Arthur seat

susie · Post by **susie** » 20 Aug 2006, 21:37

Please can someone settle an argument for me. Is arthur seat a hill or a mountain. thank you

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 20 Aug 2006, 21:42

Neither. It's an extinct volcano.

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 20 Aug 2006, 21:49

But if I had to choose between the two, I would describe it as a hill rather than a mountain.

more info

susie · Post by **susie** » 21 Aug 2006, 09:39

thank you bob, I think its a hill, but americans think its a mountain!!!!!

Cleopas · Post by **Cleopas** » 21 Aug 2006, 13:04

This what Wikipedia says;

Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh

Arthur's Seat is the main peak of the group of hills which form most of Holyrood Park, a remarkably wild piece of highland landscape in the centre of the city of Edinburgh, about a mile to the east of Edinburgh Castle. The hill rises above the city to a height of 251 m (823 feet), provides excellent panoramic views of the city, is quite easy to climb, and is a popular walk. Though it can be climbed from almost any direction, the easiest and simplest ascent is from the East, where a grassy slope rises above Dunsapie Loch.

Like the castle rock on which Edinburgh Castle is built, it was formed by an extinct volcano system which was swept by a glacier moving from west to east, exposing rocky crags to the west and leaving a tail of material swept to the east. This is how the Salisbury Crags formed and became basalt cliffs between Arthur's Seat and the city centre.

Hillfort defences are visible round the main massif of Arthur's Seat at Dunsapie hill and above Samson's Ribs, in the latter cases certainly of prehistoric date. These forts are likely to have been centres of power of the Votadini, who were the subject of the poem 'Y Gododdin' which is thought to have been written about 600 CE in their hillfort on Edinburgh castle crag. The poem includes a simile comparing a warrior to King Arthur which (if not a later addition) may be one of the earliest references to Arthur, and hints at a possibility that his fame might have led to one of the hillforts and hence the hill being named after him.

The hill bears a strong resemblance to the Cavehill in Belfast in terms of its geology and proximity to a major urban site.

The hill caught fire on August 6, 2006 at around 1300BST. Over 100 calls to the fire brigade were made, even as far away as Burntisland, Fife. Burning for nearly 24hrs, a 3,000mÂ² area on the north side of the hill was left scorched as a result.
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The original Celtic name seems to have been either Ard-na-sehgt (ard-na-sekhet) "Height of the Arrow" or "Ard-na-sidhe" (ard-na-shee) "Height of the Fairies".

With the use of farming riggs on the hills, I think it's more likely the natives the Celts dispossessed gave the name ... the Sidhe or "little people".

Arthur Pendragon ("King" Arthur) would have hunted around here since there are legends that say he operated in this region. Thus Arthur's Seat is not a far cry from Ard-na-sidhe!

susie · Post by **susie** » 21 Aug 2006, 15:56

well that says it all. Its a hill. many thanks to all

Skeely · Post by **Skeely** » 21 Aug 2006, 16:38

Cleopas/Wikipedia wrote:The original Celtic name seems to have been either Ard-na-sehgt (ard-na-sekhet) "Height of the Arrow" or "Ard-na-sidhe" (ard-na-shee) "Height of the Fairies".

I have it on good authority (someone told me in a pub) that the name is a corruption of a Gaelic phrase meaning "hill of the brown bear".

I think a mountain has to over 3000 feet high.

Cleopas · Post by **Cleopas** » 21 Aug 2006, 18:16

Sorry Skeely ... but they're wrong. I did my research in The Edinburgh Room of the Central Library on George IV Bridge, when I was digging up material for areas of the city.

Our hill is not even a Munro!!!

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 21 Aug 2006, 18:22

Let's not make a mountain out of a molehill.

Cleopas · Post by **Cleopas** » 21 Aug 2006, 18:31

I shoulda thought of that!

Marguerite-the-Poet · Post by **Marguerite-the-Poet** » 23 Aug 2006, 17:53

susie wrote:Please can someone settle an argument for me. Is arthur seat a hill or a mountain. thank you

"The intrusive igneous rocks are all of Carboniferous age and include sills (such as Salisbury Crags) and volcanic plugs (such as Arthur's Seat). The extrusive igneous rocks, which are primarily lavas and ashes, are dominated by the older Devonian series (400 million years old) which form the Pentland Hills, Braid Hills and Blackford Hill. Elsewhere Carboniferous lavas and ashes can be found....These pages are provided by the Department of Geography, University of Edinburgh as part of Scottish Geology Week. Scottish Geology Week is coordinated by Scottish Natural Heritage."

http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/arthurseat/geology/geology.html

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Arthur's Seat is a volcanic plug

I've lived by a volcano(s) all my life. Volcanic eruptions are an awesome sight to behold!

Talk Porty ~ Portobello

Arthur seat

Arthur seat

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