Travel and Vacation Abodes: Edinburgh Castle: Scotland’s Most Famous Castle

Edinburgh Castle is Scotland’s most famous castle, it towers over the city and is atop Castle Rock. The castle is 400 feet above sea level and draws approximately one million visitors every year. Edinburgh Castle is a very popular tourist destination because of its rich history, its magnificent views, and its interesting architectural structure that would delight any individual. Even children will have fun exploring its interiors and will be amazed at its military garrison and cannons. Visitors of the castle are treated to magnificent views from every point whether you are on the lowest levels or in the highest levels of the castle a breathtaking view is right in front of you. From the north you can see the mountains of The Kingdom of Fife and below you is the famous Princes Gardens. The Edinburgh Castle which was once the royal residence of Scottish Kings has a very interesting building history, the oldest building in the castle and in Edinburgh is St. Margaret’s Chapel which dates from the 12^th century which King David I built privately for the Royal Family and in honor of his mother St. Margaret of Scotland, the Great Hall was built by James IV around 1513 to be the chief place of State Assembly in the castle, the Half Moon Battery was constructed under James Douglas, 4^th Earl of Morton’s supervision on the site of old David’s Tower after the Lang Siege, and the Scottish National War Memorial after the First World War in honor of the Scots who had died in the First World War and from following conflicts. The castle also houses the Honours or the Crown Jewels of Scotland, the Stone of Destiny or the Stone of Scone on which Scottish Kings had been crowned, the 15^th century gun Mons Meg, the One O’clock Gun, and the National War Museum of Scotland. Statues of William Wallace and King Robert The Bruce are placed in the walls of the entrance to Edinburg Castle in honor of the two greatest heroes in Scottish history.