Salisbury Crags from the south – Inktense Pencils in an A4 Watercolour Moleskine

Salisbury Crags sits to the side of Arthur’s Seat – the extinct volcano in Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park. The space beneath the 150 foot cliffs, near the top of this scene, and the steep slope in known as the “Radical Road” which was constructed in 1820 to give employment to unemployed weavers. The road was named after the strikers who downed tools in the wake of the Napoleonic wars. This was at a time where revolution had spread across Europe and the action, by a number of poorly paid workers made the government fearful that the unrest had spread to Scotland. The strikes were brutally suppressed and many of the leaders were either executed or transported to the “colonies”.

If you “walk” round the Radical Road you are rewarded by magnificent views of the city. Just over the horizon the view looks down on The Scottish Parliament and the Palace of Holyrood House. The open space, adjacent to these is to host the “Homecoming Gathering” later this month where it is estimated that the biggest ever collection of Scottish Clans will take place.