About 350 million years ago (or 70, depending upon the source) during the Carboniferous Period, Scotland was closer to the equator and was a huge swamp filled with giant sea scorpions called Hibbertopterus. At this time a volcano erupted where Edinburgh would one day be. The magma tore a central pipe through the sedimentary rock so it could burst through, and this 'volcanic pipe' later cooled into a solid rock. As plate tectonics moved Scotland north, closer to its present position, glaciers covered Scotland and tore away most of the softer sedimentary rock around the volcano. Only a section of the volcanic pipe remained. This rock protected one side of the old volcano from the glacier to form a slopping 'crag and tail,' which is now the Royal Mile. Today, this old volcanic pipe is the 'Castle Rock' in the middle of Edinburgh. Rising 390 feet (120 meters) above sea level, this rock was an ideal fortification near the Firth of Forth, and Edinburgh Castle became an important Scottish fort, especially during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th century. Today, the castle is Scotland's most visited tourist attraction.
According to legend, the ancient British King Ebraucus created a fort here around 1000 BC that became the "Maiden Castle." This name, or Castellum Puellarum in Latin, was an often-used name for the castle until the 16th century, and David I used this name in documents around 1150 AD. Around 100 AD, the Romans referred to a settlement of Votadini people here as the Alauna, or 'rock place.' Archeological evidence, including pottery and brooches, shows that the Romans traded with this settlement.
In 600 AD, King Mynyddog gathered his men at Castle Rock in order to feast before they battled against the Angles in the south. At this point the settlement was known as "Din Eidyn," or "Stronghold of Eidyn." The soldiers who gathered here were the descendants of the Votadini who had traded with the Romans, but the Christian King Mynyddog was determined to war against the heathen Angles, who had recently invaded from Europe. In the taper-lit hall, the soldiers made a pledge in strong drink to die for the king. Almost all of them did die with their king while on a raid at Catterick in Yorkshire. The Angles then besieged Din Eidyn and took the settlement in 638 AD. They then gave "Din Eidyn" its Anglo name, Edinburgh.
Most of what I've said here comes from what I heard on the audio guide while touring the castle (I also took photos of the museum displays so that I could read them later). I actually didn't know most of what I just described until I visited the castle. I knew bits and pieces but not a whole lot. Whenever I read about the castle, I usually learn about something that happened more recently, which makes sense because all of the buildings and written history show up long after King Mynddog's defeat. However, I thought I would retell a bit of the ancient history instead of going into the stories about later wars.
It's rather expensive to visit the castle, but I have a membership with Historic Scotland and can get into the castle and many other sites for free. It cost me £32 for a year's membership, which is a steal considering how many sites I could get into (getting into Edinburgh Castle is £14 alone). The membership also gives me a discount in all the museum gift stores. I highly recommend that anyone who is traveling to Scotland and is interested in history get this membership.
Now here are some photos from my trip to the castle:
The castle's main entrance.
The statue on the left is King Robert the Bruce.
According to my mom's family tree research,
I'm allegedly related to him somehow.
This statue was placed in 1929 to mark the
600th anniversary of his death.
On the right is William Wallace, and he has
a huge sword and shield.
This castle was an important fort
during their wars against the English.
This stairway was the main entrance to the fort during
the middle ages, and the curving wall seen was the main outer wall.
In the 15th century, the military built a gradual slope
to the top of the fort so that they could
roll cannons into the castle more easily.
Scottish National War Memorial.
This building is in the Upper Ward,
or the highest part of Castle Rock.
It was originally built to commemorate those
British soldiers who had died in the First World War,
but the monument continued to keep records
of all Brits who have died while fighting
for the United Kingdom. I recently discovered
that I have a relative who died for the crown
in France during the First World War, so
this memorial would have a record of him.
Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to
King James I of Scotland (VI of England)
in this room and in this chair (I think it was
this chair). Of course, this is the King James
that united Scotland and England under
the Stuart dynasty, and he also commissioned
an English translation of the Bible
that became the King James Version.
The Laich Hall.
This room was renovated in the past 10 years
in order to appear as it did when King James I
returned to Scotland in 1617. This trip was his first
to Scotland since he became King of England in 1603.
These additions to the castle were intended to make
the castle fit for a king, but he stayed elsewhere
during this stay. Most monarchs prefer to stay
at Holyrood Palace at the end of the Royal Mile
while staying in Edinburgh. This room was used
as an outer dining room to compliment the king's
lodging in the floor above.
The room's purpose later became forgotten as the
military used it for multiple purposes. There was
even a store here once.
During the American Revolution, Edinburgh Castle was
used as a prison for American patriots (that's right, Brits-
patriots, not rebels- American Revolution, not
the American War of Independence).
The castle has recently built new displays in the
old dungeons where the patriots would have
been stuffed together. The prison was also
used during the Seven Years War and
the Napoleonic Wars. Interestingly, a German pilot
shot down near the Firth of Forth Bridge during
WWII was taken to Edinburgh Castle where he
was given medical treatment at the hospital here.
He didn't stay in this prison, though.
An example of the volcanic rock that gives
the castle a solid foundation.
St Margaret's Chapel.
This building is the oldest building in the castle
and in Edinburgh. Though legend says that
Margaret worshiped here, it was actually built
after her death by her fourth son, King David I,
in the 12th century. When the Scottish Earl of Moray captured the
castle in 1314 from the English, he destroyed every building
except this chapel. Today the chapel is
still used for weddings and other services.
Inside St Margaret's Chapel
St Andrews' Window.
Douglas Strachan created these stained glass
windows in 1922 as part of wider restorations
in the chapel, which had fell into disuse
after the Protestant Reformation.
St Ninian's Window.
He was an 8th century missionary
who worked among the Picts in
the Scottish Lowlands.
I thought this window might have been
for St Rule, but I guess that's just
a saint mentioned in St Andrews.
William Wallace Window.
St Columba's Window.
This saint was an Irish missionary
who lived from 521 until 597. He brought
Christianity to the Picts in Scotland and helped
revive monasticism. His worked showed the
importance of the Celtic Church as the
Roman Empire fell apart.
St Margaret's Window.
Born in southern Hungary, this queen grew up in
a very religious environment since the Hungarian
court had close ties to the Pope. When the Saxon
court ordered her father out of exile and back to
England in 1057, she went with him. After the
Norman invasion, the Anglo-Saxon Margaret fled
north to Scotland. Here, she met King Malcolm III,
who immediately fell in love with her, according
to legend. The Christian Church in Scotland had
strong pagan and non-orthodox traditions, so
Margaret reformed the religion here and closely
associated the Scottish Church with Rome. These
reforms included improved ferry transportation
between Edinburgh and the relics of St Andrew.
This place is still called "Queensferry."
After Malcolm III died while fighting the Normans,
Margaret died of a broken heart.
As part of the castle, there is the National War Museum of Scotland. Along with displays of weapons and stories about how soldiers lived in war, the museum houses several famous paintings. My mom said that the last time she was in Edinburgh we rushed through this museum because they were about to close, and she barely had time to find the painting she really wanted to see, "The Thin Red Line." I didn't realize these paintings were in the museum. I had seen some of them in history books, though. The staff here was very pleasant. When I asked a question about what kind of rifle the 93rd Highlanders had used in the Battle of Balaclava, a museum guide tried to help me but didn't know the exact answer. He gave me a slip of paper so that I could write down my question with my email address. Within a week the museum's librarian wrote to tell me that the 93rd would have used Minie rifle.
"The Thin Red Line" by Robert Gibb (1881).
During the Battle of Balaclava in 1854 during the
Crimean War against the Russians, the 93rd
Highlanders repelled a cavalry attack in order
to preserve the center of the British line.
This moment in the battle became fixated in the public's
mind because this thin line of Scots, who were only two
men deep, were able to save the day.
Contrary to this painting's portrayal, the Russian
cavalry were much further away when they retreated.
"Closing the Gates at Hougoumont" by Robert Gibb (1903).
During the Battle of Waterloo, the British were able
to repel the French at the farm Hougoumont, which
was of great strategic importance during the battle.
This painting shows one of the critical moments during the battle.
The French soldier pushing against the gate is wearing
an earring. This shows the British taste for the
exotic, so this painting portrays the French as odd foreigners.
"The Storming of Tel-el Kebir"
by Alphonse Marie de Neuville (1883).
The 1st Battalion The Black Watch are shown attacking
enemy defenses in this battle of the 1882 Egyptian
campaign. In a desire for accuracy, de Neuville was advised
by officers who had been present at the battle. Many of
the individuals in the painting can be identified.
"The Battle of Camperdown" by William Adolphus Knell (1848).
This picture of Admiral Duncan's victory over the Dutch
fleet in 1797 was painted more than fifty years after
the battle. The warship in the right foreground is the
HMS Venerable, the flagship of Admiral Duncan.
The Venerable is shown firing on the badly damaged Vryheid,
flagship of the Dutch Admiral de Winter.
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