The fortified birthplace of the city 1,300 years ago, this imposing symbol of Edinburgh sits proudly on a rock high above the town. The home of Scotland’s kings and queens for centuries, the castle has witnessed royal births, medieval pageantry, and bloody sieges.
Today it’s a complex of various buildings, the oldest dating from the 12th century, linked by cobbled roads that survive from its more recent use as a military garrison. Approaching from the esplanade, we’re greeted by the two greatest Scottish heroes – a statue each for the fierce warriors who battled English invaders, William Wallace (on the right) and Robert the Bruce (on the left). It’s hard to see in the picture below, but there is also the Scottish motto between the two – Nemo me impune lacessit – which roughly translated means “No one messes with me and gets away with it.”
Once inside, you start winding your way uphill toward the main sights – the crown jewels and the Royal Palace – located near the summit. Since the castle was protected on three sides by sheer cliffs, the main defense had to be here at the entrance. During the castle’s heyday in the 1500s, a 100-foot tower loomed overhead, facing the city.
Once you pass through the portcullis gate, you come to a number of cast-iron cannons from around 1800. From here, looking north, you have a beautiful view across the valley to the grid of New Town. The valley directly below sits where the Nor’ Loch once was; the lake was drained and filled in when the New Town was built in the late 1700s, its swamps replaced by gardens. Looking far into the distance, we can make out the port town of Leith.
Working our way up, a rather odd site… a much more modern gun. Called the one O’Clock Gun – it is shot off (after a little military ceremony at… you guessed it… one o’clock. The background is that it used to give the ships in the bay something to set their navigational devices by. Before the gun, sailors set their clocks with help from the Nelson Monument on top of Calton Hill. The monument has a “time ball” affixed to the cross on top, which drops precisely at the top of the hour.
But on foggy days, ships couldn’t see the ball, so the cannon shot was instituted instead (1861). The tradition stuck, every day at 13:00. Rick Steves likes to share that locals joke that the Scots are so frugal, they don’t want to fire it at noon as that would cost an extra 11 rounds a day. 🙂
As we climb to the very top of the hilll, we pass through Foog’s gate before climbing some stairs to reach St. Margaret’s Chapel. This tiny stone chapel is Edinburgh’s oldest building (around 1120) and sits atop its highest point (440 feet). It represents the birth of the city.
In 1057, Malcom III murdered King Macbeth (of Shakespeare fame) and assumed the Scottish throne. Later, he married Princess Margaret, and the family settled atop this hill. Their marriage united Malcolm’s Highland Scots with Margaret’s Lowland Anglo-Saxons.
Inside, you’ll find a tiny, unadorned church – a testament to Margaret’s reputed piety. The elegant-yet-simple stone structure is Romanesque. The nave is wonderfully simple, with classic Norman zigzags decorating the tiny nave from the sacristy.
The small (19th-century Victorian stained-glass windows feature St. Margaret herself, St. Columbia, St. Ninian (who brought Christianity to Scotland in AD 397), St. Andrew (Scotland’s patron saint), and William Wallace (the defender of Scotland).
Seating only 20, it is only used for weddings by parents trying to control costs. 🙂
Margaret died here at the castle in 1093, and her son King David I built this chapel in her honor (she was sainted in 1250). David expanded the castle and also founded Holyrood Abbey across town. These two structures were soon linked by a Royal Mile of buildings.
In front of the church is a huge and once-upon-a-time frightening 15th-century siege cannon that fired 330-pound stones nearly two miles. It was a gift from Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy, to his great-niece’s husband King James II of Scotland.
Starting our way down from the top, you will soon find yourself in what is called Crown Square. This courtyard is the center of today’s Royal Castle complex. Here, we’re surrounded by the crown jewels, the Royal Palace (with its Great Hall), and the Scottish National War Memorial.
The castle has evolved over the centuries, and Crown Square is relatively “new”. After the time of Malcolm and Margaret, the castle was greatly expanded by David II (1324 – 1371), complete with tall towers, a Great Hall, dungeon, cellars, and so on. This served as the grand royal residence for two centuries. Then, in 1571-1573, the Protestant citizens of Edinburgh laid siege to the castle and its Catholic/monarchist holdouts, eventually blasting an earlier castle to smithereens. The palace was rebuilt nearby – around what is today’s Crown Square.
For centuries, Scotland’s monarchs were crowned in elaborate rituals involving three wonderous objects: a jewel-studded crown, scepter, and sword. These objects – along with the ceremonial Stone of Scone (pronounced “skoon) – are known as the Honours of Scotland. Scotland’s crown jewels may not be as impressive as England’s, but locals treasure them as a symbol of Scottish nationalism. They’re also older than England’s – while Oliver Cromwell destroyed England’s jewels, the Scots managed to hide theirs.
No pictures or video was allowed in the Crown Jewel exhibit, so you’ll need to use your imagination.
Built by James IV to host the castle’s official banquets and meetings, the Great Hall is still used for such purposes today. Most of the interior – its fireplace, carved walls, pikes, and armor – is Victorian.
But the well-constructed wood ceiling is original. This hammer-beam roof (constructed like the hull of a ship) is self-supporting. The complex system of braces and arches distributes the weight of the roof outward to the walls, so there’s no need for supporting pillars or long cross beams.
The last stop is the Scottish National War memorial – commemorating the 149,000 Scottish soldiers lost in World War I, the 58,000 who died in World War II, and the nearly 800 (and counting) lost in British battles since.
No cameras or video allowed inside. Since the structure was built after World War I, the scenes in the windows are from that war. Memorials honor regiments from each of the four branches of the British military with maroon remembrance books listing all the names of the fallen.
The main shrine features a green Italian-marble memorial that contains the original WWI rolls of honor, sitting on an exposed chunk of the castle rock. Above, the archangel Michael is busy slaying a dragon. The bronze frieze accurately shows the attire of various wings of Scotland’s military.
Scottish soldiers died at twice the rate per capita of other British soldiers in World War I. It is a somber but meaningful place.
Leaving the castle complex, you’re surrounded by cannons that no longer fire, stony walls that tell an amazing story, and dramatic views of this grand city. We spent a bit under 2 hours here – and left feeling like we had given this extraordinary place, with its bloody history and valiant struggles, along with British power and Scottish pride, its due.
