Edinburgh, Scotland
This huge crag, which rises to a
height of 822 feet above sea-level above the city of Edinburgh,
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| It has been said
that the association of the hill with Arthur may be a matter
of its being a base for military action in the 6th century. |
has been known as Arthur's Seat since the fifteenth
century. Part of Holyrood Park, it offers a tremendous view of the
surrounding country and of the sea to the east. The 'seat' itself
is said to be the notch between the highest point of the peak and
a secondary point a little way to the south. In fact, it is probably
named after a local hero who happened to bear the name Arthur.
Interestingly enough, Edinburgh is identified with the Castle of Maidens
in several Arthurian tales, which is probably because one of its medieval
names was Castellum Puellarum (Castle of Women). In the stories
it is sometimes a place where a number of female prisoners are kept;
at other times it seems to be occupied by seductive women who tempt
knights passing by. In at least one version, Arthur's half-sister,
the renowned 'enchantress' Morgan le Fay, is its mistress.
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