Edinburgh Castle
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What is Edinburgh Castle?
Edinburgh Castle is a historic stronghold in Edinburgh, Scotland, perched on Castle Rock, a volcanic crag overlooking the city. With evidence of human activity dating back 3,000 years, it was initially a hill fort for the Celtic Votadini tribe around 600 CE.
King Malcolm III Canmore, who reigned from 1058–93, first resided there. His wife, Queen Margaret, is commemorated in St. Margaret’s Chapel, the oldest surviving structure built around 1130–1140. Throughout its history, the castle faced sieges and captures, including during the English invasions in the 13th and 14th centuries. Today, Edinburgh Castle is a major tourist attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage site, housing the Honours of Scotland and the Stone of Scone.
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Where is Edinburgh Castle located?
Edinburgh Castle is located in Edinburgh, Scotland, in the United Kingdom. The castle stands 443 feet (135 meters) above sea level, overlooking the city from atop Castle Rock, a volcanic crag. Evidence shows human activity on Castle Rock dating back 3,000 years. The castle has been part of Old and New Towns of Edinburgh, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1995.
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Why is Edinburgh Castle important in Scottish history?
Edinburgh Castle holds a significant place in Scottish history as a former residence of Scottish monarchs and a stronghold overlooking the city from Castle Rock Edinburgh Castle.
Castle Rock has been a site of human activity for around 3,000 years. The first Scottish king to reside there was Malcolm III Canmore, who reigned from 1058–93. His wife, Queen Margaret, later canonized as St. Margaret of Scotland, is commemorated in St. Margaret’s Chapel, the oldest surviving building on the castle grounds Edinburgh Castle.
The castle was captured twice by English invaders and retaken by the Scots between 1296 and 1341. Over the centuries, Edinburgh Castle underwent numerous sieges and saw the construction of significant structures such as David’s Tower, Mons Meg cannon, and the Great Hall Edinburgh Castle.
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What are some famous parts or buildings inside Edinburgh Castle?
Edinburgh Castle has been a stronghold and residence for Scottish monarchs, overlooking the city from Castle Rock.
Some famous parts and buildings inside Edinburgh Castle include:
- St. Margaret’s Chapel: Built around 1130–1140, it is the oldest surviving building on the castle grounds, commemorating Queen Margaret, who died in the castle in 1093.
- David’s Tower: Constructed to honor King David II, who died in the castle in 1371.
- Mons Meg: A giant cannon installed in 1457.
- The Great Hall: Completed by James IV in 1511.
- Royal Palace: Houses the room where James VI, later King James I of England, was born in 1566.
- Half-Moon Battery and Portcullis Gate: Constructed to strengthen the castle’s defenses following the siege of 1571–1573.
- Scottish National War Memorial: Opened in 1927 to honor Scotland’s military tradition.
- National War Museum: Opened in 1933.
- Edinburgh Castle Esplanade: A large open area just outside the drawbridge that hosts events such as the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
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Who lived in Edinburgh Castle in the past?
Edinburgh Castle has been a site of human activity for around 3,000 years. The first known Scottish king to reside there was Malcolm III Canmore, who reigned from 1058–93. His wife, Queen Margaret, later canonized as St. Margaret of Scotland, died in the castle in 1093. The chapel commemorating her, St. Margaret’s Chapel, is the oldest surviving building on the castle grounds, dating back to 1130–1140.
Other notable figures include King David II, in whose honor David's Tower was built. James IV completed the Great Hall in 1511, and James VI, who later became King James I of England, was born in the Royal Palace in 1566. The last monarch to stay overnight in Edinburgh Castle was Charles I, in 1633.
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How has Edinburgh Castle changed or been used over time?
Edinburgh Castle has been a central point in Scottish history for thousands of years. Castle Rock, where it stands, shows evidence of human activity dating back 3,000 years. Around 600 CE, the Celtic Votadini tribe built Eidyn’s Hill Fort on the rock.
Over time, the castle has served multiple functions. It was a residence for Scottish monarchs, starting with Malcolm III Canmore (reigned 1058–93). St. Margaret's Chapel, built between 1130 and 1140, stands as the oldest surviving structure on the grounds. The castle faced sieges and captures between 1296 and 1341 during the wars with England.
In later years, Edinburgh Castle housed prisoners of war from the Seven Years’ War, the American Revolution, and the Napoleonic Wars (between 1757 and 1814). Today, the castle is a major tourist attraction, drawing over a million visitors annually. It also houses the Honours of Scotland (the country’s crown jewels) and the Stone of Scone.
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Edinburgh Castle, stronghold that was once the residence of Scottish monarchs and now serves mostly as a museum. It stands 443 feet (135 metres) above sea level and overlooks the city of Edinburgh from a volcanic crag called Castle Rock.
Castle Rock has been the site of human activity for at least 3,000 years. By 600 ce a Celtic tribe called the Votadini, or Gododdin, had built Eidyn’s Hill Fort on the rock. The first king of Scotland who is known to have made his residence on Castle Rock was Malcolm III Canmore (reigned 1058–93). His pious wife Queen Margaret, who died in the castle in 1093 and was later canonized as St. Margaret of Scotland, is commemorated in St. Margaret’s Chapel, which was built between about 1130 and 1140 on the highest point of the rock and is the oldest surviving building on the castle grounds.
Between 1296 and 1341, the castle was twice captured by English invaders and twice retaken by the Scots. David’s Tower, some 100 feet (30 metres) in height, was built to honour King David II, who died in the castle in 1371, but was substantially destroyed in a siege 200 years later. A giant cannon named Mons Meg was installed in 1457 and can still be seen. The Great Hall, which also survives, was completed by James IV in 1511. In an adjacent building called the Royal Palace is the room where James VI, the future King James I of England, was born in 1566. Following the destructive siege of 1571–73, the castle’s defenses were strengthened with the construction of the Half-Moon Battery (cannon emplacement) and the Portcullis Gate. The last monarch to stay overnight in Edinburgh Castle was Charles I, in 1633.
Edinburgh Castle was besieged repeatedly during the 17th and early 18th centuries. It was captured twice, briefly, by Covenanters during the Bishops’ Wars of 1639 and 1640 and was seized by Oliver Cromwell’s New Model Army in 1650, during the English Civil Wars. Between 1689 and 1745, after the Restoration (1660) of the monarchy, Jacobite rebels unsuccessfully besieged the castle several times in their attempts to undo the Glorious Revolution (1688), in which King James II was deposed.
Between 1757 and 1814 the castle housed prisoners of war taken by the British in the Seven Years’ War, the American Revolution, and the Napoleonic Wars. Still in use by the British military are the New Barracks (1796–99). Elsewhere on castle grounds, Scotland honours its military tradition in the Scottish National War Memorial (opened 1927) and the National War Museum (opened 1933). Edinburgh Castle is now one of Scotland’s top tourist sites, attracting more than one million visitors annually. It has been part of Old and New Towns of Edinburgh, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1995.
Edinburgh Castle is the traditional repository of the Honours of Scotland, the country’s crown jewels. In 1996 a more ancient relic of Scottish royalty, the Stone of Scone (or Stone of Destiny), arrived at the castle, 700 years after it was removed to England. The stone is a block of sandstone upon which Scottish monarchs were traditionally crowned. It was moved to a museum in Perth in 2024.
Just outside the castle drawbridge is a large open area called the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade, where grandstand seating is installed annually for an international military music festival called the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and for other summer concerts. An event that takes place with greater frequency is the firing of a loud cannon on castle grounds at exactly 1:00 pm six days a week. The One O’Clock Gun, as it is known, was first fired in 1861 as a timekeeping service for ships anchored on the nearby Firth of Forth.
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