Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle was originally built in the 12th century in the time of the Scottish King David I. It stands on the second highest point in Edinburgh ~ Castle Rock ~ and has served many purposes in the past, from royal home to prisoner-of-war camp. Nowadays it is offered out for corporate events, weddings, private dinners, pop concerts and the annual Royal Military Tattoo, as well as being Scotland’s most popular tourist attraction.

The first King of both Scotland and England ~ James I and VI ~ was born in Edinburgh Castle in 1566, as his mother, Mary. Queen of Scots, felt it was more secure than the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official royal residence just a mile away. After acceding to the English throne in 1603, James moved to London, where he found a more luxurious lifestyle.

After so many battles, imprisonments, persecutions and sieges, it is no wonder that there are stories of ghosts in the Castle ~ a piper, a drummer and a dog among them. The castle walls, rebuilt several times over the centuries, could doubtless tell a tale or two.

(Image: Richard Croft at geograph.org.uk / CC BY-SA 2.0)