Edinburgh castle has so much to see I have added this page to include some of the items of interest that are housed there.
This tiny chapel was built by King David I (1124-1153) and is the oldest remaining part of the castle. It was built in memory of Queen Margaret (later St. Margaret) who died at the castle in 1093. It was used by the royals a place of prayer until the 16th century. For a short time it was used as a store for gunpowder, it was restored in 1845. The chapel is home to a gospel book owned by St. Margaret.
The Scottish crown jewels consist of a crown a scepter and a sword of state.
The crown was originally made from Scottish gold from the Crawford Moor mine, it was changed by James V in 1540.
The scepter was a gift to James IV in 1494 from the Pope this too was altered by James V. The globe contains a rock crystal that has been highly polished with a Scottish pearl on top.
The Sword of State was another gift from a different Pope to James IV in 1507. The blade is 1m long and is an excellent example of the art of sword making.
The Stone of Destiny can also be seen at the castle, this was the seat on which Scottish Kings were crowned until 1296. It was taken from its home at Scone by King Edward I of England, it was taken to Westminster Abbey and remained there for nearly 700 years. It was returned to Scotland in 1996 and will only leave Scotland when there is a coronation at Westminster Abbey.
In 1457 King James II was given a pair of siege guns by his wife's uncle Philip the Good of Burgundy. One of the pair survives and is on display in the vaults at Edinburgh Castle. Mons Meg "the lassie with the iron Mou" (mouth) weights over 6 tons and fires a canon ball that weights over 350lbs at a range of over 2 miles. She only saw action once mostly due to her size and the fact that she could only travel 2-3 miles a day. She was retired to the castle and was only ever fired for ceremonial events.
Opened on 14th July 1927 by the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) as a memorial to the Scottish dead of World War I (1914-1918). The building also commemorates the Scottish dead of World War II (1939-1945).
Edinburgh Castle had been used as a prison since the beginning of the 12th century with different types of prisons dark pits for the peasants and apartments for nobility. The Castle was a prison for sailors of many countries in the 18th and 19th century, including crewmen that sailed with John Paul Jones founder of the American navy and prisoners from the Neopoleanic War. Graffiti and many items are on display at the castle.
A small garden build in the remains of part of the medieval part of the castle is the Dog's Cemetery used since the 1840's for the burial of officers dog's and regimental mascots.
This has been a custom in Edinburgh since 1861. The gun is fired daily from the Mills battery of Edinburgh Castle at 13.00 hours, originally used as a time signal for shipping in the Port of Leith and the Firth of Forth. The only days the gun is not fired is Sundays Christmas day and Good Friday.
Almost as Famous as the gun is the man that fired it, Staff Sergeant Thomas McKay better known as Tam The Gun. Tam had been firing the gun since 1979 and in 1999 was awarded the MBE (Member of the British Empire). Sadly Tam is no longer with us he died last year, but it was impossible for me to write about the One O'clock Gun and not mention Tam. Tam had many stories and anecdotes which he turned in a book title What Time Does The One O'clock Gun Fire? the proceeds of which went to the Army Benevolent Fund.
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For some lovely web graphics visit Eos just click the link above
for some lovely Celtic designs visit Aon just click the link above