Edinburgh Castle

People have been seeking the protection of the castle rock for around 5,000 years. It was a natural fortress, commanding the surrounding countryside for many miles.

First referred to by the Roman historian Tacitus in 98 AD as ‘wooden settlement surrounded by a stockade’ and known as Dunedin – ‘the hill of the fortress’ by the tribe that occupied it.

The first written record of stone fortifications was in the 6th century. It featured strongly in the 13th and 14th century wars of independence from the English crown and later in the political and religious conflicts of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.

It was the birthplace of a King and houses the Crown Jewels of Scotland as well as the Stone of Destiny, upon which Kings of Scotland and England have been crowned for centuries.