Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle is situated on the crags of Castle Rock, perfectly positioned to defend itself against incursions from countless numbers of invaders from Roman times right up to the middle of the eighteenth century. Not only has the castle served a military purpose but it was also a royal residence, beginning in the eleventh century with King Malcolm Canmore and Queen Margaret. St Margaret's Chapel, one of the oldest roofed buildings in Scotland, is said to have been built by her when she moved to the castle, although it could have been built by one of her sons in memory of their mother.

The castle has a dramatic and bloody history - before you even reach the Portcullis Gate, near the entrance to the Esplanade beneath, you pass the Witches' Well where over 300 witches were burned some 250 years ago. Just before the gate itself is a memorial to Sir William Kirkaldy who was implicated in the murders of Cardinal Beaton and David Rizzio, Mary Queen of Scots' secretary, and who was later hanged. Above the gate is Constable's or Argyll's Tower where the Marquess of Argyll was imprisoned before his execution in 1661.

The Scottish Crown Jewels are held in the Crown Room. These are the oldest surviving crown jewels in the British Isles. The jeweled crown is made of Scottish gold and last used by Charles II in 1651. In 1707 they were packed away after the Act of Union and were rediscovered by Sir Walter Scott, the novelist, just over 100 years later. The Stone of Destiny (the Stone of Scone) is also to be seen here since its return in 1996, having spent 700 years beneath the Coronation Chair in Westminster Abbey.