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Edinburgh Castle,
You just can’t miss Edinburgh Castle, which is viewable throughout
the city and towering over the Old Town. Some 1 million visitors come
to Edinburgh Castle making it the second most popular British attraction
after the Tower of London. A visit to Edinburgh is not complete without
visiting the castle not only because of its historical significance
but because it offers such splendid panoramic views of the city.
There is much to see in Edinburgh Castle. It was the seat of Scottish
Kings, and is complete with historical apartments including the Great
Hall, which today houses an interesting collection of weapons and
armour.
The Royal apartments include a tiny room in which Mary, Queen of Scots
gave birth to the boy who subsequently became King James VI of Scotland
and James 1 of England upon the death of Queen Elizabeth in 1603.
The ancient Honours of Scotland - the Crown, the Sceptre and the Sword
of State - are on view in the Crown Room. Nearby is the Scottish National
War Memorial, a building designed and created shortly after the First
World War.
Every day (except Sunday) the ‘One O’clock ‘gun is
fired at precisely 1.00pm to provide local citizens with an accurate
check for their clocks and watches. While the Castle Esplanade is
the venue of the world-famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the annual
occasion on which, over a period of three weeks in August, the Army
presents a lively programme of music, marching and historical re-enactments
under floodlights before a large and captivated audiences.
It is not certain when and who used the castle rock as a settlement,
but it predates Roman times. Edinburgh castle has the oldest building
St. Margaret's Chapel, a tiny Norman building which has been standing
there intact for more than 900 years.
St. Margaret’s has survived all the sieges and bombardments to
which the fortress on the rock was subjected. Although the castle
was destroyed at various stages the demolishers saved the Chapel of
the Good St Margaret because of its religious significance.
In the northeast corner is a small iron wall-fountain; known as the
Witches' Well, and it commemorates the many women who were found to
be guilty of witchcraft and were put to death at the stake on this
spot. To the north you can view New Town, while to the east, below
the Castle the Old Town can be seen.
Click here to visit the Edinburgh Castle official website.
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