One of the most famous of Scottish castles it has a complex building history which started in the 12th century with St. Margaret's chapel. The site of the castle, Castle Rock has been occupied since 900BC.
It was the residence of Malcolm III (king of Scotland 1058-1093) and his wife Queen Margaret later to become St. Margaret. It was her son King David I that built the tiny chapel in her memory. During the War of Independence it received much damage and often changed hands. In 1356 King David II started his ambitious defensive works and the castle we see today began to take shape. King James IV added the Great Hall in 1510 but by then the castle was more a fortress guarding the capital then a royal residence. It was sacked for the last time in 1573 and fell to the English after Mary Queen of Scots was brought down. Once the role of a fort came to an end it was used mainly as a barracks, the castle no longer has a garrison but is still guarded by Scottish regiments. It is home to the Scottish National War Memorial, The Honours of Scotland, The Stone of Destiny to name a few more about these can be found on the next page.
Edinburgh Castle.
The Lang Stairs
The original way into the castle in the middle ages, lang being Scottish for long.
The Argyle Battery
Built in 1730 the Argyle Battery was the main defence on the north side of the castle.
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| The Great Hall. | The Royal Residence |
The Great Hall, built by the order of King James IV it was completed in 1511.
The Royal Military Tattoo
For 3 weeks in august the Castle Esplanade is the venue for the Royal Military Tattoo
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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