Discovering Edinburgh Castle, the city’s emblem

Castle Rock, a volcanic crag, has been the site of human activity for over 3000 years, housing various Celtic tribes while a definite settlement can be traced all the way back to the early Middle Ages. It wasn’t until Malcolm III that the volcanic rock which overlooks the entire city that a castle was built at the top of it to serve as a royal residence with important strategic defences. The castle was a royal residence for Scottish monarchs until 1633, when Charles I stayed the night of his Scottish coronation. After the Reformation, the castle became a garrison while still retaining an important political function, until 1923 before being designated as a Scheduled Historic Monument in 1993.

What’s so captivating about Edinburgh castle, aside from its haunting aura, is the amount of history it has witnessed. Walking through its halls, one can’t help but think of all the wars, uprisings, executions, political schemes and scandalous affairs the castle has seen over the centuries. Inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995, along with the rest of Edinburgh’s Old Town, the castle is visually striking and a site very few can forget. Today, the castle is Scotland’s most visited location.

The castle’s interior is just as striking as its external demeanour. Head to the Great Hall, a veritable wonder of medieval Scotland, completed in 1511 for James IV, the imposing banquet hall also pays tribute to the room’s later use as barracks with an impressive display of armour and weapons.

In the Crown Room, visitors are lucky enough to gaze at the Stone of Destiny, also known as the Stone of Scone. A sacred object, the stone is used in coronations of new Scottish Kings only ever leaving Scotland for coronations in Westminster Abbey. In 1296, the stone was stolen by Edward I of England and brought to Westminster to be used in coronation of English and British kings; it wasn’t returned to Scotland until 1996. Also on display in the Crown Room are the Honours of Scotland, the nation’s Crown jewels, and the oldest in Britain. The crown was made for King James the V at Mary of Guise’s coronation, Mary Queen of Scots was the first to wear this new crown and sceptre at her coronation in 1543. The Honours have immense importance, although they have a somewhat turbulent history, having been hidden away to be safe from Oliver Cromwell in the 1650’s, and they were sealed away in 1707 after the Act of Union between England and Scotland. They were eventually found by Sir Walter Scott in 1818.

For all you military history buffs out there, you can’t miss the many historic military equipment on display throughout the castle grounds, such as the One O’Clock Gun (1861) located right by the Argyle Battery, the Mons Meg, a six-tonne siege gun from 1457 located just outside St Margaret’s Chapel, the Half Moon Battery and the National War Museum.

🎟️ Admission :

As mentioned previously, Edinburgh Castle is Scotland’s most visited site, so be sure to book your tickets well in advance. You can do so on their designated webpage. Visitors can also choose to either visit the castle on their own, or book a guided tour.

🕒 Opening times:

The castle is open everyday, with timings depending on the period of visit. To see the exact opening times, check out their designated webpage. There are various shops and cafés sprinkled throughout the site and the One O’Clock Gun is fired everyday except on Sundays, Good Friday and Christmas Day at (you guessed it) 1pm.

To find out more about the castle’s accessibility measures, check out their designated webpage here.

By car:

• Edinburgh is easily accessible by car. [Parking]( is readily available within the city, although we do not recommend driving in the city centre as public transport is easier to use to get to the Castle.

By bus:

• Buses to Edinburgh come into Edinburgh Bus Station on St Andrew’s Square, in the city centre. Visit the [TravelLine website]( to plan your bus journey. For [local buses]( to the castle, look for routes heading to the Mound or George IV bridge.