Edinburgh Castle

Walk up the Royal Mile towards Castle Rock. It is not a very steep climb and, besides, there are many little interesting shops and restaurants on the way up.

Where are we?

 Edinburgh, of course.

And here we are at the top of the Royal Mile approaching our goal…

Edinburgh Castle.

(The Military Tattoo will be here in a few days, hence all the stands being set up.)

Entering through the Gatehouse entrance, take time to look around you.

Notice that statue in the wall?

(Hint: Click on any photo to enlarge it.)

Two Scottish heroes are immortalized by the statues on either side of the entrance. Robert the Bruce (left) and William Wallace (right)

Over the many centuries that the castle has been here overlooking the Firth of Forth it has taken on many roles…fortress, royal home, military barracks, military hospital, etc.

The oldest remaining building on the grounds is St Margaret’s Chapel.

The chapel is from the 12th century and is believed to be the oldest building in Edinburgh. Inside the chapel is a lovely stained glass window (not from the 12th century, I would think…but maybe it is! There is a research project for me!).

There is quite a bit of climbing within the castle grounds, but much of it is on gently sloped ramps (after all, they had to move cannons from place to place within the grounds, right.)

Speaking of cannons…this is Mons Meg.

Mons Meg is from the 15th century and is actually a siege gun. (Is that the same  as a cannon?)

Have you heard about the “one o’clock gun“?

Throughout the centuries a gun (a big gun! cannon?) has been fired from the walls of Edinburgh Castle at precisely one o’clock in the afternoon. The time “clock” was mainly for the ships in the harbour and in the firth, but it was also used by all the people in the area.  It often gets foggy around the firth, so something other than a visual clock was needed for the ships. Sound travels even through the fog…hence the one o’clock gun to set your clocks by.

Looking down on some of the military barracks within the castle grounds you get a sense of how far you can see into the distance. That’s the Firth of Forth you see on the horizon.

What is a firth you ask? A firth is a narrow inlet from the sea.

Looking down from one of the castle’s higher levels, look for this small green patch.

This is the cemetery for the beloved dogs of the royals over the centuries.

Edinburgh Castle is also the home of the Scottish Honours.

Edinburgh Castle…one of the cities top tourist places to visit.

 

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Happy travels!