St. Anthony's Chapel Ruins, Edinburgh, Scotland
Date Visited: May 15, 2014
Time Spent: 2 hours climbing/sleeping at the top, 20 minutes at the monument
I first spotted these ruins far off in the distance while climbing Arthur's seat and the explorer in me suddenly emerged. I had to investigate this mysterious building. No one else seemed to be going this way, and the pull of the road less traveled away from tourists was almost too much to bear.
I promised to venture there after I reached the peak of the hill. How I waited that long, I'll never know. But adventure on the way home is always needed and it made the climb down more exciting. If you are just climbing for the scenery and the fun of it, like I was at the time, this rock formation would probably be the last thing on your mind.
Adventure is out there!
It wasn't until after my adventure that research was done into this building. Of course, until this happened, my imagination ran wild with fantastical ideas of ancient stories and strong, Scottish men on horses riding up the hill, kilts blowing in the wind #swoon.
The mysterious wall belongs to what once was St. Anthony's Chapel. There's still not much known about the structure, but it seems to date back to the 14th century or earlier. The chapel also seems to have been connected to Hollyrood Abbey, (more ruins I wish I had seen) and probably fell into disuse around the same time after the Reformation in 1560.
One website also suggests that the chapel served as a sort of religious beacon, designed to be clearly visible to pilgrims coming to Holyrood Abbey as they sailed up the River Forth. Either way, the mysterious appearance of these ruins are definitely a highlight if you plan on exploring Arthur's Seat or Hollyrood Park during you stay in Edinburgh. Go get your Outlander on and see what magic might happen.
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