Arthur's Seat Viewpoint

Arthur's Seat, on the ridge north of Kandy, offers one of the classic panoramic views over the city and its surrounding hills. The viewpoint is best in the early morning before the valley fills with haze, and at dusk when the lights come on across the city. A road leads up from the town centre; the drive takes about fifteen minutes, or you can walk via the Udawattakele Forest Reserve.

Several viewpoints and small temples are scattered along the ridge above Kandy. This is a popular spot with local visitors on weekend evenings, and there is usually a small stall selling drinks. The hillside path continues to the Maha Vishnu Devale and other shrines.

things to do sight Listed by The Common Wanderer
A story
The viewpoint was named Arthur's Seat during the British colonial period, apparently after the famous hill in Edinburgh. The naming reflected a habit of transplanting Scottish place names across the empire — there are Arthur's Seats in New Zealand, India, and several African countries. From this particular Arthur's Seat, the view is over the Kandyan hills rather than the Firth of Forth, which the Victorian soldiers posted here presumably thought was an improvement.

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