Bill Henderson · CC BY-SA 2.0 Why visit
Edinburgh Castle is worth allowing time for because it combines fortified architecture and the way successive periods remain visible in walls, towers and domestic ranges. The site is more useful than a quick photograph: its surviving features give clear evidence of how the place developed and how people used it. Key things to concentrate on are principal towers and defensive walls, historic residential or service ranges and historic urban setting. Its position in or near Edinburgh also makes it a practical anchor for exploring the surrounding region without reducing the visit to a simple landmark stop.
What you will see
- principal towers and defensive walls.
- historic residential or service ranges.
- historic urban setting.
History
A royal fortress has occupied Castle Rock since the medieval period, with earlier settlement on the volcanic crag. Surviving buildings range from the 12th-century St Margaret’s Chapel to later military works.
Photographs
Bill Henderson · CC BY-SA 2.0 · full attribution on the image credits page.
Visitor tips
- 1
Allow enough time for the principal features rather than treating the stop only as a photograph.
- 2
Check the official visitor page shortly before travel for access, booking and any temporary restrictions.
About Central and Southern Scotland
Edinburgh and Stirling’s royal strongholds, national collections, modern public art and the planned industrial village of New Lanark.
Open the United Kingdom guide
