Beneath a glowering sky....

Edinburgh Castle... this time from my more normal viewpoint, due south.

There has been a royal castle here since the 12th century, and the site continued to be a royal residence until the Union of the Crowns in 1603, but from the 17th century it was a military base with a large garrison. As one of the most important fortresses in the Kingdom of Scotland, Edinburgh Castle was involved in many historical conflicts, from the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th century, up to the Jacobite Rising of 1745, and has often been besieged, both successfully and unsuccessfully.

This is Scotland's most-visited paid tourist attraction. The garrison left in the 1920s, but there is still a military presence at the castle, largely ceremonial and administrative. It is the backdrop to the annual Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

At its heart is the 12th century chapel of St Margaret. St Margaret's Chapel Guild was founded in the 1940's and its patron was Princess Margaret. I was once told that only those called "Margaret" could belong - but I'm not sure if my leg was being pulled.