Jewel of the North

As with many cities, Edinburgh is comprised of a cluster of hills. The most prominent of these is Castle Rock, the location of Edinburgh Castle. https://www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk/. There has been a castle on this site since the 12th century. Its political and military importance give it the distinction of being the most besieged place in Great Britain.

Although no monarch has lived there since 1633 the royal palace is filled with items from the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots, including the chamber where she gave birth to her son James who would later become King of England as well as Scotland.

The castle is also the home to the Crown Jewels of Scotland. The crown, scepter and sword, survived Oliver Cromwell and his destruction of all symbols of the monarchy only to be locked away again with the dissolution of the Scottish Parliament in 1707. It was not until the author, Sir Walter Scott, was given permission to look for the items in 1818 were they returned to the people of Scotland and displayed at the castle.
                                                                                                                                                                    Like most of the Scottish castles we visited, this one pays tribute to the military. Within the walls of the castle is the Scottish National War Memorial, the Scottish National War Museum and the regimental museum for the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, also known as the Scots Greys. The

highlight of this museum was seeing the French Eagle, https://www.military-history.org/articles/napoleonic/royal-scots-greys.htm and the life sized statue of a soldier with his grey horse.  

The role of this castle in all things military include Mons Meg, a state of the art artillery piece from the 15th century and the Half Moon Battery whose cannons are set to fire upon anyone approaching the castle. We also went into the dungeon where prisoners of war were kept in the 1700’s.

This was a great castle to visit if you have limited time in Scotland. The exhibits provide a look into the vast history of Scotland in one location. For us it brought together the pieces and parts we had discovered during our three weeks in the country. It is easy to understand why Scotland is a jewel to be acquired (if you can).