5 Highlights of Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle is a highlight for many visitors who visit Scotland’s capital city each year. Its historic and cultural significance and its imposing presence overlooking the city from atop its perch of jagged black volcanic rock makes it one of those sights you just have to see.

Built by King David I of Scotland in the early 12th century, Edinburgh Castle is located at the western end of the Royal Mile atop Castle Rock, up an incline gentle enough to raise your heart rate a hair. It’s the most popular Edinburgh attraction with over a million visitors a year.

There’s a lot to see and do at the castle, so if you’re only there for a few hours, you’ll want to use your time wisely. I skipped the Great Hall, the Royal Palace, and the Stone of Destiny but I enjoyed several other parts of the castle. What were my favorites?

The One O’Clock Gun

I was at the castle during the late morning/early afternoon, just in time to see the firing of the one o’clock gun. Fired almost daily since 1861, the gun was used as a time signal for ships in the Firth of Forth and Port of Leith. Nowadays, it’s really more of a ritual tradition. The 105mm field gun is fired manually by the master gunner every day except Sundays, Good Friday, and Christmas Day.

 

St. Margaret’s Chapel

A potential spot for quiet reflection is the tiny and quaint St. Margaret’s chapel, erected in honor of Queen Margaret by her son King David I when he built the original castle structures around 103. Edinburgh Castle was destroyed and rebuilt a few times over, and the chapel is one of the few intact elements that remains. The chapel seems to be very popular with visitors, so moments of quiet reflection might be few and far between. My favorite part? The luminous stained glass windows.

 

The Prisons of War Exhibition

During times of conflict, Edinburgh Castle was used to house prisoners and their confinement is recreated in the Prisons of War Exhibition. Prisoners of many nationalities, including French, Spanish, and American troops, were held at the castle’s prisons in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Visitors can walk through the castle’s dungeons where artifacts of the prisoners’ confinements are displayed along with recreations of the space where the prisoners lived and slept.

 

Scottish National War Memorial

It’s rare to see a war memorial that doesn’t glorify the conflict of war itself but the Scottish National War Memorial is a tasteful tribute to the fallen Scotsmen and those who fell while serving in Scottish regiments from conflicts including World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Falklands War, and the Gulf War.

Opened as a memorial in 1927, the interior of the former barracks was designed in the art deco style by Sir Robert Lorimer, a highly respected Scottish architect. When you visit, it’s quiet inside, as tourists walk about the large hall thumbing through many of the heavy, leather-bound volumes containing the names of the fallen. It’s a somber reminder of the true cost of war.

Although there’s a cost to visiting the castle, entrance to the memorial is free, so if you’re only interested in visiting the memorial, you can make arrangements for your visit by checking in at the visitor information reception next to the castle ticket office.

 

The View of Edinburgh

One of the best parts of a visit to Edinburgh Castle  is the view from the Argyle Battery over the Princes Street Gardens and beyond to Edinburgh’s New Town and the Firth of Forth that’s simply breathtaking on a sunny day. If you’re lucky, a nice breeze is blowing and you’ll pretty much want to stay right there for as long as you can.

Top 3 tips for visiting Edinburgh Castle

• There’s a lot to see and do.  Plan to spend at least three to four hours there if you want to hit all of the highlights.
• If you enjoy ballistics at all or simply want to see something unique, plan to visit the castle in the early afternoon so you can plan on seeing the firing of the One O’Clock Gun. Although the actual firing happens quickly, it’s interesting to see the preparations the master gunner makes as he prepares for the ritual.
• Dress in layers and prepare for anything. On the day I visited the castle, the weather went from full-blown warm and sunny to cool and rainy, to cool and sunny, and then sunny and rainy (yes, at the same time!), and back again. Phew!

Planning a visit to Edinburgh soon? Definitely put the castle on your itinerary, read up on the site’s highlights, and prepare yourself for a wonderful slice of Scottish history.