Edinburgh Castle
Ideal: Ideal for Scottish history, castles, city views, and culture routes.
Edinburgh Castle rises on the volcanic outcrop known as Castle Rock and has witnessed some of Scotland's most important historical moments. Perched above the Royal Mile, the castle brings together city views, the Scottish crown jewels, old defensive spaces, and military collections.
Quick facts
- Built
- 12th century
- Heritage status
- scheduled monument
Facts from Wikidata, photos from Wikimedia Commons.
Did you know?
Why is the castle on this particular rock?
Castle Rock is the hard basalt plug of a volcano extinct for 340 million years. Ice-age glaciers scoured away the softer rock around it but could not remove the plug; the tail of land behind it is today's Royal Mile.
What is the gunshot heard every day?
The One O'Clock Gun has been fired at 13:00 every day except Sunday since 1861. Its original purpose was to let ships in Leith harbour set their chronometers.
What is the oldest building in the castle?
St Margaret's Chapel, from the 12th century, is the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh. The castle was besieged and demolished repeatedly, yet the chapel was spared each time.
Why go?
- To watch Edinburgh from Castle Rock
- To see the Scottish crown jewels
- To build a historic city route along the Royal Mile
Travel tip
Wear comfortable shoes for steep cobbled streets; buy tickets in advance in summer and during festival season.
