Views over the mist on Arthur's Seat

Also features some misty Meadows photos taken on the way... All photos in chronological order.

	Links Mist 1280 x 850 156K	Friday morning on 11th December 2009. Soon after 9am I wandered out into the mist wondering if I could get above it by climbing our inner-city volcano, Arthur's Seat. This is Bruntsfield Links near the Golf Tavern.
	Leamington Walk 1280 x 850 224K	There were patches of black ice on the footpaths. Many walkers chose to walk on the frosty grass, as I did. In this picture Marchmont Road is just out of sight at the foot of Leamington Walk.
	Leamington Walk1 1280 x 850 185K	A wider view of the same scene. Warrender Park Terrace is up on the right hand side.
	Links Mist 1 1280 x 850 218K	The eastern end of Bruntsfield Links with Melville Drive to the left. The morning rush hour is over at 9.30am so there isn't much traffic coming through The Meadows.
	Leamington Walk2 1280 x 850 228K	Looking across the east end of Leamington Walk towards the corner of Marchmont Road and Warrender Park Terrace. The bus shelter is empty.
	Jawbone Walk 7 1280 x 850 361K	Across Melville Drive at the south end of Jawbone Walk. This footpath is frequently thronged with walking commuters and students including some on bikes who are too stupid to use the provided cycle paths.
	Coronation Walk 1280 x 850 272K	Coronation Walk connects Chalmers Street to Melville Drive. The cyclist ought to go via North Meadow Walk and Middle Meadow Walk.
	Jawbone Walk 8 1280 x 850 391K	A few stragglers make their way along Jawbone Walk. The trees along Coronation Walk disappear into the mist.
	Boys Brigade Walk 1280 x 850 237K	Frosty footprints lead across The Meadows towards Boys Brigade Walk, whose trees are barely visible. As I follow them I wonder if Arthur's Seat is above all this murkiness...
	East Meadows Play Park 1280 x 867 231K	The significance of the muddy ring eludes me - but I recognise the pipe as an exclusive entrance to - or exit from the children's play park at the East Meadows near Buccleuch Street. The entrance excludes adults.
	St Leonard's 1280 x 905 374K	Busy Clerk Street is easily crossed via Gifford Park, Rankeillor Street and St Leonard's Lane leading to here, St Leonard's Bank. At the end is my route into Holyrood Park, home of Arthur's Seat and Salisbury Crags.
	Misty00 1280 x 850 156K	Frost lingers on the grass on this ridge path into the park. The faint outline of Arthur's Seat is just visible.
	Misty01 1280 x 850 162K	A little more can be distinguished nearer the end of the ridge, including some of Salisbury Crags up to the left, as well as a few cars on Queen's Drive down below.
	Misty02 1280 x 850 117K	The end of the ridge drops down to the short stretch of road between the two traffic roundabouts. (infrared picture of roundabouts here)
	Misty03 1280 x 850 81K	The unmistakeable outline of Salisbury Crags thrusts up towards the promise of blue skies.
	Misty04 1280 x 850 147K	No cars on the roundabout.
	Misty05 1280 x 850	Camera panned slightly right showing Nether Hill.
	Misty06 1280 x 850 155K	Small red car on the roundabout.
	Misty07 1280 x 850 206K	A discreet sign on a convenient rock admonishes cyclists to give way to pedestrians. Blue skies beckon beyond.
	Misty08 1280 x 850 195K	Further up the grassy slope towards the paths leading to the summit.
	Misty09 1280 x 850 151K	Looking back up to the left towards Salisbury Crags. One or two figures can be seen walking along the Radical Road footpath below the crags.
	Misty10 1280 x 850 133K	Rather than take the zigzag steps straight up the front of Arthur's Seat I forked left to take a clockwise spiral route up. This is a look back along the path with Hunters Bog below in the mist. The top of the crags can be seen on the right.
	Misty11 1280 x 850 162K	Hunters Bog is below on the left. The path up the hill takes a turn to the right here.
	Misty12 1280 x 850 219K	Looking back down. More paths coming from Haggis Knowe direction connect at this point. The wooden steps are covered in frost.
	Misty13 1280 x 850 191K	A walker comes up one of the other paths. The mist is slowly drifting through Hunters Bog from right to left, coming from the North Sea.
	Misty14 1280 x 850 188K	Another look back down to the left. The mist has partially cleared below, but not for long.
	Misty15 1280 x 850 173K	Higher up, approaching a small plateau. The lone walker continues up the rough stone steps.
	Misty16 1280 x 850 190K	Looking back round the side of Arthur's Seat towards Salisbury Crags.
	Misty17 1280 x 850 126K	Zoomed in a little to show the crags poking above the mist, as well as part of East Cairn Hill from the Pentland Hills.
	Misty18 1280 x 850 224K	Looking back down one of the main paths up Arthur's Seat. The small plateau referred to above is where the path forks further down. Hunters Bog is to the left of the ridge. Beyond the hollow on the right is Whinny Hill.
	Misty19 1280 x 850 161K	The path to the summit has turned another corner. Whinny Hill is down below swathed in mist.
	Misty20 1280 x 837 141K	Down below, Musselburgh and the lagoons bordering the Firth of Forth are hidden from view. Only the chimneys of Cockenzie power station are visible 12km distant. The fence is to reduce erosion caused by climbers.
	Misty21 1280 x 850 134K	A similar view to Misty18 but from nearer the summit, the shadow of which can be seen on top of the mist.
	Misty22 1280 x 850 121K	Zoomed in a little to reveal some walkers climbing the path from Haggis Knowe direction (near Holyrood Palace).
	Misty23 1280 x 850 104K	From near the summit looking roughly north east to Whinny Hill. Several well worn paths converge at the eastern end of the hollow.
	Misty24 1280 x 850 180K	A wider view of the same scene showing the walkers coming up the path.
	Misty25 1280 x 835 176K	Looking back along the path to the corner. This east facing view shows the horizon over a sea of mist.
	Misty26 1280 x 850 171K	Almost at the summit now and there's a good view down on top of the semi-circular rim of Salisbury Crags.
	Misty27 1280 x 850 143K	Looking north with Hunters Bog hidden below the mist to the left of the ridge. The top of Whinny Hill is briefly clear of mist.
	Misty28 1280 x 970 132K	Showing more of the ridge and the sea of mist which conceals Edinburgh, Leith and the Firth of Forth.
	Misty29 1280 x 839 158K	Facing east towards Cockenzie power station and looking down to Dunsapie Loch. A group of people are enjoying the view. The white specks on the loch are probably swans.
	Misty30 1280 x 826 178K	The same scene but zoomed in more on Dunsapie Loch. Queens Drive passes by the west side of the loch.
	Misty31 1280 x 850 177K	The rocky summit is covered in lichen and is still frosty where the sun hasn't reached. Down below, the crags jut up through the mist.
	Misty32 1280 x 841 234K	From the summit, looking south west to the Pentland Hills 8km away. In front of the Pentlands can be seen two radio masts on Braid Hill and, in front of that, the dome of the Royal Observatory on Blackford Hill is only just visible.
	Misty33 1280 x 889 180K	The graffiti scrawled concrete marker post on the summit has a crow perched on top, surveying his kingdom. The summit is 251m or 822 feet above sea level.
	Misty34 1280 x 850 281K	A wider view showing more of the summit rocks and the distant Cockenzie power station.
	Misty35 1280 x 850 437K	Just below and south of the summit above the Gutted Haddie. Ordinarily, Edinburgh's South Side would be visible below. Only the Pentland Hills can be seen.
	Misty36 1280 x 826 385K	Two more pictures from the same viewpoint showing the surface texture which changes from rock-strewn to pitted as you near the edge of the plateau.
	Misty37 1280 x 850 265K	Zoomed in showing more of the Pentland Hills as well as glimpses of the Braids and Blackfords. The low winter sun makes the short grass look like bumpy velvet.
	Misty38 1280 x 850 349K	Two shots peering over the precipice of the Gutted Haddie down to the crags. There used to be a rough, unofficial path down here before the zigzag steps were built for safety and to prevent more erosion.
	Misty39 1280 x 850 159K	A narrower view showing more detail of the paths on top of the crags. Normally there would be views of Edinburgh Castle from here.
	Misty40 1280 x 850 192K	Looking south along one of the paths along Nether Hill. The Pentlands, Braids and Blackfords are in view. Some of these paths are quite dangerous; it's best to follow the ridge further to the left.
	Misty41 1280 x 850 135K	Showing more of the hills beyond the mist.
	Misty42 1280 x 779 93K	More variations on the same theme as the mist swirls and changes. The Hillend Ski Slope is visible at the extreme left.
	Misty43 1280 x 857 83K	The Royal Observatory catches a little sunshine on Blackford Hill. Two radio masts on Braid Hill are a kilometre and a half further away.
	Misty44 1280 x 850 85K	A wider view showing all 3 sets of hills. Allermuir is the highest visible point on the Pentlands at 493m.
	Misty45 1280 x 850 220K	A classic view of Salisbury Crags showing the footpaths which meander along close to the edge of the cliffs.
	Misty46 1280 x 850 204K	This particular convolution of the crags is favoured by climbers (who are supposed to get permission). The man down below has left the Radical Road footpath and is striding towards the cliff bottom, perhaps to climb.
	Misty47 1280 x 843 81K	Another shot of Braid Hill and Blackford Hill which is almost concealed once more by the drifting mist.
	Misty48 1280 x 774 82K	This variation shows East Cairn Hill in the Pentlands, about 18km distant. It's the flat topped hill on the right.
	Misty49 1280 x 850 92K	This south facing view reveals little but I believe the church spire near bottom left to be Liberton Northfield Parish Church.
	Misty50 1280 x 850 154K	Moving over to the south side of Nether Hill for safer access to the zigzag path down. Ordinarily you would look down on Prestonfield and the Innocent Railway path here.
	Misty51 1280 x 850 167K	Facing west again and although the mist has got thicker again, the top of Salisbury Crags still pokes through.
	Misty52 1280 x 912 185K	Two vapour trails above the Pentland Hills.
	Misty53 1280 x 830 177K	Some gorse bushes on the north slopes of Nether Hill. The route down is straight ahead.
	Misty54 1280 x 850 82K	Peffermill Court and Craigmillar Court poke through the mist on the left. Behind is Craigmillar Castle and, over to the right, the six tower blocks of the Moredun Flats are visible.
	Misty55 1280 x 850 271K	Looking straight into the sun and descending the main path which turns to the right to head towards the zigzag steps down.
	Misty56 1280 x 850 128K	There is an alternative route down here but it has some risky parts to negotiate. Two figures are discernable down below, just right of centre.
	Misty57 1280 x 850 276K	This is the main path, not much to look at but it's the safest way down - apart from the paths leading east to Queens Drive near Dunsapie Loch.
	Misty58 1280 x 850 287K	There's no let-up in the mist today; the sun isn't strong enough to burn off the haar drifting off the North Sea.
	Misty59 1280 x 850 237K	The path turns a corner ahead, and a fence discourages walkers from wandering near a cliff top.
	Misty60 1280 x 833 265K	The rough rocky steps down begin just round the corner. Great care is necessary on the slippery surfaces.
	Misty61 1280 x 850 225K	Descending to the west, but a look to the south shows the summit of Arthur's Seat, sometimes referred to a the Lion's Head - as Nether Hill is occasionally called the Lion's Haunch.
	Misty62 1280 x 940 153K	My shadow on the mist is superimposed on the hill's shadow and has a corona effect round it. Same view as above but zoomed in.
	Misty63 1280 x 836 168K	An ultrawide view with Salisbury Crags on the left and Arthur's Seat on the right.
	Misty64 1280 x 840 153K	Another ultrawide view taken with a fisheye lens. (The horizon is straight because it's central.) The sun will not get much higher today - it will soon be noon on this December day.
	Misty65 1280 x 834 88K	My personal choice for Desktop Wallpaper in its larger 1920 x 1280 version here. That speck on the edge of the crags is a person, which gives an idea of scale in this scene.
	Misty66 1280 x 850 89K	Taken 30 seconds later than the picture above but the clifftop figure hasn't moved, presumably spellbound by the magical vision before him.
	Misty67 1280 x 833 80K	Students accomodation at Pollock Halls of Residence is mostly hidden except for a chimney.
	Misty68 1280 x 838 137K	A wider view of the same scene. A little bit more of Pollock Halls is visible now.
	Misty69 1280 x 850 75K	The figure on the edge of the crags is still pondering the panorama. A temporary hole has formed in the mist giving a glimpse of Queens Drive and the roundabout pictured in Misty4,5 and 6.
	Misty70 1280 x 850 76K	Another temporary hole appeared giving a more convincing look at part of Pollock Halls.
	Misty71 1280 x 827 88K	Interesting wave patterns form as the mist ebbs and flows up the slope leading up from Hunters Bog to the top of the crags.
	Misty72 1280 x 850	8 minutes have elapsed since the last view of the lone walker on Salisbury Crags and he's started the walk down to Holyrood Palace and Haggis Knowe. He won't see any more sunshine and blue skies today.
	Misty73 1280 x 694 102K	A last look at the Pentland Hills. A line of pollution from cars on the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass lingers in front of the Pentlands. The dome of the Royal Observatory is only just visible in the mist.
	Misty74 1280 x 850 192K	Descending the rough rocky steps into the mist. The fence discourages the inept from straying from the path into the Gutted Haddie where erosion prevention work is ongoing.
	Misty75 1280 x 850 176K	Down a bit further and a brief glimpse of sunshine is reflected by the damp rocks of the path. Behind the gorse bushes are paths diverging to the crags, Hunters Bog and Arthur's Seat.
	Misty76 1280 x 850 96K	The last picture is almost all greyed out by mist.
Out of sequence but photographed the previous morning so I've added in these two non-misty pictures.
	Crags 0912d 1280 x 873 293K	One entrance to Holyrood Park is near Carnegie Street in the St Leonard's / Pleasance area. I first photographed the crags from these steps in the 1970s, picture at the top of the main Arthur's Seat page.
	Crags 0912g 1280 x 844 283K	Standing at the top of the steps gives a better view of the crags. Nether Hill is partly visible at the right edge of the picture.