Dunsapie Loch & the Iron Age Hill Fort
Why is it significant?
Down at Dunsapie Loch the hill suddenly feels gentle again. A small sheet of water mirrors the sky, geese graze on its banks, and above it rises the rocky knoll of Dunsapie Crag. Look back at Arthur's Seat: from this side, after everything it put you through, it looks almost tame.
Key Facts
| Place | Dunsapie Loch & the Iron Age Hill Fort |
|---|---|
| Address | Dunsapie Loch, Queen's Drive, Holyrood Park, Edinburgh EH8, UK |
| Geo Coordinates | 55.94610, -3.15350 |
| Part of Walk | Climbing a Volcano: Arthur's Seat & Holyrood Park, Edinburgh |
| Generated | Generated |
Down at Dunsapie Loch the hill suddenly feels gentle again. A small sheet of water mirrors the sky, geese graze on its banks, and above it rises the rocky knoll of Dunsapie Crag. Look back at Arthur's Seat: from this side, after everything it put you through, it looks almost tame.
Like St Margaret's, this loch is man-made. It was formed in 1844, during the same Victorian improvements that brought Queen's Drive, by damming a small hollow in the hill. But the crag above it is far older in human terms. On its summit are the remains of ramparts of a prehistoric hill fort, one of several forts that once crowned the hills of the park.
Who lived up there? Most likely people of the Iron Age, some two thousand years ago, though the forts of the park have never been fully excavated and their dates remain uncertain. From the top they could watch the coast and the low ground to the east, and see anyone approaching long before they arrived. The name Dunsapie probably begins with dun, an old Celtic word for a fort.
Look along the slopes around you, especially when the sun is low, and you may make out long ridges and terraces running across the hillside like lines on a ploughed field. They are ancient cultivation terraces. Some may be prehistoric, others medieval, and archaeologists still argue about them. Either way, they prove that people once grew crops on these windy slopes, long before this was a playground for walkers, runners and wedding photographers.
From here the walk heads down to the village of Duddingston. Follow Queen's Drive south a little way, then take the path that drops down the slope towards the big loch you can see below. It is downhill all the way, but steep in places, so go easy on your knees.