Location
Today the castle is the most popular attraction in
Edinburgh and has more than a million visitors every year.
What's There Now?
The million-plus visitors to Edinburgh Castle can tour the castle
and the surrounding areas. In the Castle, visitors can tour a number
of rooms, including:
• The Great Hall: Where national celebrations and coronations were
held.
• The Royal Palace: This uncomfortable, but secure palace was home
to the royal family.
• St. Margaret's Chapel: Margaret was born into England's Royal
family and married Malcolm III of Scotland.
Other rooms and exhibitions are also open to the public. Visitors
can tour the:
• National War Museum of Scotland, which holds items from over 400
years of Scottish military history.
• Prisons of War Exhibition: Prisoners were held here and sometimes
put to death. Prisoners of war and people charged with witchcraft
were held here.
• One O'Clock Gun: On June 7, 1861 this gun was first fired as
signal for ships. It has fired every day since except for during
World Wars I and II. A "time ball" drops at the same time as the gun
is fired.
• Mons Meg: One of the oldest cannons in the world, this medieval
gun could send a stone almost two miles.
Outside of the castle, there are many interesting activities some of
which can be found at
Edinburgh Guide, if you
need transport try
Edinburgh Taxi. In
addition to the Royal Mile, which features a variety of political
and historical buildings and sights, visitors can visit the Old Town
Area and Grassmarkets.
Grassmarkets was where most of the horses and cattle were sold in
Edinburgh between 1477 and 1911. Located directly southeast of the
castle, this was also the site where public executions took place.
The Old Town Area, where Grassmarket is located, also hosts some of
the tallest buildings in Edinburgh. There are pubs, clubs and retail
shops located in the Old Town, including a pub named for a woman
who, after hung in Grassmarkets woke up. Since Maggie had been
declared legally dead, she was allowed to go free.
Edinburgh holds rare delights that can interest visitors from
everywhere and history buffs who want to experience a step back in
time.
