Cycling up Arthur’s Seat was fun until we hit the gully of snow – and a horde of raucous out-of-control snowboarders careering downhill into our path. The only safe way to reach the summit now was to carry our bikes over our shoulders.

On reaching the top, we observed that the city had gone to great lengths to establish Arthur’s Seat as a bona fide tourist destination. There were Virgin Trains overhead bike racks for cycle storage on the crags, and an automated ticketing system for all visitors now required to pay a fee to enjoy the view. I pulled out my credit card and paid for me and TPR, plus (accidentally) the small child standing next to me.

Our visit complete, we retrieved our bikes for the downhill ride back into town. As we looked south towards Duddingston, we could see that the still loch resembled a beautiful mirror, throwing up enormous reflections of the resident swans and a mass of red and pink water lilies.