Treasure Hunt - Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh has been occupied since prehistoric times. Mention Edinburgh and probably the first thing to spring to mind is the Castle with the Royal Mile stretching away down the hill or maybe the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Now though, there is another event that could be just as memorable - the Edinburgh Treasure Hunt.

Despite being an ancient settlement, Edinburgh is a contemporary and vibrant city. 350 million years ago, things were very different - Edinburgh was actually the site of a volcano next to a sub-tropical sea! The remains of this volcano, sculpted by Ice during the last Ice Age, provide the city with its unique atmosphere. The castle sits atop a volcanic plug whilst the Royal Mile, leading down to Holyrood Palace, has been built on what was once the slopes of the volcano. The rest of the volcano has been removed by the erosive power of the Ice. Nearby, the mass of Arthur's seat, has become Holyrood Park, enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. At Arthur's seat you can get a real sense of history, Iron age hill forts and a medieval ruined chapel plus the Victorian development of lakes exist within the park, whilst at the same time you can look out over the modern city of Edinburgh. Edinburgh has a darker side, the body snatchers Burke and Hare were active here and as a result, some of the bigger cemeteries were equipped with watch towers. There are even organised tours to the cemeteries of Edinburgh.

Edinburgh Old Town ...

The geological term for the feature upon which Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile stand is a 'crag and tail'. The castle lies on the crag part whilst the old town was built along the tail. The city gates were located at the site of the World's End pub, part way down the Royal Mile. The pub is so called because anything outside of the city gates did not interest the locals and they saw their world as ending at the gates! The north side of Edinburgh Old Town was guarded by the nor' Loch, drained several centuries ago and converted to the Princes Street Park, through which the railway passes.

Edinburgh New Town ...

The area to the north of the Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile has a very ordered look on a street map, that is because it was built as a 'New Town'. You will find squares, ovals and some very grand buildings, including neo-Roman. Calton Hill was developed as a public park.

The Edinburgh treasure hunt can be done entirely on foot or it can include a car section round Arthur's seat. Whatever your choice, you can be guaranteed of a great corporate entertainment or team building event.

Pictures from previous treasure hunts in Edinburgh ...