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See Also: Castle Ghosts

Edinburgh Castle

For Tourists

The ancient Edinburgh Castle is one of the most popular tourist attractions not just in Scotland but in the whole of the UK. Over a million people a year visit the castle and it rates a the second most popular such monument in the UK (after the Tower of London).

Edinburgh Castle
Clineff, Kindra
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The castle is part of the old town and overlooks the Princes Street Gardens. It dominates the Edinburgh skyline and provides panoramic views. At certain times of the year it provides the backdrop for spectacular firework displays. The annual Edinburgh Military Tattoo takes place in the castle esplanade.

The castle is managed by Historic Scotland.

History

The castle is built on "castle rock" - an ancient volcanic rock outcrop which rises some 260ft above the city. This natural defensive position has been occupied since around 900 BCE, first ancient Britons then late by the Romans. The site was later occupied by Angels and then by the Scots in the reign of Malcolm II around 1018 CE. Since then it has changed hands many times, been sacked, partly destroyed, rebuilt and extended.

Much of the castle we know today was built under the regin of James II from 1460 onwards.

Throughout all of this upheaval one castle building has remained intact - the tiny Saint Margaret's Chapel. This has been standing since Norman times, over 900 years.

The One o'Clock Gun

A very popular feature of Edinburgh castle is the one o'clock gun. As the name suggests, this is fired at one o'clock six days a week (not Sundays). It is very loud and can startle tourists - even locals!

The gun was introduced in 1861 as a time signal for ships in Leith docks. The initial signal was actually a dropping ball on the top of Calton Hill. A visual signal such as this had the disadvantages that it could not always be seen and might be missed. The gun was therefore introduced as a time signal that could be heard across most of the city and would be very difficult to miss.

Ghosts

Edinburgh castle has a reputation as one of the most haunted places in Scotland. There are many ghosts and a very spooky set of dungeons. For more information see Edinburgh castle ghosts.

External Links:
Historic Scotland