Edinburgh Castle

  The center of Edinburgh's Old Town is dominated by a 200 foot tall extinct volcano, on top of which is the impressive Edinburgh Castle. Steep cliffs protect the North, South, and West sides of the castle. It can only be entered from the East. No one seems to know when the first castle was built on top of the volcano, but there is some evidence that peoples of the Bronze Age (between 3000 and 1200 B.C.) lived on Castle Rock. By the time of Malcom III (1034-1093), considered the founding father of Scotland, it had become an important royal site. Ownership of the castle bounced between the English and the Scots several times between the 13th and 14th centuries. During the 15th century, the castle was used as an arsenal and then in the 18th to the 19th centuries, as a prison. Approximately 1.5 million visitors a year come to the Castle. And we are living in its shadow! How cool is that?

The Edinburgh Castle sits on top of an extinct volcano. This view is from the Grassmarket Square below the castle.

Night view of the castle from our window.

One of the canon batteries.

The 15th century Crown Square, considered the principal courtyard of the castle.

Also bordering the Crown Square is the Scottish National Memorial.

The One O'Clock gun (originally a canon) was used as a time signal for ships entering the harbor to set their chronometers. The tradition is still followed to this day.

Artillery sergeant explaining the symbolism of the One O'Clock gun before firing it.

The 20" caliber Mon Meg canon.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the castle was used as a prison. These are some of the prisoner barracks.

This Great Hall, built in 1513, was used for state assemblies at the castle.

One of the period characters found throughout the castle,

One of the south towers used as guard barracks.