View from Castle ramparts

Friday
We were heading back down to Appleton today, but before we did Roger dropped Jen and I off at the castle so we could explore, while he went back to the hotel, where his parents were having a more leisurely start - they had seen the castle on a previous visit. Once they had checked out, they came to pick us up at a pre-arranged spot. Perched atop the volcanic Castle Rock, the castle dominates the skyline of the city. There has been a royal castle here since at least the reign of David I in the 12th century, and the site continued to be a royal residence until the Union of the Crowns in 1603. From the 15th century the castle's residential role declined, and by the 17th century its principal role was as a military base with a large garrison. Its importance as a historic monument was recognized from the 19th century, and various restoration programs have been carried out since. 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 been besieged, both successfully and unsuccessfully, on several occasions.
Few of the present buildings pre-date the Lang Siege of the 16th century, when the medieval fortifications were largely destroyed by artillery bombardment. The notable exception is St Margaret's Chapel, the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh, which dates from the early 12th century. Among other significant buildings of the castle are the Royal Palace, and the early-16th-century Great Hall. The castle also houses the Scottish National War Memorial, and the National War Museum of Scotland. This shot, taken from the castle ramparts shows Princes Street and the Princes Street Gardens, and beyond, the Georgian Newtown.

One year ago: Dolphin cruise