The Widow’s Peak: Inspiration from Edinburgh

michellebennington
Oct 21
3 min read

In the last book of the Widows & Shadows series, Widow’s Peak, I drew inspiration from an actual place in Edinburgh, Scotland: King Arthur’s Seat. As the highest peak in Holyrood Park (822 feet), it was the perfect muse and location for my fictional Iverloch Hall.

Arthur’s Seat isn’t just any hill. It’s an ancient, extinct volcano that has stood sentinel over Edinburgh for centuries. This scenic site has also been a popular destination for hikers and tourists alike.

King Arthur's seat overlooking Edinburgh

The name “Arthur’s Seat” is steeped in legend. Many believe it has ties to the mythical King Arthur, with similarly named sites scattered across the British Isles. Whether or not Camelot ever stood here, the hill’s romantic associations add a layer of mystique that would inspire many works of art and literature.

Geologically, Arthur’s Seat is a site of great scientific importance. Formed during the early Carboniferous period over 335 million years ago, its dramatic cliffs and crags were shaped by glacial erosion.

The nearby Salisbury Crags played a pivotal role in the birth of modern geology, thanks to the work of James Hutton, who studied the layering of igneous and sedimentary rock in what is now known as Hutton’s Section.

Though Iverloch Hall never stood on this peak, have been some buildings in the past. Arthur’s Seat has been home to prehistoric hill forts, Iron Age terraces, and even a bonfire party in 1590 to celebrate King James VI’s safe return.

The Radical Road, built in 1820 by unemployed weavers (thanks to a suggestion from Walter Scott), winds along the crags and used to be a popular walking path—until a rockslide shut it down in 2018.

Near the top of the hill are the ruins of a chapel, called St. Anthony's Chapel, which have a special place in Widow’s Peak. I will post another blog about about the chapel to unpack a little more of its history.

One of the site’s enduring mysteries is the discovery of 17 miniature coffins in 1836, each containing a small wooden figure. Theories about their origin range from witchcraft to a symbolic tribute to the victims of the infamous Burke and Hare murders (I’m sensing another blog post in the near future). Today, the surviving coffins are displayed at the National Museum of Scotland. This might have to be another blog post--if I can find enough information about these mysterious little figures.

Folklore continues to thrive on its slopes. A 12th-century legend tells of King David I encountering a stag with a cross between its antlers near the base of the hill—an event that inspired the founding of Holyrood Abbey. And in a charming local tradition, young women would wash their faces in the May Day dew on the hill’s slopes, believing it would enhance their beauty.

In many ways, Arthur’s Seat is more than a landmark—it’s a living symbol of Edinburgh’s layered identity. Its blend of natural grandeur, historical depth, and mythic resonance made it the perfect muse for Iverloch Hall, and a fitting backdrop for the final book of the Widows & Shadows series.

Widow’s Peak is due to release in the fall of 2025. I don’t yet have the cover art for the book, but I’m eagerly awaiting it.

I will update with the cover art, purchase links for the book, etc. as soon as I have them! Though according to Amazon, the audio book is expected to release on November 18, 2025—which means the paperback can’t be too far away! I'm excited for readers to follow Ravenna's next adventure and discover how she ends up.