Homecoming History Tours of Holyrood Park

Submitted by edg on Thu, 16 Jul '09 8.36am

Four special tours will give visitors the chance to walk Holyrood Park in the footsteps of the famous.

The Historic Scotland Ranger Service has organised the Hutton and A' That tours on Friday 24th and Monday 27th of July especially for the 2009 Year of Homecoming.

They are a chance to find out how poets, authors, kings and scientists were influenced by the ancient royal park.

For Burns it was somewhere to walk with lady friends and for Bonnie Prince Charlie it was a military encampment on the eve of his victory at the 1745 Battle of Prestonpans.

Nathan Bryceland, an education ranger who will help lead the walks, said: "Over the centuries many famous and powerful people have visited and spent time in the Park and these walks are a chance to find out how it influenced them, their lives and thought.

"Burns and Scott were both here and poets like Robert Fergusson refer to it in their writing.

"And it still features in the work of modern writers like Ian Rankin.

"The park is also linked to monarchs like Mary, Queen of Scots and Queen Victoria.

"Then there is James Hutton, considered to be the father of geology, who did a great deal of his research here - indeed he was the first to realise that Arthur's Seat was once an active volcano."

Visitors will be taken to Hutton's Section, on Salisbury Crags, where he was the first to identify that some of the rocks had once been molten. This led him to conclude that the world had been formed through natural processes and was significantly older than previously thought.

The walks, which are suited to those aged 12 and over, will also explain something of the archaeology and natural history of the park.

There will be stops at points relevant to the dozen or so famous visitors being highlighted - along with readings from some of their work.

Further information and booking

The walks are £3 per person with groups limited to a maximum of 25. Tickets need to be booked in advance by calling the ranger Service on 0131 652 8150.

The walks begin at 10am and 12.30pm each day and last around three hours. Sturdy footwear and good outdoor clothes are recommended.