Edinburgh Castle
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Edinburgh Castle is an ancient fortress which from its lofty position dominates views of the city of Edinburgh, and is Scotland's most famous landmark. A stronghold has existed on this site since the 7th century. However, with the exception of the 12th century Chapel of St Margaret, there are only scant and much-altered remains of mediaeval fortifications. The King's Lodging, Great Hall and Half Moon Battery date from the 15th and 16th centuries.
Used by military forces since 900 AD, the castle was until recently administered by the Ministry of Defence. As Scotland's most-visited paying tourist attraction it is now in the care of Historic Scotland, who maintain the castle and the associated exhibitions. Part of the Castle however continues to be occupied by the British Army, and troops from the 2nd Battalion, The Light Infantry, based at Redford Barracks stand guard between the hours of 6pm and 9am.
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[edit] Location
Edinburgh Castle is situated on Castle Rock, a volcanic crag, and is protected to the north, south and west by sheer cliffs rising 400 feet (121.92 metres) above sea level. Access to the castle is by a steep road on the eastern side.
To the east of the castle the rocky prominence slopes away more gently before rising to a volcanic knoll, Arthur's Seat. A mile from the castle, along the street correctly known as High Street and Canongate, but commonly called "The Royal Mile", is Holyrood Palace, the official Scottish residence of the reigning monarch. Between these two landmarks lies the Old Town with many tall, narrow buildings, as land upon the ridge was always scarce.
Prior to the 18th century there was a lake on the north side of the castle, called the Nor Loch. The loch was drained in the Georgian era when the New Town was constructed. By this time the castle had lost much of its defensive role and the loch was used as an open sewer. The loch can be seen in the painted view by Alexander Nasmyth reproduced in this article.
[edit] Features
At the top of the Royal Mile, in front of the castle, is a long sloping cobbled forecourt known as the Esplanade. It is upon this Esplanade that the famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo takes place annually. From the Esplanade may be seen the Half Moon Battery, which is a dominant feature visible in Nasmyth's painting. This drum-shaped building, 1574, incorporates parts of the keep of 1364, known as David's Tower. The castle proper is entered through a gatehouse in front of the Half Moon Battery. The road leads upward and around to the right of the battery and through an older portcullis gatehouse, to reach the courtyard known as Crown Square.
[edit] David's Tower
David's Tower was commissioned in 1386 by Robert the Bruce's son, David II of Scotland. David's tower was enormous by standards of the time, standing on the site of the present Half Moon Battery at 30m high, with three stories (Twice as high as the Half Moon Battery). The tower initially served as the principle entrance to the castle, but by later years the tower was expanded to include many more rooms for guests and visiting nobility, and the original main entrance became boxed off by a guest room.
When the Catholic Mary Queen of Scots married James Hepburn in 1567, a large proportion of the (Protestant) nobility rebelled, resulting ultimately in the imprisonment of Mary in Loch Leven Castle. Although she eventually escaped and fled to England, some of the nobility remained faithful to Mary, retaining Edinburgh Castle. Sir William Kirkcaldy of Grange held the castle under Lang Seige (Long Seige) for a year, until 1573, when the infant King James VI's regent, Regent Morton, requested assistance from Queen Elizabeth. Heavy guns were dispatched to the castle from Berwick, and within ten days of the commencement of the bombardment of the castle with these guns in May of that year, David's Tower collapsed.
The collapse of this tower blocked off the single source of water for the castle, the well, and within a few days the castle surrendered, around two weeks after the arrival of the new guns. Sir William was soon hanged, and much of the castle rebuilt, including the new Half Moon Battery.
[edit] Half Moon Battery
The Half Moon Battery was duly constructed on the site of the old David's Tower. This magnificent set of defences, prominent on the East side of the castle today, sits over the old ruins, and several rooms from the ground and first floors of the tower still exist underneath the Battery, windows facing out onto the interior wall of the Battery. Several of these are accessible to the public, although the lower (Ground Floor) elements are generally closed.
The inaccessible areas include a former master Guest Bedroom, and a three-storey room outside the original David's Tower (with large portions of the exterior wall still visible) created by the imposition of the Battery formerly used to house Pigeons for consumption during the winter months. The walls of this sections are correspondingly pitted with chunks of stone removed to provide nesting places for the birds. The Half Moon Battery was completed in 1588.
[edit] Crown Square
Crown Square is at the heart of the castle. It is surrounded by a number of significant buildings, the former Royal Apartments (which are open to the public), the Great Hall, the tower containing the Scottish Crown Jewels and Stone of Scone, as well as the Scottish National War Memorial.
[edit] The King's Lodging
These are the former Royal Apartments, dating from the 15th century and including a small room known as Birth Chamber or Mary Room where King James VI of Scotland, who was to become James I of England was born to Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary, through claiming the throne of England, incited the anger of her cousin, Elizabeth I of England, who had her captured, imprisoned and eventually beheaded.
[edit] The Great Hall
The Great Hall of the Castle was built in 1511 on the orders of King James IV. It has a hammer beam roof. It was used for meetings of the Parliament of Scotland prior to the building of Parliament Hall next to St Giles Cathedral in 1639. The Great Hall is still sometimes used for ceremonial occasions.
[edit] The Crown Room
This vaulted chamber contains the Honours of Scotland. These are the Crown jewels and regalia. They include the crown, sceptre and sword of state. The crown dates from 1540, is made of Scottish gold and is set with 94 pearls, ten diamonds and 33 other precious and semi-precious gemstones. The Sceptre is also made of gold, and topped with a large Rock Crystal (Quartz). The most treasured possession of Scotland is also located among the honours. It is the Stone of Destiny, otherwise known as the Stone of Scone and upon which the monarchs of Scotland are traditionally crowned. It had been taken to England and incorporated into the Coronation Throne in Westminster Abbey but was returned to Scotland in 1996 on the understanding that it be returned to the Abbey for a subsequent coronations.
[edit] Scottish National War Memorial
The Scottish National War Memorial was built after World War I to commemorate Scots who had fought and died in the war, and in subsequent conflicts. It was designed by Sir Robert Lorimer and was formally opened on 14th July 1927. The stained glass windows are by Douglas Strachan. External link
Photography is prohibited within this building, as with several other areas of the castle (such as the vault in which the Honours of Scotland are kept).
[edit] National War Museum of Scotland
The museum forms part of the National Museums of Scotland. It was formerly known as the Scottish United Services Museum, and prior to this, the Scottish Naval and Military Museum. It covers Scottish military history and wars over the past 400 years and includes a wide range of military artefacts, such as uniforms, medals and weapons. The exhibitions also place a lot of emphasis on explaining the history and causes behind the many Wars Scotland has been involved in.
[edit] St. Margaret's Chapel
The oldest building in the castle, and in Edinburgh, is St. Margaret's Chapel which dates to the start of the 12th century, King David I built it as a private chapel for the royal family and dedicated it to his mother, Margaret, who died in the castle in 1093.
It is one of the smallest churches in Britain and certainly the smallest within Edinburgh.
Robert the Bruce had the Edinburgh Castle destroyed by the Earl of Moray to prevent English capture in the event of an unsuccessful battle at Bannockburn however he relented over the chapel and ordered its restoration. In any event the campaign was a success and Robert the Bruce defeated Edward II.
This building is still used for various religious ceremonies such as weddings and christenings, it is said to hold approximately 25 people.
[edit] Kirk of the Canongate
The parish church of the castle is the Kirk of the Canongate, where the Governor of the Castle has his own pew.
[edit] Management by Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland maintain a number of attractions for visitors. There are two cafes/restaurants in the castle, in addition to numerous historical displays. Historic Scotland have an educational center in the castle which runs events for schools and educational groups, including reenactors in costume and with period weaponry. There are also a number of re-enactors employed for the general public in portions of the castle such as the Great Hall.
[edit] Traditions
[edit] Military Function
Although the castle is a tourist attraction, it still has a function as a military headquarters of the British Army. The main barrack block houses the headquarters of the 52nd Infantry Brigade, the Regimental Headquarters of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, and the Headquarters and museum of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys). Also within the Castle is the museum of the Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment). Both museums are open to the public and entrance is free (for those already within the castle).
[edit] Military Tattoo
A series of spectacular performances known as the Edinburgh Military Tattoo takes place on the Esplanade each year during the month of August. The basis of the performance is a parade of the pipes and drums of the Scottish regiments, but after more than fifty years, the Tattoo has developed a complex format which includes many invited performers as diverse as (in 2006) a Choir of Ugandan orphans and a Kung Fu troup. The climax of the evening is the haunting sound of a lone piper playing a pibroch in memory of dead comrades at arms from the castle battlements, followed by the tremendous noise of the massed bands joining in a medley of Scotland's most rousing tunes. Because of the enormous popularity of the Tattoo it is broadcast in Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
[edit] One O'Clock Gun
The One O'Clock Gun is fired every day (except Sunday) at precisely 13:00, allowing citizens and visitors to check their clocks and watches. The origin of the tradition lies in the days when sailing ships in the Firth of Forth were able to check and reset their chronometers in the days before accurate timepieces were available.[1]
In 1861 Captain Wauchope, a Scottish Naval Officer in the Royal Navy invented the time ball, still seen today on top of Nelson's Monument, Calton Hill. At one o'clock the ball drops giving the signal to sailors, but this meant that someone would have to be looking out for it and it often couldn't be seen in foggy weather.
So, in the same year the gun was fired simultaneously to the time ball dropping. Originally an 18-pound muzzle loading cannon which needed four men to load and fire was fired from the Half Moon Battery.
The gun could be easily heard by ships in Leith Harbour (2 miles away) The cannon was replaced with a 25 pound Howitzer in 1953, and more recently by the L118 Light Gun. It is now fired from Mill's Mount Battery on the North face of the Castle by the District Gunner from 105th Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers). Because sound travels slowly (approx. 343 m/s), maps have been produced to show the actual time when the sound of the gun was heard at various locations in Edinburgh.
Although the gun is no longer required for its original purpose, the ceremony has become a popular tourist attraction. One of the District Gunners, Staff Sergeant Thomas McKay MBE - popularly known as "Tam the Gun" - was the longest running District Gunner to fire the One O'Clock Gun, from 1979 until his death in 2005. He also opened a small museum about the Gun in the castle and was seen every Hogmanay signalling the new year by firing his gun.
The Gun is also fired to mark the arrival of the New Year as part of Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations. Although in recent years, the historic bombard, Mons Meg, has also been controversially used for this purpose.
[edit] Link with Nova Scotia
In 1621, King James I granted Sir William Alexander, the land between New England and Newfoundland as New Scotland (Nova Scotia). As part of the settlement, the Baronecy of Nova Scotia was created.
Under the Scots Law, Baronets could receive their patents in Edinburgh rather than London. They had to "take sasine" by receiving the symbolic "earth and stone" of the land of which they were baronet. To make this possible, in the case of William Alexander, since Nova Scotia was far distant, a part of Edinburgh Castle was deemed granted to him as part of Nova Scotia and was declared Nova Scotian territory for this purpose. In return, they had to pay Sir William Alexander 1000 merks for his "past charges in discoverie of the said country". The law has never been repealed and the small part of Nova Scotia now lies under the Esplanade.
[edit] Trivia
- John Allan (1747-1805), an officer in the American Revolutionary War, was born in Edinburgh Castle.<ref name="Marquis 1607-1896"> (1967) Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Marquis Who's Who.</ref>
- Beside the former main entrance to Crown Square, a steep flight of stairs since superseded by a more gentle slope easier for heavy guns, there is a (Victorian) cemetery for the pets and mascot dogs residing at the castle which have died over the years.
- The climactic scene of the film The Debt Collector starring Billy Connolly is filmed at the castle.
[edit] References
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[edit] See also
[edit] External links
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to: |
- Edinburgh Castle - site information from Historic Scotland
- Undiscovered Scotland's page on Edinburgh Castle
- Ceiling Collapse in one of the anterooms adjacent to Laich Hall in 2005
- Sir William Alexander
- The eagles captured by Ewart at waterloo are in the castle museum along with the famous painting of The Thin Red Line.
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de:Edinburgh Castle
fr:Château d'Édimbourg
hu:Edinburgh-i vár
no:Edinburgh Castle
ru:Эдинбургский замок
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sr:Дворац Единбург
sv:Edinburgh Castle
