Arthur’s Seat

About the Book: 

Standing in the Hunter's Bog with the Salisbury Crags to the west, Dasses to the east and the great summit crag rising above, you could be deep in the Highlands. There is no sight and very little sound of the modern cityscape all around. STUART McHARDY

Arthur's Seat, rising high above the Edinburgh skyline, is the city's most awe-inspiring landmark Although thousands climb to the summit every year, its history remains a mystery, shrouded in myth and legend.

Quickly and suddenly we lose the sense of ciy. Through the park is now surrounded by Edinburgh, it still retains a sense of wildness. DONALD SMITH

The first book of its kind, Arthur's Seat: Journeys and Evocations is a salute to the ancient tradition of storytelling, guiding the reader around Edinburgh's famous 'Resting Giant' with an exploration of the local folklore and customs associated with the mountain-within-a-city.

Inspired by NVA's Speed of Light, a major event in Edinburgh's International Festival and the country-wide Cultural Olympiad, Journeys and Evocations brings together past and future in a perspective of the Edinburgh landscape like no other.

A place where time does not pass but simply adds up. ROBERT GARIOCH

Reviews: 

Two of the city's leading storytellers... have sifted through the centuries to compile the remarkable guide to Edinburgh's famous landmark. Arthur's Seat: Journeys and Evocations draws on folklore tales and real life stories to create a unique walkers' guide to the famous ridges, crags and valleys that make up the hill. EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS

Inspired by the NVA’s Speed of Light, this is a salute to the ancient tradition of storytelling, guiding the reader around Edinburgh’s famous ‘Resting Giant’ with an exploration of the local folklore and customs. SCOTTISH REVIEW OF BOOKS

About the Authors:

STUART MCHARDY is a writer, historical scholar, poet, musician, folklorist and renowned lecturer about Scottish history and culture, at home as well as abroad. His unique understanding of tradition comes from a thorough immersion in the storytelling arts and history alike. Former President of the Pictish Arts Society and the Director of the Scots Language Resource Centre, McHardy has occupied lead positions with organisations working towards the aim of rediscovering Scottish national identity.

DONALD SMITH is a renowned storyteller, founding Director of the Scottish Storytelling Centre, and an experienced playwright and theatre producer. He was also a founding Director of the National Theatre of Scotland, for which he campaigned over a decade. Born in Glasgow of Irish parentage, Donald Smith was brought up in Scotland, immersed in its artistic and cultural life. Smith’s non-fiction includes Storytelling Scotland: A Nation in Narrative, God, the Poet and the Devil: Robert Burns and Religion and Arthur’s Seat: Journeys and Evocations, co-authored with Stuart McHardy. His Freedom and Faithprovides an insightful longterm perspective on the ongoing Independence debate, while Pilgrim Guide to Scotland recovers the nation’s sacred geography. Donald Smith is currently Director of Tracs (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland), based at the Storytelling Centre.