Visually domineering, Edinburgh Castle is a majestic fixed feature upon the volcanic Castle Rock that has a sense of the pre-civilised about it. Today it may be a huge tourist attraction, notably seen by the shops and hotels near Edinburgh Castle but it has been dated back that humans lived in the castle as far back as the 9th Century.
Main areas of the castle include the Royal Palace, the 16th century Great Hall, and it now even houses both the National War Museum of Scotland and the Scottish National War Memorial. The castle has been a royal residence, beginning probably from the reign of David I in the 12th Century until the Union of the Crowns, which took place in 1603. By this point, the castle was mainly being used as a military base. The castle was used in some important historical conflicts such as the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th Century and the Jacobite Rising of 1745. Towards the Victorian Period, organisations began to view the castle as more of an important historic monument and so it was placed under restoration several times by Historic Scotland. The garrison was gone by the 1920s but there is still a military feeling about the whole place, especially when it becomes the background for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo every year. A lot of how the castle is now has been reconstructed due to the Lang Siege of the 16th century which destroyed most of the medieval fortifications. The oldest surviving part is St Margret’s Chapel which has been standing from as early as the 12th century.
The castle now is simply a symbol for Edinburgh. It appears on the coat of arms for both the City of Edinburgh and the University of Edinburgh, whilst the castle also is used on logos of Edinburgh Rugby and the Edinburgh Evening News. To fully embrace the castle and what it stands for, book into a luxury Edinburgh hotel in its shadow and its presence will be immediately felt. Beyond the bricks and mortar, Edinburgh Castle is first and foremost an institution.
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