St Margaret’s Loch by cab, summit, then descend east into Duddingston.
Early dinner at Baba, George Street. Early night before the 04:00 alarm.
Arthur’s Seat first thing, descend into Duddingston Village for lunch at the Sheep Heid, then Camera Obscura in the afternoon before an early dinner at Baba on George Street.
Eat well — Arthur’s Seat needs fuel. Early enough start to get to the summit before the midday crowds.
Short cab from Lauriston Street to St Margaret’s Loch at the foot of Holyrood Park. About 10 minutes.
Start from St Margaret’s Loch, climb through Hunter’s Bog to the 251m summit. Allow around 45 minutes up. From the top, descend the eastern slope toward Duddingston Village rather than returning the same way — a quieter path and a completely different view of the park.
Duddingston Village sits just beyond the park boundary, one of Edinburgh’s oldest settlements. Walk past Duddingston Loch and into Dr Neil’s Garden — a hidden walled garden on the water’s edge, created by two doctors over 40 years. Quiet, beautiful, and almost nobody knows it’s there.
Scotland’s oldest pub, trading since 1360. Right in Duddingston Village, a short walk from the garden. Traditional Scottish pub food, open fire, low ceilings. The kind of place that earns a long lunch after a hill.
Cab from Duddingston back into the Old Town, around 10–15 minutes. Drop at the top of the Royal Mile, Camera Obscura is right beside Edinburgh Castle.
Five floors of optical illusions, holograms, and hands-on exhibits, topped by the rooftop camera obscura with live 360° views of Edinburgh. Built in 1853, one of Edinburgh’s oldest visitor attractions. Good for all ages and genuinely impressive. Allow around 90 minutes.
10-minute cab from the top of the Royal Mile back to Lauriston Street.
Last proper rest before the 04:00 alarm tomorrow. Shower, pack what you can tonight, lay out everything needed for the early morning. Early dinner means an early night is genuinely possible.
Levantine mezze and charcoal grill on George Street. Sharing plates, Scottish lamb and seafood over charcoal. Early sitting — the bar runs until midnight if anyone wants to stay on.
Cab or walk back to Lauriston Street. Alarm is at 04:00. Get to bed early.
Early flight to Reykjavík. Everything should already be packed. Sleep.
The extinct volcano in Holyrood Park. Not a hard climb, more a long uphill walk on grass, but the summit views are the best in Edinburgh. From the top, descend the eastern slope directly into Duddingston Village rather than turning back.
Wear proper shoes, the grass is slippery when wet and uneven near the top. A light layer for the summit (it's exposed and often windy).
No cafés on the hill. Bring a water bottle from the hotel and something to eat at the top. Next food stop is The Sheep Heid Inn in Duddingston at 12:00.
If it's raining hard, skip the summit and walk around the park at base level instead. The path around St Margaret's Loch is still worth doing.
Arthur’s Seat → Duddingston Village · Descend the eastern slope directly into the village — the path is clear and brings you down in about 20–25 minutes. Walking directions →
One of Edinburgh’s oldest settlements, tucked below the eastern flank of Arthur’s Seat and largely unchanged for centuries. Walk the cobbled main street, past Duddingston Loch, and into Dr Neil’s Garden — a walled garden on the water’s edge created by two local doctors over four decades. Quiet and completely unexpected.
Duddingston Village · EH15 3PX
The path from Arthur’s Seat drops you into the village just above the loch. Walk the main street past Duddingston Kirk — a 12th-century church, the oldest in Edinburgh still in regular use — then down to the water. The loch is a nature reserve with a view back up to the summit you just came from.
View on mapOld Church Lane · Free · Open daily
Created by Dr Andrew and Nancy Neil between 1963 and 2001 on waste ground beside the loch. Alpine plants, mature trees, a heather garden, and a genuine sense of calm. Small, but one of the most quietly beautiful spots in Edinburgh. The gate is on Old Church Lane, right behind Duddingston Kirk.
View on mapDr Neil’s Garden → The Sheep Heid Inn · The pub is right in the village, two minutes from the garden gate on The Causeway. Walking directions →
Scotland’s oldest pub, trading since 1360. Low ceilings, open fire, proper Scottish pub food. Right in Duddingston Village, a short walk from the garden. The kind of place that earns a long lunch after a hill.
43 The Causeway, EH15 3QA · From 12:00
Named for the ornate sheep’s head snuffbox gifted by James VI in 1580. Traditional Scottish pub food — cullen skink, haggis, scotch broth, proper mains. The dining room has been here for centuries and it shows. Allow 75–90 minutes for a proper lunch before the cab back to the Old Town.
Restaurant website View on mapDuddingston → Camera Obscura, Castlehill · Cab from the pub back into the Old Town. Camera Obscura is at the very top of the Royal Mile, right beside Edinburgh Castle. Route →
Five floors of optical illusions, hands-on exhibits, and genuine puzzles, topped by the Victorian camera obscura with live 360° views of Edinburgh projected onto a viewing table. Built in 1853, one of the oldest visitor attractions in the city — and it earns the reputation.
549 Castlehill, EH1 2ND · Top of the Royal Mile
The camera obscura itself is on the rooftop — a Victorian optical device that projects a live image of Edinburgh onto a concave white table using mirrors and a lens. The floors below have holograms, mirror mazes, vortex tunnels, and optical illusions. Better than it sounds, genuinely engaging for all ages, and the rooftop views alone are worth the entry.
Book tickets View on mapCamera Obscura → The Knight Residence · Cab from the top of the Royal Mile back to Lauriston Street. Route →
Levantine mezze and charcoal grill on George Street. Sharing plates inspired by the flavours of the Middle East, Scottish lamb and seafood cooked over charcoal, and a cocktail bar that runs until midnight.
Levantine mezze & charcoal grill · 130 George Street
Baba is on George Street. The menu draws on Levantine tradition: small mezze plates designed for sharing, and a charcoal grill turning out Scottish lamb, beef, and seafood. The result is the kind of dinner where you order everything and share it across the table.
George Street is a short cab ride from the hotel, and the bar runs until midnight so there’s no need to rush. Edinburgh’s New Town as the backdrop, good food, good drinks.
Order a spread of mezze to start, then let the charcoal grill do the talking. The Scottish lamb is the standout from the grill. Cocktails before or after at the bar are part of the experience.
Today's loop starts in Holyrood Park for Arthur's Seat, heads north to Stockbridge and Dean Village, then cuts back through the Old Town via Victoria Street.
Arthur's Seat: 25 min walk from hotel east along Holyrood Road, enter at St Margaret's Loch · Stockbridge: 35–40 min walk from Holyrood Park north via Princes Street · Dean Village: 10 min walk from Stockbridge along the Water of Leith · Victoria Street: 20 min walk from Dean Village back into the Old Town · Hotel: The Knight Residence, 10 min from Grassmarket
Today is a long walking day — pace it, eat properly, and skip Arthur's Seat if anyone's flagging.