Arthur's Seat

                   Will wanted to take a short-cut to the walking path.

This past weekend marked the 3-month anniversary of our arrival in Scotland. The time does tend to go quickly due to the fact that we're so busy with school, teaching, and life in general. We've really tried to maximize our time and see as much as we can during our stay here, which also means the weekends are full of activities as well. Even though it does get a bit exhausting at times, we know we have a unique opportunity and we're determined to make the most of it.

The city of Edinburgh is so close, but we haven't been back as a family since the first week of our arrival in Scotland. Seeing as Sunday was supposed to have very nice weather, we took the train in and decided to make the hike up Arthur's Seat, a hill in Edinburgh that offers commanding views of the city. The hike is great for families, with a gradual incline on the way up, and at 822 feet it can be done in a reasonable amount of time. It turns out the weather reports were correct, it was possibly the nicest day we've had since our arrival, with blue skies, warm sun, and just a hint of a breeze. As always, the kids loved climbing around on the rocks and enjoying the outdoors.

View of Parliament as we start our walk

View of Edinburgh (Edinburgh Castle towards the left, on the hill)

A perfect area for a little rock climbing

Christa and Ainsley enjoying a quick break from the hike.

Going up is always the easy part.

There is some mythology that Arthur's Seat is connected to the legend of King Arthur, but we didn't see him. Maybe we'll have better luck when we visit Loch Ness.

Heading back down. (There was a wipe-out that was not captured. Nothing a little soap and water couldn't fix)

Another view of Parliament.