Edinburgh Castle is one of the oldest fortified places in Europe. With a long rich history as a royal residence, military garrison, prison and fortress, it is alive with many exciting tales. When you climb Castle Hill, you will walk in the footsteps of soldiers, kings and queens — and even the odd pirate or two. Though parts of it remain in military use, the castle is now a world-famous visitor attraction. Early medieval poetry tells of a war band that feasted here for a year before riding to their deaths in battle.
As well as guarding great moments in history, the castle has suffered many sieges. During the Wars of Independence it changed hands many times. In , the Scots retook the castle from the English in a daring night raid led by Thomas Randolph, nephew of Robert the Bruce. The castle defences have evolved over hundreds of years.
The Half Moon Battery, built in the aftermath of the Lang Siege of , was armed for years by bronze guns known as the Seven Sisters. Six more guns defend the Argyle Battery, with its open outlook to the north. In the castle was captured in just 30 minutes, taken by Covenanter forces led by the distinguished General Alexander Leslie. A Jacobite force failed to capture the castle during the Rising of thanks to poor planning. The ladder they brought to scale the ramparts turned out to be too short.
Edinburgh Castle was home to kings and queens for many centuries. However as you would likely expect, nobody needs a ticket to watch the fireworks which are set off from the castle wall at key points in the Edinburgh calendar, such as Hogmanay and the end of the Festival.
Visitors with babies would do best to leave the buggy at home and use a sling or back carrier. Some doorways, especially the medieval ones, are narrow and a double buggy is almost impossible. With so much to see and do at the castle, you are likely to have deserved that cuppa. Blog Go to Reserve Apartments.
Written by Gareth Thomas Monday, 24 June There are a number of lesser known Edinburgh Castle facts that we think are very interesting. What else is Edinburgh Castle famous for? Who lived in Edinburgh Castle? Does anyone live in Edinburgh Castle now? When was Edinburgh Castle built? How old is Edinburgh Castle? Who Built Edinburgh Castle?
Is Edinburgh Castle free? What do Ticket Prices cost? The next siege came in when Oliver Cromwell executed Charles I and led forces against Scotland and in August the castle was once again in English hands.
The Jacobite Risings of saw many attempts by the Scots to recapture their castle but were never successful. There is no record of any Roman interest in the location during General Agricola's invasion of northern Britain near the end of the 1st century AD.
Castle Rock had been a military base and royal residence for centuries. However, the edifice that is now known as Edinburgh Castle was built during the 12th century by David I, son of Saint Margaret of Scotland.
This one is a popular misconception. Mons Meg was the name given to the bombard used in sieges until the middle of the 16th century, after which it was only fired on ceremonial occasions. On one of these occasions in the barrel burst, rendering Mons Meg unusable. In it was taken to the Tower of London along with other unused weapons but was returned to Edinburgh Castle in where it has since been restored but is now on display only. In the cannon was replaced with a 25 pound Howitzer and is now fired from Mill's Mount Battery on the North face of the Castle every day at 1pm, except Sundays.
The stone is the traditional coronation stone of all Scottish and English Kings and Queens and has been much fought over by England and Scotland over the ages. In reality, the stone was sent back from Westminster Abbey to Scotland in on the th anniversary of its removal and is now located at Edinburgh Castle. Many ghosts have been reported here, including a headless drummer seen in , a ghostly piper and one of the dogs buried in the pet's cemetery in the castle.
One of the more infamous stories about the castle ghosts is that of the lone bagpiper. As the story goes, when the tunnels underneath the Royal Mile were first discovered a few hundred years ago, a piper boy was sent down to investigate, playing his bagpipes along the way so people above could track him. When the music suddenly stopped playing around half way down the Mile, a search party was sent down to retrieve the boy, however he was never found.
Several search parties combed the tunnels, looking for him, but the body was never retrieved. People say his ghostly pipes can still be heard in the castle as he eternally walks the dark tunnels underneath.
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