Edinburgh Castle
A fortress on Castle Rock and home of the Honours of Scotland.
Edinburgh Castle sits on top of Castle Rock, an extinct volcanic crag that people have lived on since at least the Iron Age. A royal castle has stood here since the 11th century, and it was a home for Scottish monarchs until 1633. Over time it also served as an arsenal, treasury, prison and military fortress, and it has been besieged more times than almost anywhere else in Britain.
Most of today's buildings date from after the Lang Siege of 1573, which destroyed much of the medieval castle. The main exceptions include the early 12th-century St Margaret's Chapel, thought to be the oldest building in Edinburgh, the Royal Palace and the Great Hall of the early 1500s. Now looked after by Historic Environment Scotland, the castle holds the Honours of Scotland, the Scottish National War Memorial and the National War Museum, and is one of Scotland's most visited attractions.
Highlights
- The Honours of Scotland, the nation's crown jewels
- St Margaret's Chapel, Edinburgh's oldest building
- The early 16th-century Great Hall and the Royal Palace
- The National War Museum and Scottish National War Memorial
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