the cliffs, which I now know is called Salisbury Crags, and thought that I could get some better photos of the city from there.
Two of the pathways leading towards the cliffs were closed. However, I noticed that there were a lot of people walking on top of the Salisbury Crags. I decided to take another, smaller path.
The view was great. I could see the ocean, a lake and noticed how large Holyrood park is.
From the top of the cliffs I could see the whole city.
There was only one problem. It was really, really windy. I actually thought that I could risk being blown away by the wind. I also have a great fear of heights. So, while the other people there were sitting relaxed on the top and enjoying the view, I made myself as small as possible so the wind would not catch me. At the same time, I love photographing, so it kind of distracted me from running away from the cliff at once.
I decided that I wanted to take another route down from the hill. As I did not know the way, I started to follow a couple who seemed to know where they were going. On my way down I got a great view of the Holyrood Palace, which is the Queens residence when she is visiting Edinburgh.
The guy that I was following seemed to have a pretty good knowledge of the path. His girlfriend, however, was struggling, as the path got steeper and steeper, and after a while he had to help her. Even though I had my mountain shoes on, I was not sure if I would get down safely myself. Finally, I made it. Then I noticed a sign that said “Unsafe route. This route has sheer drops, hidden edges and may be dangerous”.
So I guess my day had become a little more adventurous than I had thought that it would be. Next time I will at least check the weather forecast before I go hiking.
Ina N. Moe 