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FAVOURED in many respects by nature as is the city of Edinburgh, in none is she more favoured from a scenic point of view than in the possession of her bold crags and hills. Rising like the Castle Rock from waves of greenery, or, like the Calton Hill, above a grey slate sea of houses, they lend a picturesque strength and impressiveness to her scenery.
Conspicuous above all other heights rises the splendid little mountain group comprised within the limits of the Queen's Park. Whether it be the great rampart of cliffs, shaped like a bent bow, called the Salisbury Crags, the graceful outline and bold curves of the couchant Lion of Arthur's Seat, or the smoother slopes of the Whinny Hill, all are alike beautiful. Not only in the eyes of mountaineers alone, but to all lovers of the picturesque in scenery, is the Queen's Park a delight, and geologists find in it many striking object-lessons in their favourite science. We are now, of course, considering the Park from a mountaineer's point of view; but mountaineering and geology have always been closely connected, and it is impossible to be a mountaineer and find no interest in geology, while every geologist must be a bit of a mountaineer as well, and many geologists are and have been eminent in both pursuits.
The highest point in the Park is the top of the Lion's Head, which attains the height of 822.9 feet. This to an Alpinist, or even to the bagger of native Bens, may seem truly insignificant; but a half-sovereign is smaller than a five-shilling piece, and many a Highland Ben of ten times its bulk has less of the real mountain about it than has Arthur's Seat. The chief point that strikes the eye of the climber on visiting the Park is the great amount of rock exposed, and its generally very steep angle compared to the size of the hill. This is accounted for by the geological structure, great outflows of volcanic rock superimposed upon and protecting the softer carboniferous strata below. These outflows are of various ages, but are all comparatively recent.
The latest is generally supposed to be that plug of basalt which now forms the summit crest of the Lion's Head.
In those days the now peaceful couchant Lion must have roared and ramped indeed, when he shook his mane of flame and ashes, and thundered aloud from his volcanic throat what time the lavas poured from the riven hills in streams of liquid fire. These stirring times are long past, but it is on the later flows that the best climbing is to be had. At many places, such as Samson's Ribs, the Lion's Jawbone, the Dasses, &c, good examples of basaltic columns may be seen. On the lower slopes, however, the rock is frequently composed of a crumbly red volcanic tuff, thoroughly unreliable. This forms the overhanging cliff of the Lion's Haunch, or Raven's Rock, an evident former nesting-place of that bird, which, less than a century ago, also nested on the Castle Rock.
The general colour of the soil of Arthur's Seat and the Crags is a rich red, owing to the large amount of iron contained in both the eruptive and sedimentary rocks. The real colour of the basalt is, however, a dark grey, evident on fracture, but owing to the oxidising of the iron in the stone the surface colour is like the soil - red. At one time considerable masses of sandstone must have been exposed in places along the line of the Crags, especially just above Holyrood, but the old quarry workings removed the greater part of this. At several places the burnt sandstones may be seen lying beneath a 6o-foot wall of lava. The quarries fortunately have done little to damage the general contour of the Salisbury Crags, and some hundreds of yards of the best cliffs are quite untouched by the pick.
Though the actual climbs on the Crags nowhere exceed 90 feet in height, yet even these gain a wonderful impressiveness from being placed on the summit of a steep talus slope of over 200 feet; and in a dense mist, when the North Sea "haar" hides the city and the green slopes below, and exaggerates and distorts the rugged basaltic ribs and buttresses, one feels as far above the world as on some splintered crag in a wild north-eastern corrie 2,000 or 3,000 feet above sea-level.
There are some capital little scrambles to be had on many parts of Arthur's Seat itself, yet it is on the Crags that all the most interesting problems are to be found, and to them we shall first proceed. Before starting, however, a caution must be made against the dislodgment of a single stone unless at such an hour that no one is about. On the unquarried portions the rock is often very shaky. After a heavy gale I have seen the Radical Road strewn with large fragments of rock, and several of the climbs have been allowed to remain in an uncleared condition on account of the risk involved in sending down a stone.
The writer will not readily forget, however, the thorough and skilful manner in which a very shaky bit of the red ridge was cleared by a certain Professor last December. The climbs may be said to start with the "Pic Robbieson" (see map), that "grand isolated wall of trap" which will be noticed rising at right angles to the path about 100 yards up from the foot of the "Radical Road," and just opposite the Palace of Holyrood.
After running over this - it is very narrow, but foot and handholds abound - we ascend the path about 80 yards farther, when the foot of the Elder Tree Route will be reached. This is easily recognisable by two flourishing elder trees which grow on the cliff. No less than five variations of this climb have been done. The original route led from the lower elder tree up a small chimney on the left, and through the upper elder tree to a broad ledge, from whence the top is easily gained. The variations are the Balanced Stone Chimney, to the right of the elder tree; the Overhanging Ledge, to the left of the original route; the Little Chimney, more to the left; and Bell's Variation, still farther to the left.
The next climb is not far off. Fifty yards farther up the path comes the Red Ridge Route. Its position may be fixed by a great outstanding block to one side of the final climb. A scramble up a steep rock and grass slope lands one at the foot of the block, which is circled to the left. The route then runs very steeply up to a small chimney, practically vertical, and with rather poor holds.
From the top of the chimney a cut leads up behind a projecting stone - the summit of the Red Ridge - and thence to the top is 15 feet of easy ledges. The next climb - the Earth Ledge Route - starts a short 40 yards higher up from the Red Ridge. A considerable patch of grass will here be observed about two-thirds up the face. This is gained by a chimney in which grows a small tree. Exit from the top bears slightly to the left, and from the Earth Ledge a very steep 15-foot wall leads to the summit of the cliff. This climb is steep, and in places decidedly shaky. A considerable interval now occurs, where no climbs as yet have gone. Then 100 yards from the Earth Ledge comes the Cracked Slabs Route, not done, however, without slightly more than moral support from a rope. This runs up some very steeply sloping red slabs by means of cracks, and makes considerable demand on the muscular powers, even with the aid of a rope. On the buttress between this and the Recess Route (q.v.) is an excellent little climb - the Cleftblock Chimney. The chimney itself unfortunately does not extend the whole height of the cliff, but occupies the central half of the total; the lower part terminates in a large projecting block. To gain the chimney the block may be reached by a very long step and hand pull from the left, or directly from below by a narrow cleft. Towards the top the chimney overhangs, but escape offers to the left up some steep projecting slabs, then round a corner, where a rope from above is almost necessary, the few small ledges having an outward slope, and no handhold being available. Once round this awkward corner a broad ledge is gained, from whence to the top is quite easy. The next climb - the Recess Route - is simple, and was one of the earliest to be discovered. It runs up the second bay or recess in the cliffs, on the lower or Holyrood side of the Cat Nick. The route cannot well be missed, and presents no difficulty, except that near the top a hand-lift from a small earth ledge over a projecting block is facilitated by the possession of a long reach. The next recess to the Cat Nick is in the line of a well-marked fault in the lava flow, burnt sandstones being mixed up with the igneous rock in a confused manner somewhat as in the Cat Nick itself.
It has been called the Sloping Ledge Route, not that the ledge is the line of ascent, but it is the strongest feature of the spot. This was first climbed by a party consisting of Messrs Brown, Douglas, Priestman, and the writer last autumn. It is quite simple save for a small portion about half-way up. The route followed was up the grassy lower slopes to a recess below a small chimney. The exit from the chimney to a small ledge above proved difficult till the expedient of removing the boots was suggested by Mr Priestman. Above this the route is obvious and not difficult.
We now come to the Cat Nick, an ancient and well-known route to the top of the Crags from the Radical Road, well worn and polished by the hands, feet, and knees of generations of youthful climbers. This in its winter aspect has been eloquently treated of by Dr Clark in the last number of the Journal, and even in summer a first descent is apt to be somewhat awesome to a stranger unaware of the magnificent holds on the steep top portion. The cliff here may be ascended or descended without touching the ordinary route at any point by means of the Cat Nick Arete, the left-hand edge - from the path - of the gully. This is a steep, though not difficult climb, abounding in safe little right-angled ledges.
Past the Cat Nick, we arrive at the highest point reached by the Salisbury Crags, nearly 600 feet, and turning the corner, where the cliff shows from the east the well-known profile head - a somewhat low type, it must be confessed, to occupy so elevated a position - we pass what has been called somewhat prematurely the Great Corner Climb. I say pass advisedly, for, if possible, it is hardly justifiable. Tradition pointed this out as being a feat of two well-known Alpine Club men, but their climb was really done on the west buttress of the little quarry, a considerable distance eastwards towards the Hawes. This Great Corner is the beginning of the quarries, and now the cliffs stretch for a long distance presenting sheer walls of rock, and utterly forbidding any ascent.
It is not till we get along as far as the little quarry that any route has been discovered, and here the cliffs are much lower and the climbs much easier than on the other side of the Cat Nick. They are all, in fact, pure gymnastic climbs.
Every foot and hand hold is as secure as possible, though apt to be puzzling to a stranger on a first descent, owing to the height and often concealed position of the steps. The climbs are (vide map) three on the west buttress of little quarry, two in the left corner, and one on the face. The climb on the east buttress is, however, of a different character to the others, and requires delicate handling, as this buttress has been left untouched by the quarrymen, and is decidedly shaky. It first succumbed to the united assaults of "Auld Reekie" and a "North-Eastern" friend. From this eastern buttress the Crags rapidly diminish, and the few small climbs to be found even here are hardly worth mentioning.
We presently come to the pass over to the Hunter's Bog known as the Hawes, a familiar term to Lakeland climbers. From the Hawes a path called the Piper's Road runs along the base of Arthur's Seat, and forms the starting point of several scrambles. The rocks here are, however, very crumbly and treacherous, and though extensive, hardly present very definite climbs.
The quickest route to the Lion's Head from the southwest is up a rubbly gully called by the expressive if inelegant name of the "Gutted Haddie," and starts from the Piper's Road. This, however, is hardly a climb, though even here hobnailers will be found distinctly more serviceable than thin nailless shoes.
To the immediate right of the Gutted Haddie stands the Raven's Rock before mentioned. The bulk of this cliff is far too vertical not to say overhanging to render ascent possible. A steep little chimney, however, at the south end was explored and climbed by Dr Clark, and a route admitting in its higher part of a good deal of variation has also been done on the north end.
On the Dasses and the ranges of small cliffs running down parallel with the Hunter's Bog numbers of first-rate 15-foot chimneys of all degrees of difficulty may be found, but perhaps the best climb in this part of the Park is that on the Fallen Column Rock, which rises above the tourist path on the east side, a little above St Anthony's Well. The difficulty here is to start the climb. The easiest way is by stepping off a detached block lying at the foot of the cliff.
We are now clinging on a sloping ledge below some overhanging blocks. The holds are, however, extremely good, and after we have pulled ourselves over the blocks, we gain the summit by the sharp edge of a sloping column of basalt which some one likened to the Napes Arete of Wastdale on a small scale.
Turning back from this rock towards the Hunter's Bog again, we may make a direct ascent of the Lion via the Red Chimney, and the Little Chimney on the Nose. The former starts just south of the Dasses, and is the largest chimney in the Park. The straight exit is rather crumbly, but an easier escape offers to the right near the top. Ascending the scree slopes of the Lion's Neck, we may gain the summit either via the Nose Chimney or by the Cheek Climb. The former is obvious. The latter starts up the lower tier of basalt columns forming the Lion's Jawbone. Here a steep 20-foot pull lands one on a ledge carrying a sheep track across the face. Descending this a few yards, and ascending another 20-foot basalt column, we gain a shallow scoop below a projecting knob - the Lion's Eyebrow it may be called. The exit to the top by the left is easy, but if the right be taken a sporting finish to an interesting little climb will be obtained, and we presently emerge on the polished summit of the Lion's Head.
I need not dwell on the magnificent and wide panorama to be seen from thence on a clear day. Arthur's Seat is peculiarly well situated for wide views, as it is the supreme height in its neighbourhood, not cribbed and confined, as are so many hills of superior altitude, by jealous rivals pressing on their flanks, but kingly by name and shape, whether as the throne of Arthur or as the king of beasts, it lifts its head proudly to the sky, the chiefest mark and ornament of Scotland's capital.
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