Edinburgh Castle

The rock

The castle stands on the plug of an extinct volcano

The castle stands upon the plug of an extinct volcano, estimated to have risen about 350 million years ago. Castle Rock has been occupied since at least the Iron Age, and there has been a royal castle on the rock since the reign of Malcolm III in the 11th century. It remained a royal residence until 1633.

Sieges

It has been besieged 26 times, and the Lang Siege wrecked most of it

Research undertaken in 2014 identified 26 sieges in the castle's 1,100-year history, giving it a claim to being the most besieged place in Great Britain. Few of the present buildings pre-date the Lang Siege of 1573, when the medieval defences were largely destroyed by artillery bombardment.

26sieges identified in the castle's 1,100-year history

The chapel

The oldest building in Edinburgh is a small chapel in the castle

The most notable buildings that survived the Lang Siege are St Margaret's Chapel from the early 12th century, which is regarded as the oldest building in Edinburgh, the Royal Palace, and the early 16th-century Great Hall.

No water

The rock is so hard that the water often ran out

The rock is basalt, which is extremely impermeable, so providing water to the Upper Ward was a problem. Despite a 34-metre well, the water supply often ran out during drought or siege, including during the Lang Siege in 1573. The only readily accessible route to the castle lies to the east.

Mons Meg

A great gun delivered in 1457 was taken to London and brought back in 1829

The great bombard Mons Meg was delivered to Edinburgh in 1457. It was taken to the Tower of London as part of the process of disarming Scotland after the 1745 Jacobite rising, and was returned in 1829, when the castle began to be opened up to visitors.