Holyrood Park in the heart of Edinburgh is a unique landscape forged by volcanoes and carved by INVESTIGATING ice. This resource encourages learners to explore this landscape, discover its HOLYROOD PARK variety of plants and wildlife and examine its influence through the ages on people and biodiversity. Information for teachers

LEARNING INVESTIGATING HISTORIC SITES: SITES

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Using this resource

Contents Holyrood Park is a unique historic This resource contains: landscape in the heart of the Edinburgh. • the story of Holyrood Park P2 Its dramatic crags and hills give the city Using this resource • suggestions for preparatory and its distinctive skyline. The park’s famous follow-up activities P3 landscape was forged by volcanoes and Organising your visit carved by ice. • descriptions of four themed teacher- led tours of the park, each of which P7 The park contains a remarkable variety focuses on different aspects: Supporting learning of plants and animals, has been home and teaching to humans over thousands of years, and Tour 1: Landscape and beginnings P10 has been witness to key events in the Tour 2: Human traces Integrating a visit with history of Edinburgh and Scotland. Tour 3: Rare plants and animals classroom studies This resource is designed for teachers Tour 4: Managing for a sustainable P12–13 who are planning an independent visit future Timeline: the story of to Holyrood Park with their classes. It is Holyrood Park • glossary of terms used in the resource most suitable for secondary teachers, (words explained in the glossary are P14 although primary teachers will also find italicised in the text) The story of Holyrood much of interest. Park • suggestions for other places to visit Please note that the material in this • list of additional useful resources P21 resource is designed for teachers and Suggested tours is not intended for independent use by Each tour includes six locations with suggested activities and discussion P22 learners. Tour 1: Landscape and points that develop the theme. beginnings

P30 Tour 2: Human traces

P38 Tour 3: Rare plants and animals

P47 Tour 4: Managing for a sustainable future

P56 Places to visit

P58 Glossary

P59 Other resources

Cover image: St Anthony’s Chapel with Looking towards Arthur’s Seat from Edinburgh Castle Arthur’s Seat in the background

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Organising your visit

Historic Scotland’s Ranger Service and the Holyrood Park Education Centre The Ranger Service, based at the Holyrood Park Education Centre, plays an active role in managing the park and delivers a programme of activities and events to schools, community groups and the general public throughout the year. A Ranger can lead or accompany your group in an exploration of Holyrood Park. We offer a variety of sessions, both Ranger-led and self-led/Ranger- accompanied, many of which can be adapted to suit your group’s needs and ability.

In our work with schools, we aim to: © Angus Miller • promote understanding of the Holyrood Park Education Centre wildlife, geology and history of the sites • encourage a sense of ownership and commitment to Visiting Holyrood Park the future of the park amongst local school children The four suggested tours in this resource can each be • develop a greater understanding of environmental completed in about 2½ hours, but your group may need issues among young people more or less time. The Holyrood Park Education Centre is available free The tours all start at St Margaret’s Well, close to the of charge for use by schools, with or without a Ranger. Palace of Holyrood House, and then follow different It provides wet-weather accommodation, toilets and routes. They finish at points on Queen’s Drive, where classrooms. you can meet your transport, or continue through the For more information on the park, educational visits, park and back to the start point. guided walks and other activities run by the Rangers please contact: The suggested tours are just a guide, and you might 0131 652 8150 want to use a combination of locations from different [email protected] tours or combine your visit with other activities in the www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/ranger park.

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How to get to Holyrood Park Facilities Holyrood Park is close to Edinburgh city centre and There are virtually no facilities within Holyrood Park, accessible by public transport. Lothian Buses services including no shelter and nowhere to buy food or drink. stop nearby at the Scottish Parliament. Visiting groups need to be self-sufficient and well- Minibuses and coaches entering the park require equipped. Publicly accessible toilets are available free at permission from Historic Scotland, which can be the Holyrood Park Education Centre, close to the start obtained by contacting the Ranger Service on of the tours. Access to the Education Centre may be 0131 652 8150. There is no charge for educational possible if the weather is poor. groups. To help with the management of Holyrood Park all The main entry point on foot into Holyrood Park is at school groups are expected to take their litter home. the south side of Holyrood Palace, and all tours start Preparing for your visit from there. We strongly encourage teachers to make a pre-visit For coaches being used by educational groups, there themselves before bringing a class. This gives you the is limited parking in the main Holyrood Palace car chance to carry out a risk assessment, try out material park: contact the Ranger Service for advice. There and become familiar with the site. are safe coach drop-off points around Holyrood Park, at Holyrood Palace and the Scottish Parliament, The tours are just a starting point. You may wish to use Horse Wynd and Our Dynamic Earth, Holyrood Road. a selection of different locations to suit your group, Metered minibus and coach parking is available at the learning outcomes you wish to achieve, and time Regent Road. available. Although the tours all start near Holyrood Palace, you may wish to start elsewhere; the general points addressed at Location 1 can be covered at other places.

Inchcolm Abbey Blackness Castle A904 Eagle Rock A901 Trinity House St Triduana's Aisle, Edinburgh Chapel & Wellhouse A8 EAST A89 Corstorphine Castle Dovecot LOTHIAN A71 02 Craigmillar A1(T) CITY OF A7 Castle A6 A7 EDINBURGH 124 (T) 5 A 70 89 A A720 9 A70 Holyrood Park WEST Palace of Holyroodhouse & Gardens LOTHIAN Castlelaw Hill Fort Holyrood Abbey & Souterrain Abbey Strand

Miles 02.5 5 Crichton N Km 02.5 5 MIDLOT HIAN Castle

Map showing some other Historic Scotland sites around Edinburgh

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The tours follow different routes through Holyrood

Park, giving a range of topics, length and difficulty of walking. Together they provide a comprehensive survey of most aspects of the park. Several of the tours overlap at different points, and, if you have time, you might consider extending a tour to include other aspects. Ideally, local schools will make several complementary visits to the park to consider different aspects. You can also combine a self-led visit with activities offered by the Ranger Service, such as conservation or survey work. The summit of Arthur’s Seat is not included in the tours, as it is difficult to go to the top and achieve a range of other locations and learning outcomes in the time that most groups have available. It does however offer a rewarding challenge for groups if appropriate safety measures are in place and the time is available and it would work well as an extension to any of the tours.

Items to take with you • For Tour 1 we suggest you take the following items with you: some rock samples to give learners a chance to explore and experiment with the properties of local rocks; a simple line sketch of Arthur’s Seat for learners to use as a template to which they can add details; some pictures of modern volcanic eruptions such as Mount Etna and those on Hawaii. • For Tour 3 you might want to take pictures of grass

and bog plant species, including adder’s tongue fern, © DCSH to help illustrate the range of plant types that learners The path leading up to the summit of Arthur’s Seat might find and their distinguishing characteristics.

Fungi growing in Holyrood Park

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Risk assessment • Weather conditions are variable at all times of year and the park is often significantly colder than the city Risk assessment of the site is the responsibility of the centre. Long-sleeved, waterproof clothing should teacher in charge of the group. You can contact the always be carried. During the summer months hats, Ranger Service for advice and support. Key points to sun screen, sun glasses and water bottles are also bear in mind are: recommended. • Learners should be supervised at all times. • Many accidents occur at the end of walks and Looking after Holyrood Park excursions, when people are tired and travelling downslope. Be aware of the dangers of running Holyrood Park is a Site of Special Scientific Interest downhill over rough ground. (SSSI) and a Scheduled Ancient Monument, therefore all the geology, archaeology, plants • You should have enough adults to deal with and animals are protected. Please make sure in emergencies and to ensure adequate supervision if a advance that your group is aware of this. learner falls ill or has an accident. While you are in the park, do not allow members • Parts of the park have cliffs and steep slopes and will of your group to remove or damage any plants, not be suitable for some groups. take away any rocks, or harm any of the park’s • There are roads in the park, some of which have heavy wild animals. Encourage them to look, smell, traffic; design your route to use safe crossing points. listen, touch and taste where appropriate, but • Paths and tracks are rough underfoot and ankle and take care not to cause damage or disturbance. knee injuries are possible. Sensible, sturdy footwear (with grips) is required.

Arthur’s Seat in snow

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Supporting learning and teaching

Curriculum for Excellence Outdoor learning A visit to Holyrood Park allows development of skills and Holyrood Park offers fantastic opportunities for outdoor experiences in each of the four capacities of Curriculum learning, opportunities which will help learners to make for Excellence: connections within and across curriculum areas. Develop successful learners by Outdoor learning enhances classroom learning and is a • Broadening learners’ knowledge and powerful means of addressing the Scottish Government’s understanding through investigative, creative and National Outcomes. Outdoors is often a more effective critical thinking in a stimulating context place to learn . . . Such experiences, from early years to adulthood, will help our children and young people to enter • Providing a context for learning about issues education, employment or training with transferable skills relating to interaction with the environment required to meet the opportunities and challenges of a • Encouraging learners to think critically about the rapidly changing world. nature of historical and scientific evidence and (Curriculum for Excellence through Outdoor Learning, arrive at their own conclusions Learning and Teaching Scotland 2010) • Building skills in literacy, numeracy and Ideally, a visit to Holyrood Park will be part of a communication programme of outdoor learning, giving learners a Develop confident individuals by chance to develop progressively knowledge and • Giving learners active learning experiences and experience of their local area. physical and mental challenges • Encouraging self-reliance in the outdoors • Giving learners an opportunity to relate to others in a non-classroom setting Develop responsible citizens by • Encouraging understanding of and respect for Scotland’s historic environment • Exploring examples of sustainable management • Encouraging understanding of long-term changes and impacts • Experiencing the work of historians, archaeologists, geologists, ecologists and conservationists and understanding why this is important Develop effective contributors by • Enabling learners to record and communicate their feelings and observations outdoors • Allowing learners the opportunity to communicate their own views on environmental issues • Developing life skills including working with others and problem solving Outdoor learning in Holyrood Park

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Cross-curricular learning The four tours in this resource address the following themes and subject areas: Curriculum for Excellence encourages cross-curricular learning at all levels and a visit to Holyrood Park is an Tour 1: Landscape and beginnings ideal vehicle for this, offering opportunities to engage Investigate the eruption of the Arthur’s Seat volcano learners in themes from Science, Social Studies, and discover how different rock types help create Literacy and English, Expressive Arts and Health and Edinburgh’s landscape. Wellbeing. Holyrood Park is a good place to appreciate that For senior phase learners, a field trip to Holyrood Park Scotland’s landscape derives from natural processes of has a lot to offer. The informal setting of an excursion weathering and erosion of varied bedrock. Learners can is an ideal opportunity for learners to debate issues explore some of the substances that make up the Earth’s and develop their own views; they can gain experience surface, and compare some of their characteristics in field survey techniques, sketching, writing and and uses. They can appreciate how in the historical recording data outdoors, and they can appreciate and past information from Scotland’s rocks helped in the expand on their classroom learning in a new context. development of scientific ideas. Learners preparing artwork for Higher Art: Portfolio studies will find the impressive landscape in the park an This tour presents learning contexts within: excellent source of inspiration. • Curriculum for Excellence: Social Studies: People, past events and societies; People, place and environment; Links to broad curricular areas are highlighted below and Sciences: Earth’s materials for each tour. In addition, there are opportunities for senior learners to gain work experience with the Ranger • Senior phase: Geography (physical environment), Service and to get assistance with individual Advanced Geology Higher projects. Tour 2: Human traces Explore some of the traces that people have left and reflect upon what Holyrood Park has meant to people over the ages. Holyrood Park is a unique site because it has been close to (and eventually surrounded by) the developing capital city of Scotland, and because its Royal Park status has protected it from recent development. Therefore some of the traces of early humans which have been obliterated in other areas can be observed in the park. The tour gives learners the opportunity to interpret historical evidence from a range of periods, from the early settlement of Scotland to the present day, helping to build a picture of Scotland’s heritage and a sense of chronology. They can explore how the physical environment influences how people use land. This tour presents learning contexts within: • Curriculum for Excellence: Social Studies: People, past events and societies and People, place and environment • Senior phase: History Higher, for example the A learner carrying out a biodiversity survey in Reformation; Advanced Higher, for example Northern Hunter’s Bog Britain from the Romans to AD 1000

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Tour 3: Rare plants and animals

Find out about the range of biodiversity within Holyrood Park now and why it is important as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a place for nature. A visit to Holyrood Park gives access to a range of different habitats in a small area. Learners can appreciate how people have used the land in the past and the impact this has had on plants and animals. They can identify and classify living things from different habitats, compare the biodiversity of different habitats and suggest reasons for their distribution. They can discover the importance of practical conservation and management to enhance biodiversity. This tour presents learning contexts within: • Curriculum for Excellence: Sciences: Biodiversity and interdependence • Senior phase: Biology Standard Grade: Investigating an ecosystem; Managing Environmental Resources Higher: Investigating ecosystems A Ranger points out birdlife to a learner.

Tour 4: Managing for a sustainable future How is Holyrood Park protected and enhanced? And how might the park and Scotland’s landscape in general be used by people in the future? This tour presents learning contexts within: • Curriculum for Excellence: Sciences: Biodiversity and interdependence and Processes of the planet • Senior phase: Geography: Physical and human environments; Managing Environmental Resources Higher: Land use in Scotland There have been many obvious changes to Holyrood Park over thousands of years, including during the last few decades. It is used intensively by people, but is also home to a range of plants and animals. Learners can explore the impact that people have on other life within Holyrood Park, and predict how changes in the future may affect plants and animals. A visit to the park also gives the opportunity to observe current park management practice, consider wider environmental issues, and make informed suggestions A Ranger and learner pond-dipping about ways to manage the impact.

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Integrating a visit with classroom studies

Before you visit Topics that you might like to discuss or revise in class include: Educational visits have the greatest value if they are integrated into ongoing classroom work. This • Volcanic eruptions, definitions of lava, magma and section contains some suggestions as to how you can different rock types – Search for pictures of recent prepare for the visit in class beforehand and follow up eruptions of Mount Etna and of volcanoes in Hawaii to afterwards. Some sources of further information are give some idea of the eruptions of Arthur’s Seat. listed on page 59. • Plate tectonics – Look at reconstructions of the world Make sure that learners have a clear grasp of the main map in the past to find out where Scotland was when events that have shaped Holyrood Park and the people the rocks of Edinburgh were being formed. who have used it. A class timeline can help with this • People in the past – How did people live at different – stretch a string around the classroom or along a times in Edinburgh’s past? corridor and attach labels and pictures with clothes • Kings and queens of Scotland – Several key people pegs. in Scotland’s history are linked to Holyrood Park, The story of Holyrood Park presents difficult challenges including Mary Queen of Scots, Bonnie Prince Charlie in this regard because of the range of time scales from and Queen Victoria. the geological to the historical. A sensible scale for the • Plant succession, and habitats – What plants would you human story might be 1m of string for each century. expect to find in Holyrood Park, and what rare species This gives space to accommodate the recent history of are present in the park? the park, but starts stretching beyond the school walls • Birds – Research the birds of Holyrood Park and list the once you add the Neolithic hunters and early farmers. species you would expect to find in different habitats. And at that scale your string would need to stretch Take a tick-list of species with you. Predict how many of almost to the North Pole to include the eruption of each species you will spot during your visit. Arthur’s Seat (342 million years ago = 3,420km of string; distance from Edinburgh to the North Pole = 3,800km). You might need a timeline that has different scales for different sections, or use a logarithmic scale. Following their visit, learners can add to the timeline, develop their sense of chronology and relate the events they have been exploring to other geological and historical events. If possible, involve learners in planning their visit. Point them in the direction of sources of information about Holyrood Park and Edinburgh, and help them to define the ‘mission’ that will be accomplished during the visit and what they are going to do during the visit to record it.

Learners explore volcanic eruptions in class.

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Follow-up work There is also scope for learners to respond imaginatively and expressively to the site, for example by: Following the visit, learners can pool their findings to form a broad view of the different aspects of the story of • writing diary entries or letters for some of the people Holyrood Park. who have lived or worked in Holyrood Park through the ages They can then use this material as the basis for a presentation activity, for example: • writing a newspaper article about some of the events that have happened in the park or have shaped the • use the evidence they have found to complete a park, including the volcanic eruptions and ice ages research project • writing poetry to explore their own feelings or • prepare their own guidebook to the site reactions to the site, perhaps illustrated with their • prepare a slide show with commentary about the site own drawings or photographs and their visit to show another class • design a poster or leaflet to promote the site, incorporating photographs or artwork • draw and produce postcards of the site as part of an enterprise project

A follow-up presentation in school

investigating historic sites: sites 12 holyrood park Timeline: the story of Holyrood Park

550 mi llion 1971 years ago © Angus Mille r Bawsinch and 4,600 million Cambrian Duddingston years ago explosion of life Wildlife Reserve created Formation of the Earth 1940s 1977 Park used for allotments End of sheep and air defences grazing within 342 million 1856 during Second the park years ago Victorian improvements World War including roads and lochans Arthur’s Seat erupts 1999 Historic Scotland Ranger Service 320 million established years ago Formation of Salisbury Crags 1790s James Hutton uses rocks at 200 million Salisbury Crags to support years ago his theory of an 1541 ancient Earth James V creates Age of the dinosaurs 1745 Royal Park

Bonnie Prince Charlie’s troops camp

© Angus Mille r in the park © Angus Mille r © Graham Checkley

2 million years ago Start of the ice ages 10 thousand years ago 5 thousand c.15th century St Anthony’s Chapel First people arrive in Edinburgh years ago in use Farming established 80 thousand on the slopes of 1128 years ago Arthur’s Seat 2 thousand AD 100 King David I Start of the last ice age 14 thousand years ago Romans in pact with established Holyrood Abbey years ago Forts built on hill-tops local Votadini tribe Ice melting, tundra 20 thousand vegetation established AD 500 years ago Edinburgh becoming established Ice age peak, glacier more than as a settlement 1km thick over Edinburgh

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550 mi llion 1971 years ago © Angus Mille r Bawsinch and 4,600 million Cambrian Duddingston years ago explosion of life Wildlife Reserve created Formation of the Earth 1940s 1977 Park used for allotments End of sheep and air defences grazing within 342 million 1856 during Second the park years ago Victorian improvements World War including roads and lochans Arthur’s Seat erupts 1999 Historic Scotland Ranger Service 320 million established years ago Formation of Salisbury Crags 1790s James Hutton uses rocks at 200 million Salisbury Crags to support years ago his theory of an 1541 ancient Earth James V creates Age of the dinosaurs 1745 Royal Park

Bonnie Prince Charlie’s troops camp

© Angus Mille r in the park © Angus Mille r © Graham Checkley

2 million years ago Start of the ice ages 10 thousand years ago 5 thousand c.15th century St Anthony’s Chapel First people arrive in Edinburgh years ago in use Farming established 80 thousand on the slopes of 1128 years ago Arthur’s Seat 2 thousand AD 100 King David I Start of the last ice age 14 thousand years ago Romans in pact with established Holyrood Abbey years ago Forts built on hill-tops local Votadini tribe Ice melting, tundra 20 thousand vegetation established AD 500 years ago Edinburgh becoming established Ice age peak, glacier more than as a settlement 1km thick over Edinburgh

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The story of Holyrood Park

Main image: Volcanic Province – Copyright Natural History Museum, London Main image: Volcanic

Main image: Reconstruction of the Arthur’s Seat volcano erupting Insert: Arthur’s Seat today

Forming Edinburgh’s landscape This varied landscape is due to the different kinds Edinburgh is well known for its attractive cityscape and of rock which are found here. The most common city-centre hills such as the Castle Rock, Calton Hill and is sedimentary rock, formed at the surface from the Arthur’s Seat. The landscape comprises gently sloping accumulation and burial of sand and mud. This rock is low ground (used for settlement and agriculture) and quite easy to erode. It is also easy to carve and so makes hills with steep slopes and cliffs (used for viewpoints a good building stone, as can be seen in buildings close and defence). This is typical of the landscape to the park. throughout central Scotland.

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Sedimentary rocks of the Lothians include sandstone, The ice carried with it pieces of bedrock that it picked mudstone and coal; they were mostly formed during up as it progressed; these pebbles and boulders the Carboniferous Period (359–299 million years ago) embedded in the ice helped to erode Edinburgh’s and contain information about changing environmental bedrock; the softer sedimentary rocks were eroded conditions when Scotland was close to the equator and more than the tough igneous rocks. When the ice moving slowly northwards. The climate was hot and started to melt, these rocks were dropped on the wet, and central Scotland was slowly sinking and often landscape and contributed to the soils of the area; the covered by water. larger pieces are still visible as glacial erratic boulders. Igneous rock forms in a very different way, from magma The ice created a crag and tail in central Edinburgh, which originates deep beneath the surface and erupts with the resistant rock of the Edinburgh Castle volcanic in volcanoes or gets trapped underground. As magma plug diverting the eastward-flowing ice sheet so that cools it crystallises, and the interlocking crystals result in it was unable to erode softer sedimentary rocks in a tough rock that is resistant to erosion. Salisbury Crags, the lee of the crag, leaving a gently sloping tail. The Arthur’s Seat and the other hills of Edinburgh are all diverted ice scoured deeply into the sedimentary made of igneous rocks. rock on either side of the crag, accentuating the topography. This elevated ridge, next to the excellent The igneous rocks of Arthur’s Seat were formed by defensive site of the Castle, provided an ideal location volcanic eruptions around 340 million years ago, at the for the city to grow. same time as sedimentary rocks were forming nearby. Arthur’s Seat had a violent beginning with volcanic As the ice retreated northwards around 15,000 years explosions that showered the area with blocks of lava, ago, it left behind a bare landscape of exposed rocky producing clouds of black ash that blew away in the hills and flat areas covered by water, sand and gravel. wind. Later, red-hot lava spilled from the crater and Plants and animals would quickly have become spread out over the flat ground. Eruption after eruption established on the newly exposed land surface; initially gradually built up cones of lava and ash from the central there would have been tundra vegetation, for example, vent area, with the active crater moving around as the dwarf shrubs, grass, moss and lichen, and animals such volcano grew. Eventually, the volcano became extinct as the woolly mammoth. and was slowly buried by more sedimentary rock. Millions of years later, more magma, trapped underground between layers of existing sedimentary rock, cooled gradually to form the crystalline dolerite rock of Salisbury Crags. The layers were later tilted, a process which would have been accompanied by earthquakes, so that they now slope to the east. Hundreds of millions of years passed, erosion gradually wearing away hundreds of metres of rock from above the present-day landscape. In the last two million years, changing global climate has meant that occasionally Edinburgh and the rest of Scotland have been covered in ice. These great ice sheets have swept eastwards over the city, picking out the contrast between the different rocks of the area and shaping the modern landscape. In the last glacial period the ice sheet reached its maximum extent just 20,000 years ago and then melted rapidly. View of Edinburgh from Arthur’s Seat

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Ten thousand years ago brown bear, wild boar, aurochs, moose and grey wolves would have roamed the forests which covered Holyrood Park.

As the climate warmed, brown forest soils formed in still been open water when the first people started to the Lowlands, supporting a diverse forest flora, and explore the area. woodland would have covered most of the area. The By 10,000 years ago, most of Holyrood Park would have highest parts of Holyrood Park remained rocky with the been heavily forested with birch, hazel, Scots pine, oak development of only thin soils and limited vegetation. and elm. Woodland animal species would have included Many of the lower parts of Edinburgh were left lynx, European brown bear, grey wolf, elk, red deer, wild waterlogged, either lochs or marshes. These naturally boar and giant wild cattle called aurochs. started to silt up over time, although many would have

During the Mesolithic period the first hunter-gatherers settled in Flint arrowheads like this were used to hunt elk central Scotland. and deer.

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People in the Holyrood area The well-drained slopes of Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags were ideal for planting crops, in contrast to This landscape has provided a place to live and a surrounding flatter areas, which would remain marshy livelihood for many people over millennia. Hunter- for thousands of years more. From an early stage, people gatherers scattered flint arrowheads across the park, probably improved the slopes by creating terraces, Iron Age tribes raised great hill forts on its peaks, some of which can still be seen. The early farmers would medieval farmers cut terraces and furrows into its flanks have lived nearby, perhaps in small circular timber huts. and the stone for many of the city’s buildings was hewn The collection of huts identified in the Dasses area of from its quarries. The park is now surrounded by the Holyrood Park may be from this period, when Scotland’s city, providing Edinburgh’s citizens with a much-loved people were first starting to grind cereal crops and escape from urban life, and a wealth of history and butcher domesticated animals including sheep, cows, archaeology spanning thousands of years can be found goats and pigs. within the park’s boundaries. By the time of the Iron Age, 2,500 years ago, Humans eventually settled in central Scotland in the disagreements over land were becoming more common Mesolithic period, between 6,000 and approximately and defensive structures were required. The nature of 10,000 years ago, making this one of the last parts of these defences, with ditches, stone walls and perhaps Europe to be settled (although there may have been wooden palisades on top, means that they were long- earlier visitors). At that time, people would have hunted lasting structures and the remains of defensive walls elk and deer, collected hazelnuts and honey, and found can still be seen in several places, even though the fish and shellfish at the nearby shore. There are no signs associated buildings are long gone. The methods of of these early settlers within Holyrood Park; the nearest living off the land were not much different, but perhaps evidence comes from Cramond, where there was a on a larger scale, than those of the earlier farmers. hunter-gatherer encampment on the foreshore. Romans were present in the area between around AD 80 By around 5,000 years ago, in the Neolithic period, semi- and AD 180, and, although we don’t know what use they nomadic people would have been growing crops such made of the park, they were certainly established nearby as barley and domesticating animals for milk and meat. at Cramond and Inveresk. A Roman finger ring, originating from the Mediterranean area, was found at a fort above Samson’s Ribs on the west side of the park. The Romans liaised with the local Votadini tribe, who had a major base at Traprain Law in East Lothian. A hoard of damaged Roman silver, weighing over 20kg, found at Traprain may have been a payment to the Votadini. 000-100-037-658-c – © National Museums Scotland. Licensor www.scran.ac.uk

Neolithic people grew crops and farmed cattle on the slopes of Arthur’s Seat Roman finger ring found near and Salisbury Crags. Samson’s Ribs

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People at work in the medieval gardens behind Holyrood Abbey

Edinburgh was becoming established as a settlement on At that time ownership of the park was shared between the high ground around the Castle by AD 500, and over the royal family and the Abbey of Kelso; this may be why the succeeding centuries the position of Holyrood Park St Anthony’s Chapel was established, attached to the at the edge of the town was to have great influence on Abbey of Kelso but in a prominent position overlooking how people used the area. Land use probably changed Holyrood. The abbey monks made use of the wider area, slowly over the centuries, with woodland gradually being growing crops, brewing beer and setting up a mill in the cleared and more people using the park. Hunter’s Bog area. In the time of King David I (reigned 1124–1153), royal Holyrood Abbey, Holyrood Palace (built in 1501 and parties based at Edinburgh Castle regularly hunted in later extensively modified) and the royal family have the Holyrood area. Legend tells that while hunting one exerted a strong influence on Holyrood Park over the Sunday the king met a giant stag. The stag surprised centuries. In 1541, a short time after the Palace was the king, causing him to be thrown from his horse. It established, James V had the boundary wall built, then tried to gore him. Trying to save himself, the king is enclosing the park as one unit for the first time. In 1562, believed to have grabbed a cross (the ‘Holy Rood’) said Mary Queen of Scots used Hunter’s Bog for a party to to have appeared glowing between the stag’s antlers celebrate the wedding of a lady-in-waiting. Part of the and the stag vanished. The king survived the experience area was flooded and the Siege of Leith recreated with and in thanks, in 1128, he established an Augustinian model ships. monastery on the site.

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For centuries to follow, the park was also a sanctuary, In general, the land of Holyrood Park has been used for at first for anyone with a past to escape from, including many purposes over the years, including for agriculture, common criminals, but later restricted to a debtors’ with sheep being grazed here for centuries, but also as sanctuary; many people with debts lived permanently the site of mills, quarrying for road and building stone, in Holyrood Park in rudimentary housing, free to leave breweries and housing. only on Sundays to conduct their business in the town. In the 20th century, many of the traditional uses, for As Holyrood Palace developed, the area behind it was example as farmland, waned. During the Second World developed as gardens to supply flowers and food. In War some parts of Holyrood Park were developed as addition, in 1670, two doctors, Robert Sibbald and allotments and there was an anti-aircraft station with Andrew Balfour, established a small Physic Garden in barrage balloons on the summit of Arthur’s Seat. There which to grow herbs for medicine and general study. was a rifle range in Hunter’s Bog for over 100 years until This eventually became the first Edinburgh Botanic after the Second World War. The park has also been the Garden. There were plans to develop the gardens along location for some large political gatherings over the years, the base of Salisbury Crags before the current site at for example Miners’ Rallies. Inverleith was chosen in 1823. One of the interesting and unique features of the present- Bonnie Prince Charlie made use of Holyrood Palace and day park is the lack of development, with few buildings the park in 1745, with the Jacobite army camping in the surviving and no intrusive masts or pylons (compare this to park the night before the Battle of Prestonpans. the hills in other modern cities). This lack of development is largely due to Holyrood Park’s royal status. In Victorian times, Prince Albert took a special interest in improving the land of Holyrood Park, partly because People today still make extensive use of the park for a of the marshy state of the land beside Holyrood Palace, variety of reasons that are mostly very different from those polluted by the sewage of the Old Town. In 1856, he of our ancestors. They enjoy the park’s rich cultural and instigated a programme to construct Queen’s Drive, natural heritage, and the opportunities it offers for walks, drain flat-lying areas and create St Margaret’s Loch and solace, and unparalleled vistas of the city from its many Dunsapie Loch. These major changes had a big impact vantage points. The park is also frequently used for major in places like Hunter’s Bog, and in the flat ground to the public events, such as the Festival Cavalcade, the Edinburgh east of Holyrood Palace; this land became the Parade Marathon, and sponsored walks. Ground, and over the centuries has been the site of many important mass gatherings including troop reviews. 000-000-031-003-c – © Edinburgh City Libraries. Licensor www.scran.ac.uk

Royal Scottish Volunteers Review, Holyrood Park, 1860, by C Schacher, 1860

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Managing for nature and people The future of the park Viewing Holyrood Park as it is now, it is an inescapable Holyrood Park is forever changing. In the last 1,000 fact that human activity has altered its landscape and years, Edinburgh city has expanded from the Castle and biodiversity. Over millennia the land has been used Old Town to completely encircle this Royal Park, making for hunting and farming, trees have been cleared, the it now a green oasis within the city. Humans and nature wet areas drained, and roads and paths created. By the have competing claims here, and sensitive management mid-20th century, the park was mostly treeless, and the is required to maintain the balance. restricted diversity of grasses cropped short by sheep. Holyrood Park has been in the care of public bodies The lack of tree cover and paucity of wet areas restricted since 1845; its status as a Royal Park over the last few the number of animal species. centuries has given it special protection, and it is much In 1971, the Scottish Wildlife Trust purchased industrial less developed than similar parks in other cities. This has land at Bawsinch, next to Duddingston Loch; this is now allowed the park to retain a wild feel and also means it is designated as the Bawsinch and Duddingston Wildlife an important place for wildlife and biodiversity. Reserve, with reed beds and native woodland, and as a The park is, however, intensively used by people. The Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). In the subsequent open spaces and views make it an attractive place five decades the park has changed dramatically, with for people to spend time, and both local people and management by Historic Scotland to promote tourists visit in high numbers. Key traffic routes run biodiversity (and protect the park as an area of ‘wild through the margins of the park, it is adjacent to countryside’ within the city). Over the last 30 years, housing, and its location close to the city centre makes many trees have been planted round the margins of the it an ideal venue for large public events and informal park, and wetland areas have been recreated. Recent gatherings. tree planting has focused on key areas within the park and natural regeneration has been allowed elsewhere. Historic Scotland manage the competing priorities Extensive areas of open grassland are maintained and for this space, seeking to find a balance between managed, and Holyrood Park is the largest area of semi- the importance of Holyrood Park for nature and the natural grassland in the Lothians, home to key species varied demands that people have on this area of ‘wild that are not found elsewhere in the city. countryside’ in the heart of Scotland’s capital city. In a visit to the park you are likely to see many species of plants, insects, animals such as hares, newts and toads, and birds such as fulmars and kestrels. Notable species include adder’s tongue fern, sticky catchfly, grey partridge, the six spot burnet moth and the northern brown argus butterfly. The park has many different habitat areas, including open grassland, marsh, mixed woodland and lochs. You may see some rare species when you visit the park, but more importantly you get a chance in a small area to explore a range of habitats and see what efforts are being made to maintain them and protect rare species. The park is a green oasis in the heart of Edinburgh.

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Suggested tours

All four tours start at St Margaret’s Well, located in stone housing next to Queen’s Drive and close to the main car park. It is a good place to get an overview for your visit and appreciate the different aspects of the story of Holyrood Park, with views of the Palace of Holyrood House, the Scottish Parliament, Calton Hill and the Royal Mile rising towards Edinburgh Castle in the distance.

St Margaret’s Well

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Tour 1: Landscape and beginnings

Key locations Tour 1 takes in six Investigate the eruption of the Arthur’s Seat volcano and discover how different locations: rock types help create Edinburgh’s landscape. 1 St Margaret’s Well This tour takes you through the centre of Holyrood Park and around Salisbury Crags. 2 Camstane Quarry The tour begins with an examination of the topography of the area, which relates to the different kinds of bedrock found in the city. 3 View of the Arthur’s Seat volcano from A visit to a small local quarry allows learners to find exposures of the sedimentary Salisbury Crags rocks that underlie most of the local area, and evidence of the environment in which 4 Hutton’s Section these rocks were formed. You then get a good view of Arthur’s Seat to explore the volcanic story of Edinburgh before moving on to Salisbury Crags to appreciate the 5 South Quarry, tough igneous rock that forms below ground, and the key role that local rocks had in Salisbury Crags demonstrating James Hutton’s theory of an ancient earth in the late 18th century. 6 Edinburgh’s landscape from the The final view from the Radical Road reinforces how the landscape of this area results Radical Road from the interaction of different types of bedrock with natural processes of erosion, including glaciation, that have played out over millions of years; these slow natural processes are still active, creating a landscape that continues to change.

Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags in winter, viewed from Calton Hill

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Location 1: St Margaret’s Well The landscape around you shows the contrast between the flat land where Holyrood Palace and the Scottish Parliament lie with the craggy slopes of Calton Hill, Salisbury Crags and Arthur’s Seat, a story that is replicated throughout central Scotland.

Suggested activities and discussion points • Turn around on the spot, taking a slow 360º sweep of the landscape, observing key features and contrasting views in different directions. What might you have seen from this same viewpoint in the past (both the historical and the geological past)?

Teacher prompts Desired learner responses What can you see around you? Buildings, grass, Scottish Parliament, Holyrood Palace, hills, cliffs, steep slopes, St Margaret’s Well What is the shape of the land? flat ground Why are some parts of Edinburgh Hard rock resists erosion; softer rock gets craggy with steep slopes and other worn away faster. parts are much flatter? Can you see any examples of Cliffs of Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags, Edinburgh’s rocks? sedimentary rocks used in buildings and walls During the last ice age, 20,000 years The ice scraped over the land and eroded ago, this spot was buried under at soft rock more than hard rocks. It formed least 1,000m of ice. What did this ice crag and tail features. do? When the ice melted, there would have What would the landscape have been bare rock and lots of water. Melt looked like when the ice melted? water would have transported sand and (Encourage learners to compare to mud. modern glacial rivers in the Alps.) What natural and man-made changes Soil formed, trees and grass grew. People have taken place since the ice arrived and used local rocks to build walls melted? and houses and cleared trees to grow crops.

Bring some rock samples with you to allow learners to explore and experiment with the properties of local rocks, observing what they are made of, their textures and densities, and what happens when they are scraped with a file (hold the rock over a white sheet of paper to see the effect of scraping). Make the connection between what they observe in the rock samples and how the glaciers that have scoured this landscape have exploited the contrasts between local sedimentary and igneous rocks.

➔ Head east along the tarmac path from above St Margaret’s Well. Just after it turns right, towards Hunter’s Bog, look for a rough track on the left going uphill. Follow this track as it curves to the left, then keep straight on until you enter Camstane Quarry (Location 2). The best face to examine is on the right.

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Location 2: Camstane Quarry – layers of sedimentary rock The faces of the old quarry allow us to see what lies underneath much of central Scotland. These are sedimentary rocks, laid down slowly as layers of sand, mud and clay dropped here by rivers and under the sea, around 350 million years ago. Gradually these layers have been buried and hardened. They contain some clues to their origin underwater – look for signs of ripples just like on the beach today. The history of the quarry is not well recorded, but it has not operated for at least 200 years. The stone from here may have been used to build parts of Holyrood Palace. The track you walked up is the main route by which the stone extracted was © Angus Miller transported by cart. One of the faces of Camstane Quarry Suggested activities and discussion points • Observe the quarry cliff face from a distance – the layers of sandstone and mudstone were originally horizontal but now tilt gently to the east. Each metre of rock would have taken 10,000 years on average to form. How long would it have taken to form the rocks in this cliff? Small, loose pieces of sandstone can be found on the flat ground in front of the cliff face, without going too close. These allow learners to get a close look at sandstone. Rubbing the surface with a finger will loosen grains of sand that have been held © Graham Checkley weakly cemented together since the rock was formed around 350 million years ago. Some of the larger blocks of sandstone are covered • Examine the surfaces of some of the larger blocks. They are covered with ripple with ripple marks and mud marks and mud cracks, original features of the solid rock. These and other clues in cracks like these. the rocks tell us that the sand accumulated in shallow water, possibly lagoons close to the sea where the water occasionally dried up. Remember: Holyrood Park is a protected area and you must not cause ! damage to or remove any rocks from the park (see Looking after Holyrood Park, page 6). At the entrance to the quarry is a large block of igneous rock, allowing comparison with the layered sandstone in the quarry face. This is a glacial erratic boulder, carried here by the ice from the west, perhaps from Corstorphine Hill or further afield. In the process of being transported here it has been polished and rounded by contact with the bedrock that it was helping to wear away.

➔ Go back down the track a short distance and turn left at the first junction, following the rough track upslope and along the top of the quarry. As you traverse the slope you are following the line of one of the defensive walls of the Salisbury Crags fort (see Tour 2: Human Traces, Location 3). Stop by the line of upright stones, possibly the original entrance to the hill fort (Location 3), from which you have a good view of Arthur’s Seat.

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Location 3: View of the Arthur’s Seat volcano from Salisbury Crags

Did you know? Around 340 million years ago, this view would have been dominated by the steaming crater of the Arthur’s Seat volcano. Every so often red hot lava flows rolled down the Arthur’s Seat was sides and cooled to form another layer of rock. Sometimes the volcano exploded and never a huge volcano, blasted the surrounding landscape with hot rocks and ash. and it didn’t erupt for long, perhaps just a Where you are now would have been deep underground when the volcano was few thousand years. erupting – you can imagine extending the tilted layers of sandstone seen in the However, it formed quarry deep under Arthur’s Seat. bodies of hard igneous The volcano itself has been heavily eroded so that we can see inside it; the view in rock that have been front of you is dominated by the volcanic vent (including the summit) where magma crucial in creating pushed through the underlying layered sedimentary rock to erupt at the surface. the landscape and There would have been many eruptions from the crater above the summit, including character of Edinburgh. explosions when blocks of lava would have been thrown up into the air, and red lava Without the eruption flows spilled in all directions. You can see some of these lava flows to the left of the of this volcano and the crater, forming layers of basalt rock at the skyline of Whinny Hill. one on the Castle Rock, In the foreground the prominent line of cliffs is the Lang Rig. This is also basalt, the landscape would actually a lava flow from the Castle Vent (it originally extended right across Holyrood have been flat and Park and another part of it can be found near Duddingston Loch). Also visible is a boggy, not a place to lower, discontinuous line of cliffs called the Dasses, also formed of basalt but this time build a city. from magma that got trapped just beneath the surface (intrusions).

Suggested activities and discussion points This is a good place for learners to make a field sketch of the view of Arthur’s Seat, naming the different parts of the volcano and recreating the above-ground parts of the volcano that have been removed by erosion. You could provide a simple line sketch as a template for learners to add details to. Compare the view of Arthur’s Seat with pictures of modern volcanic eruptions such as Mount Etna and those in © DCSH Hawaii. Looking towards Arthur’s Seat from the hill fort on Salisbury Crags

➔ Continue across the slope towards the end of Salisbury Crags, join the path at The Hawse, the low point between the Crags and Arthur’s Seat, and turn sharp right. Walk 50m along the base of the Crags to Hutton’s Section (Location 4). As you enter the quarry, stop by the interpretation board on the boulder. !  Watch the potentially slippery descent on a rough path.

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Location 4: Hutton’s Section

Did you know? Salisbury Crags is a very different rock formation from Arthur’s Seat. It is around 20 million years younger (about 320 million years old) and formed in a very different Hutton’s theory was way, by underground intrusion of magma rather than volcanic eruptions. This has that rocks held clues resulted in a uniform, tough, crystalline rock (called dolerite), which forms an to the past. They were impressive line of cliffs and was in great demand as a stone for road building. The formed by the slow cliff we see now is the remains of an underground blister of magma that squeezed operation of natural in between the existing layered sedimentary rock and cooled slowly. The pressure processes, which can involved in pushing the overlying pile of sedimentary rocks out of the way must have still be observed on the been enormous, and the formation of Salisbury Crags would have been accompanied Earth today. He was a by earthquakes as the existing rock deformed and moved. We can see signs of this friend of James Watt, forceful intrusion at the base of the Crags, at the world-famous location known as and greatly impressed Hutton’s Section. by the power of hot material. Hutton In the late 18th century, the geologist James Hutton (1726–1797) used evidence envisaged the Earth from here to support his idea that rocks were formed by natural processes and held as a heat engine, with clues to ‘ancient worlds’; this small cliff, and other locations in Scotland, played a key internal heat driving role in the development of his new theory. You can still see the rocks which Hutton surface processes. observed, and appreciate his theory that there was a substantial gap in time between the formation of the layered sedimentary rocks at the base of the cliff and the dolerite of Salisbury Crags, formed from intruding magma that tore apart the existing sedimentary rocks. In his day, Hutton’s ideas were not fully appreciated and he spent the last years of his life looking for clear examples to help illustrate his theory. The clear relationship between different rock types at Salisbury Crags, just a short distance from his home, with layered sedimentary rocks torn apart by the later movement of magma, must have been an exciting discovery for him. PG2686 – Sir Henry Raeburn, James Hutton, Scottish purchased with the aid of Gallery, National Portrait Art Fund and the National Memorial 1986

James Hutton (1726–1797), painted by Sir Henry © Angus Miller Raeburn The world-famous location known as Hutton’s Section

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Suggested activities and discussion points

This is the only place on the tour where sedimentary and igneous bedrock can be directly compared and learners can examine the rocks safely. They should spot the layered nature of the sedimentary rocks, and appreciate that the dolerite is very different in character, being rough to the touch, a different colour, much harder when scratched with a fingernail (discourage more vigorous testing).

At Hutton’s Section learners can compare dolerite and sandstone.

Teacher prompts Desired learner responses What kind of rocks can you see here? Identify two different rocks – the lower part of the cliff is layered and crumbly = Is the cliff made of just one kind of sedimentary rock; the upper cliff is harder, rock, or more? more uniform rock made of crystals = igneous rock.

What is special about the jutting The jutting up layers of sedimentary rock up piece of sedimentary rock which have been torn apart – this is a broken James Hutton found? (Look at the end. (After further investigation of the picture on the interpretation board rest of the cliff, learners might find the and compare it with what you can continuation of the same layer nearby.) see in the cliff.)

When Hutton found this rock face, Hutton reasoned that the rocks here were most people in Scotland believed the of different ages – that the sedimentary world was just a few thousand years rocks were here first and they were torn old and some thought rocks like this apart by the intrusion of hot liquid magma. had formed beneath the sea. Why did Hutton think differently?

➔ Follow the grassy path down on to the Radical Road and turn right to follow the track along the base of Salisbury Crags. Stop when you reach the main quarry, South Quarry, where the face of the Crags has been quarried back from the path (Location 5).

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Location 5: South Quarry, Salisbury Crags – Rocks used by people

Did you know? The quarry on Salisbury Crags shows how people can modify the landscape. If you’d been here 200 years ago, you’d have witnessed quarrymen hard at work prising Many of the setts great lumps of dolerite off the cliff and breaking it into pieces for road stone. In the (paving stones) of the early 19th century, the Earl of Haddington, hereditary keeper of Holyrood Park, was streets of Edinburgh licensing quarrying here and thousands of tonnes of rock were being extracted came from quarries annually. like this, and the stone was also exported to Hutton’s Rock, the tall rock sticking up within the quarry, shows that stone like this London. has other uses too. It contains a vein of red iron ore (haematite) and veins like this were a source of iron in Scotland during the Industrial Revolution.

Suggested activities and discussion points Look at the blocks of rock at the base of the cliff and choose one that you can access safely to measure its dimensions and estimate its volume and mass. • A cubic metre of dolerite weighs around 3 tonnes. If the quarry measures approximately 75m x 40m in plan view and is 30m deep, what is the approximate mass of dolerite that has been removed from here? (75m x 40m x 30m = 90,000m3 = 270,000 tonnes; enough to pave around 30km of Edinburgh’s roads in cobbles 20cm deep). Look out for the cylindrical drill holes in the quarry face, showing where the rock was drilled to insert explosives to break up the rock. © Angus Miller

Hutton’s Rock in South Quarry

➔ Carry on up the Radical Road until the path levels out and you have a good view to Edinburgh Castle (Location 6).

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Location 6: Edinburgh’s landscape from the Radical Road The landscape of Edinburgh, and much of central Scotland, is dominated by its hills of tough igneous rock. From here you can see the Pentlands and the seven hills of Edinburgh including Castle Rock, where the central plug of an extinct volcano provided an ideal defensive site; this is the reason that Edinburgh is here! But the landscape in front of you is not all hills; there is plenty of gently sloping ground under the modern city. This is underlain by softer sedimentary rocks, including sandstone and coal, which have also had a role in the development of the city. Part of Edinburgh’s beauty comes from the use of varied local stone in building. The effects of the moving, eroding ice sheet are also visible. This is the best viewpoint for the Castle crag and tail, and you can imagine the ice sweeping past the hard rock of the crag and being unable to get to the softer sedimentary rock on the lee side. Note that the other hills of Edinburgh are the same shape, with steep west-facing cliffs and more gentle slopes running down to the east; this applies to Blackford Hill, Calton Hill, Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags although the details of the local geology also influence the shape of each hill.

Edinburgh Castle seen from the Radical Road

➔  The tour ends here. You can carry on along the Radical Road and return to the start point, although there are steep slopes alongside and the track surface is rough underfoot on the descent and potentially slippy. There is also a danger of falling rocks.  Alternatively, retrace your steps to Hunter’s Bog and take the main path back through the valley.

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Tour 2: Human traces

Key locations Tour 2 takes in six Explore some of the traces that people have left and reflect upon what Holyrood locations: Park has meant to people through the ages. 1 St Margaret’s Well This tour takes you across Holyrood Park and allows learners to explore the ways 2 St Anthony’s Chapel in which the landscape has influenced people, and how people have changed the landscape, over the millennia since we first arrived here. The tour begins in a semi- 3 Lang Rig viewpoint urban setting, with views of Holyrood Palace and Edinburgh Castle. You can then take 4 Arthur’s Seat fort the learners back in time to a wilder landscape, first considering what life was like for the inhabitants and users of St Anthony’s Chapel before the Reformation, then 5 Agricultural terraces exploring the earlier use of Holyrood Park by hunter-gatherers, farmers and Iron- 6 Dunsapie age tribesmen. A viewpoint high on the slopes of Arthur’s Seat gives a good overall perspective, before examining some of the faint traces of forts and farmers. The tour ends near Dunsapie Loch, considering the wide sweep of different uses of the land from the early farmers through to Victorian times and then the present day. © Angus Miller The entrance to Holyrood Park – Dynamic Earth can be seen in the background.

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Location 1: St Margaret’s Well The view in front of you emphasises the close connection of Holyrood Park with the city. Edinburgh Castle, the Scottish Parliament and Holyrood Palace are all within view, but behind you stretch the wild reaches of the Royal Park: a place which has been protected from development so that traces of earlier lives are still visible.

Suggested activities and discussion points From the time of the first settlers in Scotland, the park has been an important place for people and has witnessed key moments in history. Focus on key people who have passed this way. What were they doing, thinking, feeling? Some examples are: • the first person to see this view, perhaps 10,000 years ago – were they hunting, escaping from an enemy or a natural disaster?

St Margaret’s Well • King David I, in 1128, hunting on horseback and encountering a stag which led to major changes in how this area was used. • John Scott, in 1531, escaping from his debtors and seeking sanctuary at the Abbey. • Bonnie Prince Charlie, viewing his troops in 1745 about to head south. • James Hutton, father of modern geology, walking past here in the 1780s and thinking about how the landscape was formed. • Prince Albert, in 1856, contemplating the smelly, disease-ridden bog in front of him and beginning to plan the improvements that would transform Holyrood Park.

Teacher prompts Desired learner responses What signs of people can you see around Buildings, city, roads, traffic you?

How has this view changed since the The city has been built. Trees have first people arrived? (With prompting, been cut down, land drained, roads develop the idea that some development built. has been removed – there were gardens and allotments on the Parade Ground at one time, and in 1816 debtors’ tenements stood in front of where you are now.)

What uses have people made of this area in Hunting, farming, sanctuary, religious the past? worship

And how is it used by people now? Tourism, dog walking, exercise, escape from city, big events

➔  Follow the tarmac path from above the well into the park. At the corner go left towards the chapel. The safest approach is to take the rough steps past the boulder at St Anthony’s Well, follow the main path up for 20m then turn sharp left back towards the chapel on a level path through the gorse (Location 2).

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Location 2: St Anthony’s Chapel – royalty and religion Historical records of the use of St Anthony’s Chapel are sparse: the Pope gave money Did you know? for repairs in 1426 and the last known chaplain was in 1581. It was definitely a ruin by St Anthony is the 18th century. associated with mariners, lost items The chapel is within land that was owned by the Abbey of Kelso, and the construction and causes, sterility, of the chapel on this spot overlooking Holyrood Abbey may have been a deliberate pregnancy, and statement. skin conditions. St Anthony’s Fire is a The ruins of the main building suggest a small one-storey chapel with a two-storey bacterial infection tower at the western end. There is speculation that the tower may have functioned as of the skin. There a lighthouse at some time. The remains of a separate low building, possibly a store, lie may have been a to the south-west. connection between the chapel site and a The chapel is built of three varieties of local rock: mostly black basalt from local lava local hospital, or the flows (some blocks have a brown weathered surface) and paler local sandstone used chapel might have mainly for the door and window surrounds and arches. The third rock type, a soft been built in this green stone known as tuff, is more unusual and is made of volcanic ash erupted from location to protect the Arthur’s Seat volcano (see Tour 1: Landscape and beginnings, Location 3, for and service the nearby pilgrimage site of St more information). Anthony’s Well on the path below the chapel. © Angus Miller

St Anthony’s Chapel viewed from above

!  Warning: There are steep slopes and rocky outcrops in the vicinity of the chapel. Do a risk assessment and take steps to minimise the risk when you visit with a group.

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Suggested activities and discussion points

• Imagine what it would have been like to live and work in the chapel in the 15th century. Where would the monks or priests have slept? Where would they have got food and water from? Were they on good terms with Holyrood Abbey, or was there rivalry? To encourage learners to explore the chapel and to imagine themselves in the role of an inhabitant or user of the building, divide them into small groups and give each group a few of parts of the chapel to identify, for example:

main door altar living quarters fireplace garden water supply store lighthouse windows burial ground beds kitchen animal stalls wardrobe © Angus Miller

Black basalt, local Give each group a mix of items that are easy to identify and others which may sandstone and tuff, a green stone, were used to build surprise them or are more speculative. Discuss the nature of evidence. How can we St Anthony’s Chapel. reconstruct the past based on what you see here? What other sources of information could you use – historical archives, comparison with similar buildings?

St Anthony’s Chapel in dramatic silhouette against a summer sky

➔ Follow the path from the south side of the chapel back into the valley of the Dry Dam and towards Arthur’s Seat. Rest on the way up to appreciate both the developing view to the north and that you are now in a rural setting where nature dominates. Follow the main path that leads up towards the summit of Arthur’s Seat. As you arrive at the top of the Lang Rig where a path goes off to the right, there is a flat viewpoint (Location 3) to the right of the path which gives a good view towards Salisbury Crags.

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Location 3: Lang Rig viewpoint – living in Holyrood Park

Did you know? In the distance on Salisbury Crags Around 2,500 you can see faint traces of an Iron years ago the fort Age hill fort. In front of you, on this on Salisbury Crags side of the valley, is the highest may have been of the Dasses ledges (meaning home for several ‘shelves’ in Scots), thought to be the hundred people in a site of a small group of Bronze Age settlement behind a roundhouses, presumably occupied turf and stone wall, by early farmers. probably topped Other people have lived in the park by a palisade, that over the ages, including debtors who stretched across the sought sanctuary within the grounds © Angus Miller Crags. of Holyrood Abbey, farmers and An annotated photograph showing what can shepherds. In recent centuries, with be seen from the Lang Rig viewpoint changes in the use of the park, the number of inhabitants has decreased. The park played a further role in providing building stone for Edinburgh from Camstane Quarry, visible on the lower slopes of Salisbury Crags (see Tour 1: Landscape and beginnings, Location 2).

Suggested activities and discussion points • Make an annotated sketch of how the fort might have looked when in use. • Where did the people grow crops, keep their animals, get water?

Teacher prompts Desired learner responses Look at the site of the Dasses Bronze Age Sheltered site, above the valley floor village below you. Why did people choose so it was drier, good views, could to live here? watch cattle grazing Why did people abandon the Dasses site Dasses site is overlooked and difficult and later move across the valley to the top to defend from above. Not enough of Salisbury Crags? space? Why might the Salisbury Crags fort area be Perhaps it was the site of a village with so large? fields and space for grazing animals, a market place, or a ceremonial site.

➔ Return to the main path and follow it across the slope of Arthur’s Seat, climbing gradually to a rocky knoll overlooking Dunsapie Loch. From this viewpoint two paths lead towards the summit of Arthur’s Seat; the left-hand path goes through two low ridges which are the remains of boundary walls of the fort (Location 4). !  Warning: There are steep slopes on the left of the path and the path is rocky and potentially slippy.

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Location 4: Arthur’s Seat fort – defensive site

Did you know? The paths leading to the summit of Arthur’s Seat pass through rough, gorse-covered ridges that mark the position of defensive walls, the remains of a hill fort dating to Some old names for perhaps 200 BC to AD 500. It is not known if this fort was in use at the same time parts of the park are: as the Salisbury Crags fort. In good visibility you can see Traprain Law to the east, an The Dasses (shelves) important fort site occupied by the Votadini. In spring and summer, look out for lady’s Pulpit Rock bedstraw. This fragrant plant used to be used to stuff mattresses. It is just one of many useful plants which grow in the park (see Tour 3: Rare plants and animals). Galloping Glen Haggis Knowe Echo Rock Camstane Wells o’ Wearie Dumbiedykes Samson’s Grave Whinny Hill Murder Acre Jacob’s Ladder Dunsapie (hill of the wispy grass) The Guttit Haddie (gutted haddock) Delf Well The Lang Rig (long row) 000-000-143-143-c – © Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Licensor www.scran.ac.uk Teacher prompts Desired learner responses Aerial view of Arthur’s Seat fort and agricultural terraces Look at the site of the Dasses Bronze Age Sheltered site, above the valley floor village below you. Why did people choose so it was drier, good views, could This fort was last used in 1778 by a party of around 600 mutinying soldiers from the to live here? watch cattle grazing Seaforth Highlanders. While being marched from Edinburgh Castle to Leith to join Why did people abandon the Dasses site Dasses site is overlooked and difficult ships to take them to the East Indies, they rebelled and headed for Arthur’s Seat. and later move across the valley to the top to defend from above. Not enough Locals supplied them with food for seven days while they negotiated a better deal of Salisbury Crags? space? (but they did go to India in 1782). Piper’s Walk, the path on the west side of Arthur’s Seat, dates from then. Apparently a piper played there to keep up the mutineers’ Why might the Salisbury Crags fort area be Perhaps it was the site of a village with spirits. so large? fields and space for grazing animals, a market place, or a ceremonial site. Suggested activities and discussion points Each generation would have had names for different parts of the park: we know some of the old names, such as Craggenmarf, Dead Man’s Rock. The origin of Arthur’s Seat is obscure – it may be named after Arthur of Strathclyde, or, more likely, a corruption of Gaelic Ard na Said, meaning height of the arrows. • If you lived here, what would you call the landmarks you can see around you?

➔  Go down the grassy slope in front of you, heading for the right-hand end of Dunsapie Loch. Stop about halfway down the slope (Location 5).

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Location 5: Agricultural terraces – farming in Holyrood Park

Agricultural terraces run across this well-drained slope, with steep embankments separating flatter terraces. The age of these is unknown, but they demonstrate that people used this slope, and other slopes in the park, for growing crops such as barley. This continued until the 16th century when sheep farming took over. There are faint remains of buildings at the south end of the terraces, near the road. Dunsapie Crag, on the other side of the loch, is the site of a scooped farmstead, with the remains of circular platforms that mark the site of small houses. The farmstead is connected to another fort that In earlier times people grew barley on the slope above Dunsapie Loch. occupied the top of the crag. © Angus Miller

Dunsapie Loch and Crag with Queen’s Drive running along one side and the city in the background

➔ Continue down the slope to the road, cross the road carefully, walk past the car park then climb 50m up the grassy path at the far side to a viewpoint that overlooks Duddingston village (Location 6).

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Location 6: Dunsapie – changes in use of Holyrood Park over the years

Dunsapie Loch and Queen’s Drive are the results of Prince Albert’s improvements to the park, which changed the wild, unmanaged landscape with rough tracks and boggy hollows to more managed parkland which was accessible to visitors and could be viewed from a coach. The plans included a thatched, rustic restaurant here at Dunsapie overlooking Duddingston, but the people of Edinburgh protested vigorously, calling it ‘an unseemly howf’, and the plans were abandoned.

Suggested activities and discussion points Dunsapie Crag was used as a hill fort in pre- and early • Split the class into small groups, allocate each group a historical time period and historic times. ask them to discuss and report back on what resources people have obtained from the park, and how they have changed it. The table below gives some ideas.

Time period Resources used Changes made Mesolithic Natural foods such as nuts, Very little – perhaps hunted (hunter- wild animals, water some animals to extinction? gatherers)

Neolithic Wood, soil, natural foods such Cleared woodland, built (farmers) as nuts, wild animals, water, terraces to grow crops, built land stone houses.

Bronze and Iron Wood, stones, soil, wild Cleared woodland, built Age animals, water, land for fortified walls and villages. (fort-builders) farming and grazing

Medieval Soil, land, building stone, Extended field areas, cleared (farmers and water remaining woodland, hunted priests) some animals to extinction.

Victorian Natural beauty, water, rock ‘Improvements’, road building, drainage

Present day Natural beauty, fresh air, Conservation, path views, space improvements

➔  The tour ends here. You can arrange transport to collect you here or follow Queen’s Drive in either direction back to the start point.

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Tour 3: Rare plants and animals

Key locations Tour 3 takes in six Find out about the range of biodiversity within Holyrood Park today and why the locations: park is important as a wildlife haven. 1 St Margaret’s Well This tour explores the biodiversity of Holyrood Park, which is today the Lothians’ 2 Hunter’s Bog largest area of unimproved grassland, home to a diverse range of plants, animals and birds. It is remarkable to find such a wildlife haven in the heart of a capital city. 3 Joe Muir’s Pond The tour takes you through a range of habitats, discovering a rich diversity of plant 4 The Dasses species and a variety of important invertebrate, amphibian, mammal and bird 5 Bog Crag species, including some which are locally or nationally rare. It gives learners a chance to explore habitats close up and appreciate how they can be managed for nature. 6 Raven’s Rock The tour begins in a semi-urban setting, with views of the city and managed parkland. After a short walk you enter the wide glen of Hunter’s Bog and encounter unimproved grassland and a boggy habitat with rare plants. You then walk through the glen, experiencing a range of plant habitats from bare rock surfaces, through scrub-grassland and then woodland with both recent planting and natural regeneration. The tour ends on the slopes of Arthur’s Seat, with views back along the valley and of the cliffs where seabirds nest. © DCSH

St Margaret’s Loch. In the background can be seen the roofs of Dynamic Earth and the Scottish Parliament and in the distance Edinburgh Castle and St Giles Cathedral.

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Location 1: St Margaret’s Well The view from here is of an urban, managed landscape with buildings, traffic and parkland. When the first people arrived around 10,000 years ago, this would have been a forested area with boggy low ground; people have clearly exerted their influence ever since as they have used Holyrood Park in different ways.

Suggested activities and discussion points • What biodiversity can you see today? • How would this view have been different 10,000 years ago? • What conflicts can you see between people and wildlife, and in what ways might people cause an impact on the park? • Spend two minutes observing the area around you. St Margaret’s Well What species can you see? Some examples of species to look out for are: mammals: humans and dogs, grey squirrels, rabbits, and to a lesser extent foxes. Bats are also present but unlikely to be spotted. birds: geese, swans, crows and gulls are common. You might spot some of the smaller species or perhaps a heron flying overhead. insects: look out for bumble bees, various fly species, and dragonflies. amphibians: frogs or toads may lurk in the nearby drain. butterflies and moths: depending on the time of year, species such as ringlet and common blue butterflies may be present, or their caterpillars. plants: various grasses, trees around Holyrood Palace and further afield.

© DCSH lichens and mosses: these can be seen on the path and nearby boulders.

Pink campion is commonly As you progress into the park the view changes and you will find a range of habitats, found in the park. most of them far more species-rich than the semi-urban view you have left behind.

➔  Follow the tarmac path from above the well into the park. At the corner continue on the main path for another 200m until you are within sight of Joe Muir’s Pond in the centre of Hunter’s Bog (Location 2). © DCSH

Look out for bramble berries in autumn.

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Location 2: Hunter’s Bog – rare plants

Did you know? Compare the view here with Location 1. This is a more natural environment, but still heavily altered by people; it is now a managed landscape, with the aim of protecting Adder’s tongue fern and enhancing wildlife. is a unique fern with one single short frond Originally Hunter’s Bog was a marshy area covered in vegetation. The name suggests that divides to form an a connection with royal hunting parties, although it is more likely to be named after oval leaf surrounding a John Huntar, Treasurer of the Canongait and Keeper of Holyrood Park, 1566–7. tongue-like spike. The In 1562, Mary Queen of Scots arranged a banquet here in honour of two courtiers plant pushes through who were getting married; the burn was dammed to make a loch, on which the Siege the ground in March of Leith was recreated using model ships. Later, as part of the general improvements or April reaching to the park instigated by Prince Albert, the valley was drained and the water about 20cm high, channelled by underground pipes to St Margaret’s Loch. For more than a century, the but it is often hard to bog was dry and the valley was used as a rifle range and for sheep grazing. spot amongst other In 1996, the drainage pattern was deliberately changed so that the area became vegetation. The name permanently waterlogged. Gradually a wetland habitat has become established with comes from the snake- reeds growing close to the water, and the area of open water has decreased; this is an tongue-like spike. example of natural succession with plants responding to changes in the environment. Because of the way it The valley floor as a whole is much wetter, allowing rare plants such as adder’s tongue looks it was historically fern (which is an indicator of ancient wet meadowland) to increase in numbers. used to treat snake bites. Later some of the underground pipes between here and St Margaret’s Loch were replaced with an open channel to recreate the original stream habitat. Today, this burn is a good place to spot weasels or stoats. © DCSH

Adder’s tongue fern Hunter’s Bog and Joe Muir’s Pond seen from the north

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Suggested activities and discussion points

• How many different species (birds, animals, plants) can you see or hear in two minutes? • Is there more biodiversity here than at Location 1? • Place a 1m2 quadrat close to the path and count plant species. You don’t need to know species names to do this, but concentrate on close study of leaf and plant types so that you record the range of plants present. You can do this as a demonstration, or in small groups; it is important to plan this exercise to give learners an opportunity to appreciate the range of plant species present without causing damage. You might want to bring with you pictures of grass and bog plant species, including Grasses in Hunter’s Bog adder’s tongue fern, to help illustrate the range of plant types that learners might find here and their distinguishing characteristics. • Learners can sketch individual leaves or plants to help them tell different species apart.

!  Remember: This is a sensitive and protected area, and careless trampling by a large group at the wrong time of year (spring and summer) could cause damage. At these times of year, stick to the paths.

➔  Walk to the western side of Joe Muir’s Pond, where there is a safe, reasonably dry bank to allow learners to get a closer look at the water (Location 3). Look out for herons as you approach. © DCSH

Ragwort is commonly found around here. © DCSH

Saxifrage likes this type of habitat.

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Location 3: Joe Muir’s Pond – aquatic life Since the pond was created in 1996 the area of open water has reduced by over 50 per cent as wetland plants have thrived in the standing water. This is a good example of active conservation management, when a relatively minor change in drainage has led to an increase in the number and diversity of species present.

Suggested activities and discussion points • What animal and bird life can you see in the pond? • What might you find here at different times of the year? There is sometimes a heron present, and you may spot frogs, toads or newts. However, there are not usually many swans, ducks, or geese present, in contrast to the other bodies of water in Holyrood Park (see, for example, St Margaret’s Loch, Tour A closer view of Joe Muir’s 4: Managing for a sustainable future, Location 2). Pond • Why not? This is probably due to a combination of easily obtainable food at other locations in the park, and disturbance by dogs. This is an opportunity for discussion about responsible behaviour and the balance between people’s desire to let dogs run free and the impact this can have on wildlife. This spot is not suitable for group pond-dipping due to the nature of the pond edge. However, you can demonstrate the principles of sampling aquatic life, using a pond net and emptying it into a plastic tray to allow learners to view the contents, using magnifiers if available.

© Graham Checkley !  Remember: Return specimens to the water. Holyrood Park is a protected You may sometimes be area and you must not cause damage to wildlife or remove any material lucky enough to spot a grey from the park (see Looking after Holyrood Park, page 6). heron here. ➔  Retrace your steps back to the main path and head north back along the path until you can pick up a reasonably dry, grassy path to follow eastwards across the valley floor to the Dasses (Location 4). The first Dasses ledge is a low, tilted rocky ridge just above the valley floor.

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Location 4: The Dasses – plant succession

Did you know? The Dasses are a series of rocky ledges that run up towards the summit of Arthur’s Seat. The possible remains of a Bronze-age village have been identified on the highest A plant which does well in this ledge (see Tour 2: Human traces, Location 3). area is Himalayan These ledges are formed of tough basalt rock, which has resisted erosion much balsam. As the name better than the softer sedimentary rocks which underlie the rest of the Hunter’s Bog suggests, this was valley. The basalt is grey in colour and smooth to the touch, because it is made of tiny introduced to Britain and now flourishes crystals – some of the larger crystals are visible on clean faces of the rock. The basalt alongside rivers and formed during the eruption of the Arthur’s Seat volcano, when underground magma in meadowland. The got injected sideways from the central vent (see Tour 1: Landscape and beginnings, Ranger Service try to Location 3). Look out also for a rough cross carved near the top of the rock; its age combat the spread of and purpose are unknown. Himalayan balsam and conservation groups Suggested activities and discussion points often get involved in • Explore the bare rock ledge of the Dasses which has some lichen and moss growth pulling it up by the roots. but no other plants. Use a quadrat to count the species present and estimate the number of individuals of each species. Compare your results with Location 2. • Why is there no soil here when other areas nearby have soil and greater biodiversity? • What might the Dasses look like in 100 years? 1,000 years? This is a good place to consider what the vegetation in this area would have been like as the ice started to melt. What plants would have colonised first? Look out for pioneer species such as rosebay willowherb nearby. Native plants such as this are good at taking advantage of patches of soil newly exposed after fires. © Angus Miller © Angus Miller

Lichen growing on the bare rock ledge Gorse in bloom at the Dasses of the Dasses

➔  Stay on the low path on the west side of the Dasses and follow it south through Hunter’s Bog; there are plenty of opportunities to observe different plants and habitats as you go. Stop at one of the wooded areas underneath the steep slopes of Arthur’s Seat (Location 5).

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Location 5: Bog Crag – trees

Did you know? A linear transect from the Dasses to the Bog Crag shows a rough succession from bare rock and lichen to grasses to shrubs/bushes to trees. This area has been heavily The Celtic tree modified by humans and some of the trees have been planted, but a transect can be calendar has native used to demonstrate the principle of succession and give learners experience in plant trees associated surveys. with each of 13 lunar months, and suggests In particular you can explore the pioneer species such as thistles, gorse, broom the importance that and rosebay willowherb that have begun to grow in the grassland areas since the trees had to the early cessation of sheep grazing in 1977. inhabitants, who lived In the area around the Bog Crag there are several native tree species, including Scots in the Bog Crag area pine, rowan, ash, holly, birch and oak. Some of the trees visible around the Hunter’s on one of the Dasses Bog area have been planted, others have grown naturally from seed blown into the shelves, and later area. on the other side of Early people used tree products such as juniper berries or oil to assist healing, and the valley on top of willow bark as a pain killer. Both willow and juniper still grow in the park. Other plants Salisbury Crags (see used for medicinal purposes were nettles to relieve pain from arthritis, dandelions to Tour 2: Human traces, cleanse the system, and thistles for colds and headaches. Location 3).

Ash, whin and birch growing around Bog Crag

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Suggested activities and discussion points

• Explore the patch of woodland below the Bog Crag. Identify and record the tree species present and photograph leaves and trunks. • Estimate the height of a few tree specimens using different techniques – by comparing with the height of a person standing next to the tree, or sighting and measuring angles with a clinometer and using trigonometry. How old is this tree? You can calculate the age of a tree by measuring its circumference (girth) in cm at a point 1.5m above the ground. Different species grow at different average rates – slow-growing species such as holly grow in girth about 1.25cm per year, ash and hazel grow about 2.5cm per year and fast-growing species such as Scots pine around 3cm per year.

© DCSH To calculate when a particular tree was planted divide the measured circumference of the tree by the annual growth rate for the species to which it belongs. Early people used dandelions medicinally to cleanse the system.

This precariously located hornbeam probably grew from a seed blown here Birch trees at Bog Crag by the wind.

➔  Continue following the main path southwards and climb the grassy slope towards the saddle between Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags (called The Hawse). Stop at the top of the slope for good views of the wooded lower slopes and cliffs of Arthur’s Seat (Location 6).

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Location 6: Raven’s Rock – bird’s eye view

Did you know? This is a good place to sit and reflect on what you have found within Holyrood Park. The park is unique, home to an amazing range of plants and animals, many of which Fulmars are sea birds well known for spitting are rare to find so close to the centre of a city. foul-smelling fluid at The high cliffs to the south-east are called Raven’s Rock. They provide good nesting intruders; the oil comes sites, particularly for fulmars; they are not present all year, but can be spotted nesting from their stomachs and flying around (on their straight, stubby wings) during spring and summer. You and of course smells very fishy! Fulmars like might also spot other rare city-dwellers here, including kestrel and grey partridge. to nest on the cliffs of Raven’s Rock. It is unusual for fulmars to nest inland, but the attractions of this cliff make the commute worthwhile.

Raven’s Rock

Suggested activities and discussion points Other activities in this tour have involved looking, describing, counting and measuring the different species encountered. This is a good place to use a different sense and to complete a sound map. • Sit quietly with your eyes closed for two minutes, absorbing the sounds. You might Copyright © 2012 Laurie Campbell Photography like to make pictorial representations of the sounds you hear on a piece of paper, or A fulmar in flight just listen and enjoy the range of sounds – the distant sounds of the city, or closer at hand air moving through the trees and the sounds of the birds. Can you tell the size of a bird from its sound? • Different types of birds use Holyrood Park for food, shelter and water. Where else do they go? Some small woodland birds might spend their whole lives within the boundary of the park, while some travel miles every day in search of food, and others just spend some of the year here before migrating hundreds of miles. Just occasionally, a rare visitor such as an Iceland gull arrives, after getting lost or blown off course in strong winds. • Sketch two birds that visit here, and write a paragraph on their life stories. © Graham Checkley

You might spot a kestrel  The tour finishes here. You can arrange transport to pick you up on near Raven’s Rock. ➔ Holyrood Park Road, near the Commonwealth Pool, or, alternatively, retrace your steps through Hunter’s Bog or follow the Radical Road around the base of Salisbury Crags.

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Tour 4: Managing for a sustainable Key locations Tour 4 takes in six future locations: How is Holyrood Park protected and enhanced? And how might the park and 1 St Margaret’s Well Scotland’s landscape in general be used by people in the future? 2 St Margaret’s Loch This tour takes a circuit around Queen’s Drive, with tarmac pavements and paths 3 Lilyhill allowing easy access to all parts of the tour. Along the way learners will discover a range of issues and challenges related to managing the park sustainably for the 4 Dunsapie Loch benefit of the plant and animal communities, while at the same time allowing and 5 Duddingston view encouraging people to use the park in a variety of ways. from Queen’s Drive The tour begins alongside a busy road and within sight of city-centre buildings. 6 The Hawse It passes St Margaret’s Loch, a popular spot where there is conflict between the traditional bird-feeding enjoyed by generations of Edinburgh residents and what is best for the birds who use the pond. As the route climbs away from the main road, you enter a quieter and more natural environment with areas of regenerated woodland and open grassy slopes. At Dunsapie Loch, there are more visitors with a range of interests, some of which require management. The route then continues around the back of Arthur’s Seat, with a more open view that encourages discussion of the theme of the tour in a wider context, and some speculation on the future use of the park. The tour ends where Queen’s Drive comes back towards the city centre. © Angus Miller

We must balance making the park accessible for people to enjoy with managing it sustainably for the benefit of the plant and animal communities that live there.

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Location 1: St Margaret’s Well From this spot you can see the recent buildings of Dynamic Earth and the Scottish Parliament, and the older tenements and the Palace of Holyrood House.

Suggested activities and discussion points • Make a table of the different activities that people do here, both what you can see directly (traffic, dog walking, running, cycling) and what you might know about at other times (fireworks, sponsored walks, kite flying). Then for each activity, list ways in which people’s behaviour might impact on other users of Holyrood Park and on the wildlife and landscape of the park. Finally, list actions that the park management might take to minimise these impacts, for example: St Margaret’s Well Impact on wildlife and other Activity Management park users Dog walking Dogs may disturb wildlife. Ask people to keep dogs under close control.

People use the park for their own exercise and to exercise their dogs.

➔  Continue east along Queen’s Drive until you reach St Margaret’s Loch. Stop at a convenient point to view the loch and its bird life (Location 2).

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Location 2: St Margaret’s Loch – managing water and people

Did you know? This is an artificial lochan, created in Victorian times during drainage of the surrounding area. The drains from Hunter’s Bog and the Parade Ground were The lack of nutrients diverted into this low-lying hollow to create the loch, which now has a path round it in white bread is and an artificial bank made of boulders. There are always birds here: swans, ducks and suspected as one of the sometimes sea birds. causes of angel wing in swans, a condition However, the overall diversity of life in this loch is not particularly rich. If you did where the end of the pond-dipping here, you would not find much life in the water. Sometimes in hot wing turns outwards weather, algal blooms develop, which are unsightly and smelly and can be toxic for and the swan becomes animals and humans. unable to fly. Generations of local people have enjoyed bringing leftover bread to feed the ducks and swans here. However, it is now recognised that wild birds do not thrive on human food. Also, the food may contribute to problems with rats and algal blooms. The wild birds here are also sometimes attacked and injured by dogs.

Suggested activities and discussion points • Walk around the loch and see if you can find where water flows in and out. Does the water look clean? Do the birds look healthy? • Are there signs that people have been feeding the birds? How might this damage wildlife? Counting and ringing the swans on St Margaret’s Loch

Swans and ducks on St Margaret’s Loch

➔  From the east end of the loch follow Queen’s Drive for about 500m until you come to woodland on the left and steep steps leading down to the left to Lilyhill gate (Location 3). Across the road, a rough path leads up through woodland – you can follow this through the woodland and back to the road, or just stay on the road if the path is not suitable for your group.

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Location 3: Lilyhill – trees in Holyrood Park This area of woodland has developed over the last few decades and includes planted trees and natural regeneration from wind-blown and local seeds. There is a variety of tree species, including native species such as rowan and incomers including sycamore. The canopy layer is now well established with good development of ground and shrub layers in parts of the woodland. The area of woodland at Lilyhill contrasts with the upper slopes of Whinny Hill to the right of the road. Historically, this was an area of open grassland, grazed by sheep until 1977. Since the sheep have been removed, natural succession is starting to take place, although it would take several decades to establish mature woodland without any intervention by land managers. At the moment gorse is dominant on the upper slopes, with some trees becoming established from wind-blown seed. © DCSH

The rowan is one of the A new area of woodland has been established above the road, with planting of native tree species that some native trees, including oak, holly and rowan. A rough path goes through this grow here. woodland, giving you the opportunity to experience and compare it with both the more managed and heavily visited woodland below the road and the higher, more open slopes where active management of the gorse is taking place to protect young trees and reduce fire risk.

Suggested activities and discussion points There is a range of management issues here, involving both the woodland and people; the area is managed for dual use, encouraging responsible access by people but also seeking to develop a healthy, sustainable woodland. This is a popular area for dog walkers because of its close proximity to the boundary wall and access gates, and you may see examples of dog fouling and perhaps litter. There may also be signs of vandalism. The establishment of a mature woodland is impacted upon by people walking through the woodland, trampling plants, making paths and damaging trees. This prevents a variety of ground and shrub layer species from becoming well established. • Carry out surveys of the plant species in selected areas of woodland and on the © Angus Miller higher, more open slopes. You could mark out two or more survey areas, 20m Birch and pine trees at square, and record the number and size of each shrub or tree species in the area. Lilyhill Consider what might happen if you repeat this survey in 20 years.

➔  Continue along Queen’s Drive until you reach Dunsapie Loch (Location 4).

Gorse is dominant on the upper slopes at Lilyhill.

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Location 4: Dunsapie Loch – visitors to Holyrood Park

Did you know? This is one of the most visited areas of the park, where many people who are driving around Queen’s Drive stop for the view and to feed the ducks and swans. Some of Dunsapie Loch is the them also walk up the steep grassy slope to the summit of Arthur’s Seat. Just like St site of the annual toad Margaret’s Loch, this is an artificial loch, occupying a boggy hollow that was dammed patrol, when Rangers in Victorian times. and volunteers help transport toads across You may see examples of ongoing land management here. There are sometimes signs the road. The toads live asking you not to disturb the ground-nesting birds, you may see a tractor cutting the on the grassy slopes grass or Historic Scotland workers picking up litter or clearing gorse. and come down to the Suggested activities and discussion points water to breed in the • Count the number of people you can see today and create a table showing the spring. reasons why they are visiting.

Teacher prompts Desired learner responses

Why do people come here? Beautiful, peaceful place What do they want from their visit? To get exercise by climbing Arthur’s Seat, feed the ducks, watch wildlife, get fresh air

What impact do visitors have? Noise, disturb wildlife, make paths, drop litter

Can you see any evidence that people The grass is cut, litter picked up, signs; In spring, toads are helped look after this area? might spot a Ranger on patrol or to cross the road to get to maintenance staff. Dunsapie Loch to breed.

Dunsapie Loch, an artificial loch, created in Victorian times

➔  Continue along Queen’s Drive past the loch and car park, then walk another 200m until you have a view down to Duddingston Loch. Stop on the grass beside the road (Location 5).

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Location 5: Duddingston view from Queen’s Drive – land use and power generation Did you know? From the roadside you can see Duddingston village, the Duddingston and Bawsinch Duddingston Loch is a Wildlife Reserve, which includes Duddingston Loch (a bird sanctuary) and a wide bird sanctuary. In 1971, variety of land uses to the east of Edinburgh. In the distance are the Lammermuir, the Scottish Wildlife Moorfoot and Pentland Hills, which are mostly agricultural land, predominantly Trust purchased sheep grazing. Closer to Edinburgh is the flatter land of Midlothian, with a mix of industrial land at towns, green space, arable and cattle farming. Closer to Arthur’s Seat the land use is Bawsinch next to predominantly urban, although there are areas of nature reserve and golf courses. Duddingston Loch. This is now designated as the Bawsinch and Duddingston Wildlife Reserve, with reed beds and native woodland, and as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. © Graham Checkley

Duddingston Loch, seen from above

Two examples of electricity generation are visible: Cockenzie Power Station (coal-fired) and the Dun Law Wind Farm at Soutra Hill. Their locations have been carefully chosen to take maximum advantage of their sources of power. Cockenzie opened in 1967 to use coal from the Midlothian coal field, particularly two large deep mines which started producing coal in the early 1960s. These mines are now closed and the plant burns coal and biomass, mostly imported by train. Its peak capacity is 1200MW and it is due to © DCSH close by 2015. In contrast, the Dun Law Wind Farm is a much more recent construction Swans at Duddingston Loch and generates renewable power. It has been operating since 2000 and was further extended in 2009. It has a total of 47 wind turbines and a peak capacity of 47MW, but that peak capacity is only obtained when a minimum wind speed is reached.

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Suggested activities and discussion points • The area within view from this point is mostly on OS Map 66 Edinburgh and this gives a good opportunity to compare the view with the Ordnance Survey map and consider land use within and adjacent to a city. The 20km by 20km square bordered by eastings 28 and 48, and northings 53 to 73 makes a convenient study area. • Learners could analyse and tabulate land use in the study area, either in 1km2 or larger blocks. A cut up version of the map could turn this into a challenge for small teams to identify different blocks (for example, 4km by 4km in size), identify where they are, view them using binoculars, and classify their main land use. Some key land uses are listed below.

Key land uses visible from Location 5 are: • agriculture (hill farming, arable, livestock production) – widespread • horticulture (market gardening, fruit farming) – limited • forestry – limited to small patches with a few larger plantations • fishing/aquaculture – not present • leisure and recreation (parks, golf courses) – common • industry – limited, many examples of former industrial areas, for example mining • urbanisation (residential, industrial estates, shopping centres, etc) – common • transport (city bypass, A1, main trunk roads, east coast rail line) – common • water catchment (not present) and power generation (Cockenzie and Dun Law) • conservation (local nature reserves) – limited

• How would this view have been different in the past? • What might it look like in the future?

➔  Continue along Queen’s Drive. Follow the road around the cliffs on the south side of Arthur’s Seat until Edinburgh Castle comes into view ahead of you at The Hawse, and there is space to gather on the grass beside the road (Location 6). ! Note that in the Queen’s Drive section the pavement is next to the busy road and the traffic comes from behind you, sometimes at speed. Rangers maintain a constant close watch over the park to encourage sustainable use.

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Location 6: The Hawse – Holyrood Park in the city

Did you know? In front of you is Salisbury Crags, with a steep, vegetated scree slope with an artificial wall at the bottom to catch falling rocks; large blocks occasionally break free from the The sticky catchfly plant, the official flower cliff and crash down the slope. This shows that the landscape is still affected by natural of Edinburgh, was first forces. Gradually the Salisbury Crags cliff is eroding away and adding to the scree slope. recorded in Britain This is a place where nature still has an influence. The cliffs to your right are the in Holyrood Park in breeding ground for a small colony of fulmars (see Tour 3: Rare animals and plants 1668. This attractive plant with bright pink tour, Location 6). Also to be found on the cliffs is the rare plant sticky catchfly, flowers grows on rocky a perennial herb that grows on rocky outcrops. It was first described in Britain outcrops and has been from here in the park, in 1668. Numbers declined over the centuries, so that only known at only a few three plants were found in the park in 1993; however, a recent project with the sites in Scotland; at Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh has seen specimens grown from local seed one time it was found and reintroduced to the park which has safeguarded the population. The small growing on the Castle hill. population still present is one of a limited number in Scotland and Wales. However, humans are the dominant shaper of the landscape today. The view in front of you shows the city of Edinburgh, widely considered to be one of the most picturesque cities in Europe. Its beauty comes from the combination of natural hills and cliffs and man-made buildings in a range of styles. Holyrood Park is protected and development has been strictly controlled, so that nature still has a chance to flourish within the city, while people also have the freedom to roam and enjoy all the different aspects of the park. Will this protection last forever? How might this view look in the future? © Graham Checkley

Stick catchfly, a rare plant that grows on rocky outcrops

Probably the best place in Edinburgh to get a wonderful view over the city

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Suggested activities and discussion points

• Compare past and current land use and activities within the park:

Land use Past Present

Agricultural Common (sheep and crops) Not permitted Horticulture Allotments during the Second Not permitted World War Salisbury Crags in the 1960s – notice the sheep. Forestry Native woodland cleared Native woodland re-established in part Recreation Walking, climbing Walking and running encouraged, recent paths control the impact of erosion; climbing permitted on the Crags, with a permit; cycling discouraged off-road.

Industry Small-scale in the past, Not permitted © Graham Checkley including quarrying on Salisbury Crags today Salisbury Crags Urbanisation Some housing in the past No further development permitted Transport Roads, Innocent Railway Major traffic routes skirt the park. Water Local drinking water, washing Not permitted catchment at the Wells o’ Wearie Conservation Limited, becoming more Major objective of current park common in recent decades management

➔  The tour ends here. You can arrange for your transport to pick you up on Holyrood Park Road, near the Commonwealth Pool, or, alternatively, return to the start point by going through Hunter’s Bog or following Queen’s Drive around the foot of the slope beneath Salisbury Crags.

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Places to visit

Listed below are other places around Edinburgh where you can explore some of the themes outlined in this resource. Many of these are Historic Scotland sites, for most of which teachers can download information (including a tour, discussion points and activities) from the Historic Blackness Castle Scotland website www.historic-scotland.gov.uk For all visit and booking enquiries, please contact 0131 668 8793/8736, or contact the sites directly on the numbers given.

Sites in the care of Historic Scotland Blackness Castle, West Lothian Built in the 15th century, Blackness was never a lordly residence; its Cairnpapple Hill roles were garrison fortress and state prison. The adjacent bay and tidal mudflats are important feeding and roosting sites for wildfowl. Tel: 01506 834 807

Cairnpapple Hill, West Lothian On a hill above Linlithgow, Cairnpapple was used from about 3,000 BC to AD 500, firstly as a ceremonial site then as a burial site. Two burial cists are protected by a concrete dome. Tel: 01506 634 622 Craigmillar Castle

Craigmillar Castle, Edinburgh This ruined medieval castle situated south-east of Holyrood Park has links with Mary Queen of Scots. Downloadable resource available. Tel: 0131 661 4445

Dirleton Castle, East Lothian Formidable fortress with a wide range of domestic rooms and set in a beautiful garden. Downloadable resource available. Tel: 01620 850 330 Dirleton Castle

Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh This has been a royal residence and military base for centuries. The Castle Rock was part of the same volcanic system as Arthur’s Seat and shares common themes with Holyrood Park in its historical development. Downloadable resource available. Tel: 0131 225 9846 www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk

Edinburgh Castle

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Linlithgow Palace and Peel, Linlithgow, West Lothian Once a grand palace of the Stewart Kings, these magnificent ruins are set in a park beside a loch. The loch is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to the extensive wildfowl population. Downloadable resource available. Linlithgow Palace and Peel Tel: 01506 842 896

Tantallon Castle, East Lothian This clifftop stronghold on the Firth of Forth served as a noble fortification for more than three centuries. There are stunning views over the Forth to the Bass Rock with its gannet colony. Fulmars nest on the cliffs below the castle. Downloadable resource available. Tel: 01620 892 727

Trinity House Maritime Museum, Edinburgh An elegant Georgian house containing an outstanding collection of nautical memorabilia connected with the history of Leith. Tel: 0131 554 3289

Other places to visit Tantallon Castle Museum of Edinburgh, the Royal Mile, Edinburgh Explore Edinburgh’s story from earliest times to the present day. Tel: 0131 529 4143

National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh Collections of inspiring objects provide exciting opportunities to explore Scotland’s history. Tel: 0300 123 6789

Our Dynamic Earth, Holyrood Road, Edinburgh Trinity House Science centre adjacent to Holyrood Park. Take a journey through our planet’s past, present and future, with interactive exhibits and a 3D film. Tel: 0131 550 7800

Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh The palace and ruined abbey adjacent to Holyrood Park are linked to the history of the park and its status as a Royal Park. Tel: 0131 556 5100

Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh Palace of Holyroodhouse and Founded in the 17th century as a physic garden, it is now a centre for plant Holyrood Abbey science and education, with a plant collection from all over the world. Tel: 0131 248 2909

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Glossary

algal bloom: an accumulation of algae in a body of fresh Neolithic period: the ‘New Stone Age’, from 6,000 years water, causing discolouration. ago to the start of the Bronze Age around 4,500 years ago. basalt: igneous rock (see below) with small crystals palisade: defensive wall made of close-spaced, vertical formed by rapid cooling of molten rock, for example in wooden posts. a lava flow. pioneer species: species which colonise previously Bronze Age: time period from 2,500 BC to the start of uncolonised land, usually leading to ecological the Iron Age in 800 BC, characterised by use of copper succession. and bronze tools. Reformation: 16th-century movement which led to Celtic tree calendar: lunar calendar of 13 months and creation of the Protestant Church and dissolution of 364 days that may date back to the time of the Celts. Roman Catholic monasteries. Each month is associated with a native tree species. scooped farmstead: enclosed settlement located on crag and tail: resistant piece of rock, usually igneous sloping ground cut, or scooped, into the hillside. (the crag), lying in the path of a glacier which is diverted sedimentary rock: rock formed at the surface from the over and round the crag, leaving softer rock in the lee accumulation and burial of sand and mud. All (the tail). of Edinburgh’s sedimentary rocks are more than dolerite: igneous rock with visible crystals formed by 300 million years old. cooling of molten rock trapped below ground. setts: rectangular paving stones with curved tops used erosion: removal of loose surface material by wind, in road building. Setts are typically made of tough water, ice. igneous rock such as dolerite. glacial erratic: boulder transported and deposited Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI): designation by a glacier. Usually it is a different rock type from the of a protected area in the UK, considered to be of bedrock upon which it is sitting. special interest because of its fauna, flora, geological or habitat: area or environment where an organism or physiographical features. ecological community normally occurs. succession (natural or ecological): progressive hunter-gatherers: people hunting wild game and transformation into a stable community. foraging for wild food. tundra: treeless area between the icecap and the tree igneous rock: solid rock formed by the crystallisation line, with permanently frozen subsoil, and supporting of magma or lava. Igneous rock is usually crystalline and low-growing vegetation such as lichens, mosses, and resistant to erosion. stunted shrubs. intrusion: body of igneous rock formed from magma volcano: opening in the earth’s crust through which trapped underground, rather than erupted from a molten lava, ash, or gases are erupted. volcano. volcanic ash: bits of pulverised rock, less than 2mm in Iron Age: time period after the Bronze Age lasting from diameter, created during volcanic eruptions around 800 BC to AD 500 in Scotland, characterised by volcanic vent: channel through which magma escapes widespread use of iron. to the surface in a volcano. The vent lies under the lava: molten rock erupted at the surface of a volcano. It crater. cools to form rocks with tiny crystals such as basalt. Votadini: Iron Age tribe of Britons who lived in south- magma: molten rock beneath the surface of a volcano. east Scotland and north-east England, and traded with It cools to form crystalline rocks such as dolerite. the Romans. Traprain Law, East Lothian was a Votadini settlement. Medieval period: the ‘Middle Ages’, 5th to 15th century. weathering: decomposition of surface rocks to create Mesolithic period: ‘Middle Stone Age’, from 10,000 to loose material. 6,000 years ago – time of the first settlers in Scotland.

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Other resources

Websites for teachers Books and leaflets www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/ranger There are many publications that describe Holyrood Information and contact details for the Park and the subjects covered by this resource. This Historic Scotland Ranger Service, based list is just a starting point for further information and in Holyrood Park. learners’ research. www.scottishgeology.com C R Wickham-Jones Arthur’s Seat and Holyrood Park: A Information on Scotland’s geology, including activity visitor’s guide HMSO 1996 sheets for learners, simplified maps and information on David McAdam Edinburgh and West Lothian: A landscape famous Scottish geologists. Useful links to other sites. fashioned by geology Scottish Natural Heritage 2003 www.ltscotland.org.uk/scotlandshistory D H Land and R F Cheeney Discovering Edinburgh’s Library of largely text-based resources on a range of Volcano Edinburgh Geological Society 2000 relevant subjects, with some straightforward online Useful fold-out leaflet with maps and images describing interactives, useful for pupil research. 29 locations of geological interest throughout Holyrood www.biodiversityscotland.gov.uk Park. Information on biodiversity from the Scottish Historic Scotland Ranger Service The Flora of Holyrood Biodiversity Forum. Park leaflet Historic Scotland 2004 www.edinburgh.gov.uk/biodiversity Information on the City of Edinburgh Council’s biodiversity action plan and links to further information. www.sesef.org.uk The Scottish Earth Science Education Forum publish teacher resources to support science teaching. Relevant Acknowledgements resources include Earth Science Outdoors Teachers’ Guide: Holyrood Park for Curriculum for Excellence Level 3/4 and Author: Angus D Miller Earth Science Outdoors: Primary Teachers’ Guide. Series Editor: Sue Mitchell Copy Editor: Jackie Henrie Film and phone app Layout and Production: APS Group (Scotland) Hoda Productions Rock Opera Hoda Productions 2011 Thanks to: Nathan Bryceland and Adrian Cox for A short animation, celebrating the discoveries of individual contributions. geologist James Hutton. Teacher’s pack, online games All images © Crown copyright, reproduced courtesy of and a phone app are available at Historic Scotland (www.historicscotlandimages.gov.uk), www.rockopera.org.uk unless otherwise credited in the text. © Historic Scotland 2012 Historic Scotland Longmore House Salisbury Place Edinburgh EH9 1SH

investigating historic sites: sites © Graham Checkley © Graham Checkley

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