Edinburgh Castle

Name: Edinburgh Castle
Item: Edinburgh Castle
Author: Andrew Samson

© Image courtesy of freeimages.com

Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in the centre of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Unusually, the castle sits on top of an extinct volcano and its stunning location has dominated the skyline of the city for many centuries. It is therefore no surprise that Edinburgh Castle is Scotland’s most popular paid for attraction!

Castle Rock, as it is now known, has been the site of human habitation since at least the 2nd century AD. By the 12th century, a large castle had been built which continued to be the Scottish Royal Family’s royal residence until 1633.

Edinburgh Castle has been involved in many military conflicts over the years. Arguably the most important military stronghold in the Kingdom of Scotland, the castle played a significant part in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th century and also the Jacobite uprising in 1745.

Research undertaken by archaeologists in 2014 identified 26 sieges in the castle’s 1,100 year history, making it “the most besieged place in Great Britain and one of the most attacked in the world”. Very little of the castle that was built prior to Lang Siege of the 16th century has survived, principally because the medieval defences were largely destroyed by the artillery bombardment.

After the Lang Siege, the castle’s status as a mode of defence stared to decline. This was mainly because of improvements to heavy cannons and mortars which could defeat even the largest of stone curtain walls.

By the 17th century, the castle was principally used as military barracks and became home to a large garrison of troops. There have been various restoration programmes over the past 150 years and the castle continues to be the centre piece of Scotland’s national heritage.

Interesting Facts

The castle stands upon the plug of an extinct volcano which was created about 350 million years ago
The uppermost part of the Castle Rock is 130 metres (430 feet) above sea level
A 28 metre deep well (92 feet) provided the castle with water when besieged
Nearly 1.7 million people visited the castle in 2015
Over 70% of leisure visitors to Edinburgh will visit the castle during their stay
The castle provides the perfect backdrop for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo and the Edinburgh International Festival
The oldest building in Edinburgh (St. Margaret’s Chapel) is contained within the castle. It is nearly 1,000 years old being built in 1094 AD

Pricing

Entrance prices vary depending on the time of year. As with most popular attractions, it is sensible to book online in advance to guarantee entry.

Adult (16 to 59 years): £17.00
Child (5 to 15 years): £10.20
Infant (up to 4): Free
Seniors (60 years +): £13.60

Stay In Britain Tips

We recommend you allow at least two hours to see all the castle highlights and to get the most out of your visit. There is a lot to see at Edinburgh Castle!

If you are planning to visit other attractions in Scotland, we recommend that you buy an Explorer Pass which provides an extremely cost effective way to see over 70 of Scotland’s most popular visitor attractions. Find out more about Scotland’s Explorer Pass here.

Edinburgh Castle

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