Where is it?
Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh.
Why do you go there?
I used to go all the time as a teenager. I had this specific spot I would go to that always seemed to be deserted. I would climb up to look over the entirety of the city and think deeply like teenagers love to do. Sometimes I’d go up with friends to listen to music (though we’d never play it too loud). We’d traipse up there carrying a Discman, battery-powered speakers and some cans of Irn Bru.
How often do you go?
These days I spend a lot of time in Los Angeles, where I’ve built a recording studio and compose music for film and television. So, I don’t get to go as often. But when I visit my parents in Edinburgh, I like to go for a walk there – especially if it’s during the summer when the nights are long.
How did you discover it?
I mean … you can’t miss it, can you? It’s a giant extinct volcano towering over Edinburgh. But I feel like I discovered more about it when I did my school geography project on one of the slopes. I had to take soil samples and measure angles to work out how it might have formed over the years.
What’s your favourite memory?
Around the time I first discovered my favourite place to sit, I had a friend I’d go up there with. We’d have these long, in-depth conversations about the meaning of life, girls and our dreams/ambitions for the future.
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After a year of friendship, we fell out and never really spoke properly again. He sadly passed away a few years ago, but I’ll always treasure those long conversations we had there, at such a formative time in life. Who do you take?
Anyone visiting Edinburgh. The view never fails to impress out-of-towners.
What do you take?
A good pair of walking shoes. I once got trapped on a very steep slope. Eventually I made it back down but there was a moment where I really thought it might be the end for me. So, it can be treacherous – probably best to leave the high heels at home.
What do you leave behind?
Nothing at all. I always make sure to pick up all my litter.
Sum it up in five words.
Huge. Igneous. Beautiful. Rugged. Steep.
What other travel spot is on your wish list?
I’ve still never been to Shetland, so I’d like to explore the islands there. There’s something about visiting the northernmost point of Scotland which appeals to me. Just to say I’ve been.
Blair Mowat has written the score for Lot No. 249, a new Christmas ghost story adapted from Arthur Conan Doyle’s Gothic horror tale, airing on BBC Two, tomorrow, 10pm, and available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Mowat is also the composer for Nolly, a three-part drama being shown on STV this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
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