Fit for a King! (Edinburgh Castle)

Member Name: glitterprincess

Product:	Edinburgh Castle
Date:	29/08/03 (86 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Interesting, Easy to follow tour, Good value

Disadvantages: Try and go when its warm and sunny because a lot of the things to look at are outside. It was cold when we went!

Towering over the buildings below, Edinburgh Castle has to be the most famous of Scotland?s landmarks so I just couldn?t pass up the chance to visit it during my first trip to the area.
Windsor Castle is my favourite castle by far, but this certainly came a close second.

WHERE IS IT?
There is no need to go into detail about the location of the castle because if you go into Edinburgh you simply cannot miss it as it is perched on top of the old volcanic rock Castle Rock, high above everything else in view.
I loved it that the one?o?clock gun is still used so people can still set their watches by the castle- I love it when tradition like that lives on!
We walked up to the castle from the main shopping street and then along Royal Mile. It was a nice walk along a winding cobbled road (although there was a footpath) but it was very steep. I would advise anyone with mobility difficulties or wheelchairs to take a taxi up otherwise it could be very tiring.

TICKETS
Tickets can be bought from the entrance to the castle, as can guide books which are A5 size and give a good background to the castle. The guide book only cost a couple of pounds, and admission to the castle was around £8. For current prices contact the castle on 0131 225 9846.

OPENING HOURS
The castle is open daily from 9.30am-6pm between April and September and between 9.30am-5pm from October to March. You only really need a couple of hours at the castle to see everything.

FACILITIES
I?m not sure what provision there is for disabled people, but there were quite a few sets of steps dotted around, which is to be expected with it being a castle.
Toilets are at the entrance and near the end of the tour, and there are also two places to grab something to eat- although we did not try either of these so I can?t really comment on them.
There are also three gift shops along the route. They sell nice souvenirs of the castle. I don?t usually bother wit
h the gift shops because I usually find they are overpriced and I end up buying things that seem like a good idea while I?m swept up in the mood of the attraction but then just gather dust when I get home. But this time my boyfriend bought me a small teddy bear complete with kilt and bagpipes as a memento of my first trip to Scotland and it takes pride of place on a shelf in my bedroom! It was around £7 and is very good quality so the prices seemed quite reasonable.

HOW IS THE TOUR ORGANISED?
It is a self-led tour around the castle and there are 26 plaques displayed on the wall at various points which give information about why that place is particularly significant.
Members of staff can also be found at various points to answer questions that the plaques may not cover.
The tour starts at the Gatehouse (where you go into the castle) and leads to the highest part (Upper Ward) and into the heart of the castle.
There was an option of waiting at the Gatehouse to take part in a tour led by a member of staff but we found it quite sufficient finding our own way around. With the maps we had with our tickets and the information on the plaques and guidebook, we had everything we needed.

WHAT DO YOU SEE?
The first part of the tour is the Lower Ward which is the section that faces the town below. Apparently it is the most vulnerable part of the castle and has suffered more siege damage than the rest.
You go through the gatehouse, built in 1886, which is lovely and in true keeping with what you would expect from a castle.
The old guardhouse has been converted into a gift shop and then there is another entrance to the actual castle itself, known as the inner barrier.

The Middle Ward was added to the castle in the 15th Century and the approach road was used to transport heavy guns in and out of the castle. Things are a bit different today!!
A really picturesque flight of winding steps leads up to the highest part of the c
astle.
At this point of the tour you also see the Argyle Battery which was used to defend the castle. I still can?t get over the size of some of the weapons used and how heavy it all was.
A majestic looking building also stands here and is labelled the Governor?s House but there is no access to the public- shame.

The Upper Ward gives the best views of Edinburgh because it is the highest part and well worth taking your camera. It was New Year when we visited and there was a fairground below which looked so tiny from up at the castle- it was really pretty.
A quirky part of the Upper Ward is the Dog Cemetery- a well-kept grassed garden used since the 1840s as a burial place for officers? pet dogs. It is a nice touch and really demonstrates the human side of the uniformed officers that would have been based at the castle.
At this point you also see St Margaret?s Chapel- the oldest structure in the castle.

Crown Square was created in the 15th Century as the main courtyard and it actually stands on an artificial platform, although you wouldn?t know it.
The Royal Palace is found here and is where the later Stewart kings and queens lived. You have access to the Crown Room where the Honours of Scotland (a beautiful crown, sword and sceptre) are housed. You should see the thickness of the metal door leading to the room! It got us talking about the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London and my boyfriend had never seen them so a few months later we ended up going and seeing them too!
There is also a very ornate section of the castle here with a strong religious feel. It is a grand building with beautiful stained glass windows and is used as the Scottish National War Memorial. It is very interesting to look around.

You also see prisoners? cells and it makes you feel glad of all your home comforts!

THE ONE O?CLOCK GUN
The signal gun is fired from the top of the castle at 1pm every day except Sundays, Christmas Day an
d Good Friday. We were actually back at the bottom of Castle Rock when it was fired and it was great to hear. You saw the smoke from it too which was good!
It was started in the 1850s and has continued ever since, except for in periods during the two World Wars- amazing!

I really loved this castle and it looked beautiful at night as it was all lit up high above its people. You can?t beat attractions like this which are filled with history. I would love to see the castle during the Edinburgh Tattoo when it comes to life with marches, pipes and drums- I bet it?s pure magic.

Thanks for reading :o)

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