Edinburgh Castle
Site View and Location
Edinburgh Castle
United Kingdom
Longitude: -3.2001
Latitude: 55.9486
Historical Significance
Edinburgh Castle has played a central role in almost every major episode of Scottish history, serving as a royal palace, military garrison, state prison, and national treasury. It was the birthplace of King James VI of Scotland (later James I of England) in 1566 and the stronghold fought over in countless sieges that shaped the struggle for Scottish independence. As Scotland's most visited paid tourist attraction and a defining feature of the Edinburgh skyline, it remains an enduring symbol of Scottish national identity and resilience.
Facts
Fact 1
The Longest Siege in Scottish History
During the Lang Siege of 1571–1573, a garrison loyal to Mary Queen of Scots held the castle for nearly two years against Protestant forces, ending only when English artillery arrived and demolished the castle's Constable's Tower.
Fact 2
Mons Meg's Extraordinary Calibre
Mons Meg, the medieval bombard gifted to King James II in 1457, has a barrel diameter of 50 centimetres and could fire a 150-kilogram stone or iron ball over two miles, making it one of the largest cannons of the medieval world.
Fact 3
The One O'Clock Gun
Every day at precisely 1:00 PM (except Sundays, Good Friday, and Christmas Day), a 105mm artillery gun is fired from the castle's Mills Mount Battery — a tradition begun in 1861 to allow ships in the Firth of Forth to set their chronometers accurately.
Fact 4
The Stone of Destiny's Travels
The Stone of Destiny, on which Scottish kings were traditionally crowned, was seized by Edward I of England in 1296 and kept under the Coronation Chair in Westminster Abbey for 700 years before being returned to Scotland in 1996.
Fact 5
A Volcanic Foundation
Castle Rock is the remnant of a volcano that was active around 350 million years ago; the hard basalt plug resisted glacial erosion during the last Ice Age, leaving a steep crag-and-tail formation that makes the castle naturally almost impregnable from three sides.
Fact 6
Birthplace of a Dual Kingdom
James VI was born in a tiny room in the castle's Royal Palace on 19 June 1566 to Mary Queen of Scots; he would go on to unite the Scottish and English crowns in 1603, becoming the first monarch of both kingdoms simultaneously.