Edinburgh Castle

“Fortifications have stood on this Edinburgh volcanic rock since at least the twelfth century — and the Stone of Destiny, on which Scottish kings were crowned before Edward I took it to Westminster in 1296, was returned only in 1996.”

About Edinburgh Castle

The eleventh-century St Margaret's Chapel is the oldest building in Edinburgh. Robert the Bruce had the castle partly demolished in 1313 to prevent English reuse. Mary Queen of Scots gave birth here to James VI in 1566; the One O'Clock Gun has fired every weekday from the Half Moon Battery since 1861.

Overview Edinburgh Castle occupies a volcanic rock above the city of Edinburgh, where fortifications have stood since at least the twelfth century. The castle is Scotland's most visited paid attraction and holds the Honours of Scotland — the Scottish crown jewels, the oldest surviving royal regalia in the British Isles — along with the Stone of Destiny, on which Scottish kings were crowned before Edward I took it to Westminster in 1296. The castle's position at the top of the Royal Mile defines Edinburgh's topography, with the city descending from it in both directions.

The Story Behind It The volcanic plug on which the castle sits was first fortified in the Dark Ages, though the earliest surviving structure is the eleventh-century St Margaret's Chapel — the oldest building in Edinburgh. The castle changed hands repeatedly during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries, with Robert the Bruce having it partly demolished in 1313 to prevent English reoccupation. The Great Hall, built under James IV for state occasions, remains the finest medieval hall in Scotland. Mary Queen of Scots gave birth here to the future James VI in 1566, who would become James I of England and unite the two crowns. The One O'Clock Gun has been fired from the castle's Half Moon Battery every day except Sunday since 1861.

What You'll Experience The climb from the Esplanade through the successive defensive gates and courtyards reveals the castle's layered construction. The Honours of Scotland — the crown, sword, and sceptre, displayed alongside the Stone of Destiny — are the primary attraction; the stone was returned from Westminster in 1996 and displays alongside the regalia it was taken from. The Scottish National War Memorial in the Crown Square is one of the most powerful commemorative spaces in Britain. The castle Esplanade hosts the Edinburgh Military Tattoo each August, a large-scale performance event against the castle backdrop that sells out years in advance.

Getting There Edinburgh Castle is at the top of the Royal Mile in central Edinburgh. The nearest tram stop is St Andrew Square (a twenty-minute walk) or a short taxi. Edinburgh Waverley station is a fifteen-minute walk uphill through the Old Town.

The Experience

Climb through successive defensive gates to the Crown Square, view the Honours of Scotland — crown, sword, sceptre, and the Stone of Destiny — in their display, stand in the Scottish National War Memorial, and watch the One O'Clock Gun firing from the castle walls.

Why It Matters

Scotland's most visited paid attraction and the physical anchor of Edinburgh's Old Town — holding the oldest royal regalia in Britain and over a thousand years of Scottish royal and military history.

Why Visit

The Scottish National War Memorial is among the finest commemorative spaces in Britain — a twentieth-century building designed with genuine architectural ambition that handles its subject with unusual seriousness. The Honours of Scotland are the real objects, older than almost any equivalent royal regalia in Europe.