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{{Short description|Historic castle in Edinburgh, Scotland}}
{{other uses}}
{{good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox military installation
| name          = Edinburgh Castle
| ensign        = 
| ensign_size   = 
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| partof        = <!-- for elements within a larger site -->
| location      = Castlehill, [[Edinburgh]]
| nearest_town  = <!-- used in military test site infobox -->
| country       = [[Scotland]]
| image         = Edinburgh Castle - aerial - 2025-04-19 03.jpg
| alt           = 
| caption       = Aerial view of Edinburgh Castle.
| image2        = [[File:Edinburgh Castle logo.svg|150px]]
| alt2          = 
| caption2      = 
| type          = Visitor attraction and [[British Army]] regimental headquarters
| coordinates   = {{Coord|55|56|55|N|3|12|3|W|display=inline, title}}
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| image_map_caption = Location in Edinburgh
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| ownership     = [[Scottish Government|Scottish Ministers]]<ref name=osowska/>
| operator      = [[Historic Environment Scotland]] and [[British Army]]<ref name=osowska/>
| controlledby  = <!-- such as RAF Bomber Command or the Eighth Air Force -->
| open_to_public = Yes
| site_other_label = Visitor numbers
| site_other    = 2,201,354 (2019)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Visits made in 2019 to visitor attractions in membership with ALVA|url=https://www.alva.org.uk/details.cfm?p=610|access-date=14 October 2020|website=Association of Leading Visitor Attractions}}</ref>
| site_area     = <!-- area of site m2, km2 square mile etc. -->
| code          = <!--facility/installation code, applies to US -->
| built         = 11th century through to the 21st century
| used          = <!--{{End date|1946}} -->
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| materials     = 
| height        = <!-- height of tallest part, not above sea level -->
| length        = <!-- for border fences or other DMZs -->
| fate          = <!--changed from demolished parameter-->
| condition     = 
| battles       = *[[Wars of Scottish Independence]] (1296–1357)
* Siege to free [[James III of Scotland]] (1482)
* [[#16th century and the Lang Siege|Lang Siege]] (1571–1573)
| events        = [[Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo]] (annual)
| current_commander = [[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major General]] [[Bob Bruce (British Army officer)|Bob Bruce]]
| past_commanders = [[List of governors of Edinburgh Castle]]
| garrison      = <!-- such as the 25th Bombardment Group -->
| occupants     = <!-- squadrons only -->
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| website       = {{URL|https://www.edinburghcastle.scot}}
| footnotes     = <!-- catchall in case it's needed to preserve something in infobox that doesn't work in new code -->
{{Infobox designation list
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| designation1 = Scheduled Monument
| designation1_offname = 
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| designation1_date = 17 May 1993
| delisted1_date = 
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| designation1_number = SM90130<ref>{{Cite web|title=Edinburgh Castle/Caisteal Dhùn Èideann|url=http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/SM90130|access-date=14 October 2020|website=portal.historicenvironment.scot}}</ref>
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'''Edinburgh Castle''' ({{langx|gd| Caisteal Dhùn Èideann}}) is a historic [[castle]] in [[Edinburgh]], [[Scotland]]. It stands on [[Castle Rock (Edinburgh)|Castle Rock]], which has been occupied by humans since at least the [[Iron Age]]. There has been a royal castle on the rock since the reign of [[Malcolm III of Scotland|Malcolm III]] in the 11th century, and the castle continued to be a royal residence until 1633. From the 15th century, the castle's residential role declined, and by the 17th century it was principally used as a [[military]] [[garrison]]. Its importance as a part of Scotland's national heritage was recognised increasingly from the early 19th century onwards, and various restoration programmes have been carried out over the past century and a half.

Edinburgh Castle has played a prominent role in [[History of Scotland|Scottish history]], and has served variously as a [[Palace|royal residence]], an [[arsenal]], a [[treasury]], a [[national archives|national archive]], a [[Mints of Scotland|mint]], a [[prison]], a military fortress, and the home of the [[Honours of Scotland]] – the Scottish [[regalia]]. As one of the most important strongholds in the [[Kingdom of Scotland]], the castle was involved in many historical conflicts from the [[Wars of Scottish Independence]] in the 14th century to the [[Jacobite rising of 1745]]. Research undertaken in 2014 identified 26 sieges in its 1,100-year history, giving it a claim to having been "the most besieged place in Great Britain and one of the most attacked in the world".<ref>Caldwell, pp. 20–24.</ref> Few of the present buildings pre-date the Lang Siege of [[1573]], when the medieval defences were largely destroyed by artillery bombardment. The most notable exceptions are [[St Margaret's Chapel]] from the early 12th century, which is regarded as the oldest building in Edinburgh,<ref name=eotca>{{cite web|url=http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/1796/pre_1750_buildings_in_edinburgh_old_town_conservation_area |title=Pre-1750 Buildings in Edinburgh Old Town Conservation Area |publisher=City of Edinburgh Council, City Development Department |access-date=30 September 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614133941/http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/1796/pre_1750_buildings_in_edinburgh_old_town_conservation_area |archive-date=14 June 2012 }}</ref> the Royal Palace, and the early 16th-century Great Hall. The castle is the site of the [[Scottish National War Memorial]] and the [[National War Museum]]. The [[British Army]] is still responsible for some parts of the castle, although its presence is now largely ceremonial and administrative. The castle is the regimental headquarters of the [[Royal Regiment of Scotland]] and the [[Royal Scots Dragoon Guards]] and houses their [[regimental museum]]s, along with that of the [[Royal Scots]].

The castle, in the care of [[Historic Environment Scotland]], is Scotland's most (and the [[United Kingdom]]'s second most) visited paid tourist attraction, with over 2.2&nbsp;million visitors in 2019<ref name="ALVA 2019 visitor numbers">{{cite web |title=ALVA – Association of Leading Visitor Attractions |url=https://www.alva.org.uk/details.cfm?p=423 |website=alva.org.uk |access-date=23 October 2020}}</ref> and over 70 percent of leisure visitors to Edinburgh visiting the castle.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/2847/edinburgh_visitor_survey_2012.pdf |title=Edinburgh Visitor Survey: Visitrac Survey Response Analysis |author=Lynn Jones Research Ltd. |publisher=City of Edinburgh Council |date=28 January 2013 |access-date=13 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171014034331/http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/2847/edinburgh_visitor_survey_2012.pdf |archive-date=14 October 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> As the backdrop to the [[Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo]] during the annual [[Edinburgh Festival]], the castle has become a recognisable symbol of Edinburgh in particular and of Scotland as a whole.

==History==
===Pre-history of the Castle Rock===
====Geology====

{{Main|Castle Rock, Edinburgh}}

[[File:Crag and tail.png|thumb|Diagram of a crag and tail feature, such as the Castle Rock: '''A''' is the crag formed from the volcanic plug, '''B''' is the tail of softer rock, and '''C''' shows the direction of ice movement. In the case of Edinburgh, the castle stands on the crag ('''A''') with the Royal Mile extending along the tail ('''B''').]]

The castle stands upon the [[Volcanic plug|plug]] of an [[extinct volcano]], which is estimated to have risen about 350 million years ago during the lower [[Carboniferous]] period. The Castle Rock is the remains of a [[volcanic pipe]], which cut through the surrounding [[sedimentary rock]] before cooling to form very hard [[dolerite]], a type of [[basalt]]. Subsequent [[glaciology|glacial erosion]] was resisted by the dolerite, which protected the softer rock to the east, leaving a [[crag and tail]] formation.<ref>McAdam, p. 16.</ref>

The summit of the Castle Rock is {{convert|130|m|ft}} above sea level, with rocky cliffs to the south, west, and north, rising to a height of {{convert|80|m|ft}} above the surrounding landscape.<ref>MacIvor (1993), p. 16.</ref> This means that the only readily accessible route to the castle lies to the east, where the ridge slopes more gently. The defensive advantage of such a site is self-evident, but the geology of the rock also presents difficulties, since basalt is extremely impermeable. Providing water to the Upper Ward of the castle was problematic, and despite the sinking of a {{convert|34|m|adj=on}} deep well, the water supply often ran out during drought or siege,<ref>Dunbar, p. 192.</ref> including during the Lang Siege in 1573.<ref name=Potter137/>

==== Earliest habitation ====
{{see also|Prehistoric Scotland|Castle of Maidens}}

[[File:Edinburgh Castle from Grass Market.jpg|thumb|left|The castle is built on a volcanic rock, as seen here in a 19th-century view from the [[Grassmarket]] area.]]

An archaeological investigation has yet to establish when the Castle Rock was first used for human habitation. There is no record of any Roman interest in the location during [[Gnaeus Julius Agricola|General Agricola]]'s invasion of northern Britain near the end of the 1st century AD. [[Ptolemy]]'s map of the 2nd century AD<ref>Harris, p. 11.</ref> shows a settlement in the territory of the [[Votadini]] named "Alauna", meaning "rock place", making this possibly the earliest known name for the Castle Rock.<ref>Moffat, pp. 268–270.</ref> This could, however, refer to another of the tribe's hill forts in the area. The ''Orygynale Cronykil'' of [[Andrew of Wyntoun]] (c. 1350 – c. 1423), an early source for [[Scottish history]], names "Ebrawce" ([[Ebraucus]]), a [[List of legendary kings of Britain|legendary King of the Britons]], as having "byggyd [built] Edynburgh".<ref>Andrew of Wyntoun, ''Orygynale Cronykil of Scotland'', quoted in Masson, p. 1.</ref> According to the earlier chronicler, [[Geoffrey of Monmouth]] (c. 1100 – c. 1155), Ebraucus had fifty children by his twenty wives, and was the founder of "Kaerebrauc" ([[York]]), "Alclud" ([[Dumbarton]]) and the "Maidens' Castle".<ref>Geoffrey of Monmouth, pp. 78–79.</ref> The 16th-century English writer [[John Stow]] (c. 1525 – 1605), credited Ebraucus with building "the Castell of Maidens called Edenbrough" in 989 BC.<ref>Stow, John, ''Generale Chronicle of England'', quoted in Masson, p. 1.</ref> The name "Maidens' Castle" ({{langx|la|Castra}} or ''{{lang|la|Castellum Puellarum}}'') occurs frequently up until the 16th century.<ref>Potter, p. 12.</ref> It appears in charters of [[David I of Scotland|David I]] (r. 1124–1153) and his successors in the [[Kingdom of Scotland]],<ref>Wilson (1887), p. 298.</ref> although the reason for it is not known. [[William Camden]]'s survey of Britain, ''Britannia'' (1607), records that "the Britans called [it] Castle Myned Agned [winged rock], the Scots, the Maidens Castle and the Virgins Castle, of certaine young maidens of the Picts roiall bloud who were kept there in old time".<ref>{{cite book |author=Camden, William |author-link=William Camden |year=1607 |others=trans. [[Philemon Holland]] |url=http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/scoteng.html#loth4 |chapter=Lauden or Lothien |title=Britannia |access-date=23 July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090407080045/http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/scoteng.html#loth4 |archive-date=7 April 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref> According to the 17th-century antiquarian Father Richard Hay, the "maidens" were a group of nuns, who were ejected from the castle and replaced by [[Canon (priest)|canons]], considered "fitter to live among soldiers".<ref>Halkerston, pp. 8–9: Gillies, p. 3.</ref> However, this story was considered "apocryphal" by the 19th-century antiquarian [[Daniel Wilson (academic)|Daniel Wilson]] and has been ignored by historians since.<ref>Wilson claimed that Father Hay had "no better authority for this nunnery than the misleading name castellum Puellarum". Wilson (1891), vol. 1, p. 4, note 4.</ref> The name may have been derived from a "Cult of the Nine Maidens" type of legend. [[Arthurian legend]]s suggest that the site once held a shrine to [[Morgan le Fay|Morgain la Fee]], one of nine sisters.<ref>McKean (1991), p. 1.</ref> Later, St Monenna, said to be one of nine companions, reputedly invested a church at Edinburgh, as well as at Dumbarton and other places.<ref>Grant (c. 1890), p. 15: McHardy, pp. 13–20.</ref> [[Maiden Castle (disambiguation)|Similar names]] are shared by many other [[British Iron Age|Iron Age]] [[oppidum|hillforts]] and may have simply described a castle that had never been taken by force<ref>Potter, p. 141.</ref> or derived from an earlier [[Common Brittonic|Brittonic]] name like ''mag dun''.<ref>[[Patrick Chalmers (MP)|Chalmers]], cited in Chambers, pp. 35–36.</ref><ref>Macritchie.</ref>

[[File:Edinburgh Castle from the North.JPG|thumb|The Castle seen from the North]]

An archaeological excavation in the early 1990s uncovered evidence of the site having been settled during the late [[Bronze Age]] or early [[Iron Age]], potentially making Castle Rock the longest continuously occupied site in Scotland.<ref>The claim is advanced by {{harvtxt|Driscoll|Yeoman|1997|p=2}} Driscoll & Yeoman, p. 2, although a similar claim is made for other sites including [[Dumbarton Rock]] and [[Kilmartin Glen]].</ref> However, the extent of the finds was not particularly significant and insufficient to draw any certain conclusions about the precise nature or scale of this earliest known phase of occupation.<ref>Driscoll & Yeoman, p. 220.</ref>

The archaeological evidence is more reliable concerning the Iron Age. Traditionally, it had been supposed that the [[Scottish people|tribes]] of central Scotland had made little or no use of the Castle Rock. Excavations at nearby [[Arthur's Seat|Dunsapie Hill]], [[Duddingston]], [[Inveresk]] and [[Traprain Law]] had revealed relatively large settlements and it was supposed that these sites had been chosen in preference to the Castle Rock. However, the excavation in the 1990s pointed to the probable existence of an enclosed [[hillfort]] on the rock, although only the fringes of the site were excavated. House fragments revealed were similar to Iron Age dwellings previously found in Northumbria.<ref>Driscoll & Yeoman, pp. 222–223.</ref>

The 1990s dig revealed clear signs of habitation from the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, consistent with [[Ptolemy]]'s reference to "Alauna". Signs of occupation included some [[Roman Britain|Roman]] material, including pottery, bronzes and brooches, implying a possible trading relationship between the Votadini and the Romans beginning with [[Gnaeus Julius Agricola|Agricola's]] northern campaign in AD 82, and continuing through to the establishment of the [[Antonine Wall]] around AD 140. The nature of the settlement in this period is inconclusive, but Driscoll and Yeoman suggest it may have been a [[broch]], similar to the one at [[Edin's Hall Broch|Edin's Hall]] near [[Duns, Scottish Borders|Duns]] in the [[Scottish Borders]].<ref>Driscoll & Yeoman, p. 226.</ref>

=== Early Middle Ages ===
[[File:Yr.Hen.Ogledd.550.650.Koch.jpg|thumb|upright|Map of northern Britain showing the Gododdin and other tribes c.600 AD]]

The castle does not re-appear in contemporary historical records from the time of Ptolemy until around AD 600. Then, in the epic [[Old Welsh|Welsh]] poem ''[[Y Gododdin]]'' there is a reference to Din Eidyn, "the stronghold of [[Eidyn]]". This has been generally assumed to refer to the Castle Rock.<ref>MacQuarrie, pp. 29–30.</ref> The poem tells of the [[Gododdin]] King [[Mynyddog Mwynfawr]],<ref>It has been suggested that this is not a proper name of a ruler at all, but rather adjectives used to refer to the warband as a whole. For further discussion cf. {{cite journal |author=Koch, John |title=Thoughts on the Ur-Goddodin |journal=[[Language Sciences]] |volume=15 |year=1993 |page=81 |doi=10.1016/0388-0001(93)90019-O |issue=2}} and {{cite journal |author=Isaac, Graham |title=Mynyddog Mwynfawr |journal=[[Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies]] |volume=37 |year=1990 |page=111 }}</ref> and his band of warriors, who, after a year of feasting in their fortress, set out to do battle with the [[Angles (tribe)|Angles]] at "Catreath" (possibly [[Catterick, North Yorkshire|Catterick]]) in Yorkshire. Despite performing glorious deeds of valour and bravery, the poem relates that the Gododdin were massacred.<ref>MacIvor, p. 23.</ref>

The [[Irish annals]] record that in 638, after the events related in ''Y Gododdin'', "Etin" was besieged by the Angles under [[Oswald of Northumbria]], and the Gododdin were defeated.<ref>MacQuarrie, p. 37.</ref> The territory around Edinburgh then became part of the [[Northumbria|Kingdom of Northumbria]], which was itself absorbed by [[Kingdom of England|England]] in the 10th century. Lothian became part of Scotland, during the reign of [[Indulf of Scotland|Indulf]] (r.954–962).<ref>Lynch, p. 46.</ref>

The archaeological evidence for the period in question is based entirely on the analysis of [[midden]]s (domestic refuse heaps), with no evidence of structures. Few conclusions can therefore be derived about the status of the settlement during this period, although the midden deposits show no clear break since Roman times.<ref name=DY227>Driscoll & Yeoman, p. 227.</ref>

=== High Middle Ages ===
{{further|Scotland in the High Middle Ages}}

[[File:StMargareth edinburgh castle.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.7|alt=A blue-robed woman wearing a crown|[[Saint Margaret of Scotland|St Margaret]], depicted in a stained glass window in the chapel of Edinburgh Castle]]

The first documentary reference to a castle at Edinburgh is [[John of Fordun]]'s account of the death of [[Malcolm III of Scotland|King Malcolm III]] (1031–1093). Fordun describes his widow, the future [[Saint Margaret of Scotland|Saint Margaret]], as residing at the "Castle of Maidens" when she is brought news of his death in November 1093. Fordun's account goes on to relate how Margaret died of grief within days, and how Malcolm's brother [[Donald III of Scotland|Donald Bane]] laid siege to the castle. However, Fordun's chronicle was not written until the later 14th century, and the near-contemporary account of the life of St Margaret by [[Thurgot|Bishop Turgot]] makes no mention of a castle.<ref>Tabraham (1997), p. 13.</ref> During the reigns of Malcolm III and his sons, Edinburgh Castle became one of the most significant royal centres in Scotland.<ref name=MI28>MacIvor (1993), p. 28.</ref> Malcolm's son [[Edgar I of Scotland|King Edgar]] died here in 1107.<ref name=MI30>MacIvor (1993), p. 30.</ref>

Malcolm's youngest son, [[David I of Scotland|King David I]] (r.1124–1153), developed Edinburgh as a seat of royal power principally through his administrative reforms (termed by some modern scholars the [[Davidian Revolution]]).<ref>See Lynch, pp. 79–83.</ref> Between 1139 and 1150, David held an assembly of nobles and churchmen, a precursor to the [[parliament of Scotland]], at the castle.<ref name=MI28/> Any buildings or defences would probably have been of timber,<ref name="Tabraham2008–49"/> although two stone buildings are documented as having existed in the 12th century. Of these, [[St. Margaret's Chapel]] remains at the summit of the rock. The second was a church, dedicated to [[St. Mary]], which stood on the site of the Scottish National War Memorial.<ref name="Tabraham2008–49">Tabraham (2008), p. 49.</ref> Given that the southern part of the Upper Ward (where Crown Square is now sited) was not suited to be built upon until the construction of the vaults in the 15th century, it seems probable that any earlier buildings would have been located towards the northern part of the rock; that is around the area where St. Margaret's Chapel stands. This has been suggested that the chapel is the last remnant of a square, stone keep, which would have formed the bulk of the 12th-century fortification.<ref>Fernie, pp. 400–403.</ref> The structure may have been similar to the keep of [[Carlisle Castle]], which David I began after 1135.<ref name="Tabraham 1997, p.23">Tabraham (1997), p. 23.</ref>

David's successor [[Malcolm IV of Scotland|King Malcolm IV]] (r.1153–1165) reportedly stayed at Edinburgh more than at any other location.<ref name=MI30/> But in 1174, [[William I of Scotland|King William "the Lion"]] (r.1165–1214) was captured by the English at the [[Battle of Alnwick (1174)|Battle of Alnwick]]. He was forced to sign the [[Treaty of Falaise]] to secure his release, in return for surrendering Edinburgh Castle, along with the castles of [[Berwick Castle|Berwick]], [[Roxburgh Castle|Roxburgh]] and [[Stirling Castle|Stirling]], to the English King, [[Henry II of England|Henry II]]. The castle was occupied by the English for twelve years, until 1186, when it was returned to William as the [[dowry]] of his English bride, [[Ermengarde de Beaumont]], who had been chosen for him by King Henry.<ref name=Salter46>Salter, p. 46.</ref> By the end of the 12th century, Edinburgh Castle was established as the main repository of Scotland's official state papers.<ref>MacIvor (1993), p. 31.</ref>

=== Wars of Scottish Independence ===

[[File:RobertBruceAndWilliamWallace.jpg|thumb|right|Statues of Robert the Bruce by Thomas Clapperton and William Wallace by Alexander Carrick were added to the Gatehouse entrance in 1929.]]

A century later, in 1286, on the death of [[Alexander III of Scotland|King Alexander III]], the throne of Scotland became vacant. [[Edward I of England]] was appointed to adjudicate the [[Competitors for the Crown of Scotland|competing claims]] for the Scottish crown, but used the opportunity to attempt to establish himself as the feudal overlord of Scotland. During the negotiations, Edward stayed briefly at Edinburgh Castle and may have received homage there from the Scottish nobles.<ref name=MacIvor33>MacIvor (1993), p. 33.</ref>

In March 1296, Edward I invaded Scotland, unleashing the [[First War of Scottish Independence]]. Edinburgh Castle soon came under English control, surrendering after a three-day-long bombardment.<ref>Tabraham (1997), p. 56.</ref> Following the siege, Edward had many Scottish legal records and royal treasures moved from the castle to England.<ref name=MacIvor33/> A large garrison numbering 325 men was installed in 1300.<ref>Lynch, p. 120.</ref> Edward also brought to Scotland his master builders of the Welsh castles, including Thomas de Houghton and Master Walter of Hereford, both of whom travelled from Wales to Edinburgh.<ref>Cruden, pp. 70–71.</ref> After the death of Edward I in 1307, however, England's control over Scotland weakened. On 14 March 1314, a surprise night attack by [[Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray]] recaptured the castle. [[John Barbour (poet)|John Barbour]]'s narrative poem ''[[The Brus]]'' relates how a party of thirty hand-picked men was guided by one William Francis, a member of the garrison who knew of a route along the north face of the Castle Rock and a place where the wall might be scaled. Making the difficult ascent, Randolph's men scaled the wall, surprised the garrison and took control.<ref>Douglas, A. A. H. (1964), ''The Bruce'', Glasgow: William Maclennan, pp. 249–254.</ref> [[Robert the Bruce]] immediately ordered the [[slighting]] of the castle to prevent its re-occupation by the English.<ref>Tabraham (2008), p. 50.</ref> Four months later, his army secured victory at the [[Battle of Bannockburn]].<ref>G W S Barrow, Robert Bruce, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh 1988, p.195 and Chapter 12.</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cornell |first1=David |title=A Kingdom Cleared of Castles: the Role of the Castle in the Campaigns of Robert Bruce |journal=Scottish Historical Review |date=March 2009 |volume=87 |issue=2 |pages=233–257 |doi=10.3366/E0036924108000140 |s2cid=153554882 |url=https://www.euppublishing.com/doi/full/10.3366/E0036924108000140|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

After Bruce's death in 1329, [[Edward III of England]] determined to renew the attempted subjugation of Scotland and supported the claim of [[Edward Balliol]], son of the former King [[John of Scotland|John Balliol]], over that of Bruce's young son [[David II of Scotland|David II]]. Edward invaded in 1333, marking the start of the [[Second War of Scottish Independence]], and the English forces reoccupied and refortified Edinburgh Castle in 1335,<ref name="Tabraham2008–51"/> holding it until 1341. This time, the Scottish assault was led by [[William Douglas, Lord of Liddesdale]]. Douglas's party disguised themselves as merchants from [[Leith]] bringing supplies to the garrison. Driving a cart into the entrance, they halted it there to prevent the gates from closing. A larger force hidden nearby rushed to join them and the castle was retaken.<ref name=Salter46/> The 100 English men of the garrison were all killed.<ref name="Tabraham2008–51">Tabraham (2008), p. 51.</ref>

=== David's Tower and the 15th century ===
The 1357 [[Treaty of Berwick (1357)|Treaty of Berwick]] brought the Wars of Independence to a close. David II resumed his rule and set about rebuilding Edinburgh Castle which became his principal seat of government.<ref>Lynch, p. 136.</ref> David's Tower was begun around 1367, and was incomplete when David died at the castle in 1371. It was completed by his successor, [[Robert II of Scotland|Robert II]], in the 1370s. The tower stood on the site of the present Half Moon Battery connected by a section of [[curtain wall (fortification)|curtain wall]] to the smaller Constable's Tower, a round tower built between 1375 and 1379 where the Portcullis Gate now stands.<ref name=Salter46 /><ref name=BoS85-86>McWilliam, ''et al''.. pp. 85–89.</ref>

[[File:Braun & Hogenberg 'Castrum Puellarum' (Edinburgh Castle) c.1581.jpg|thumb|right|A late-16th-century depiction of the castle, from Braun & Hogenberg's [[Georg Braun|''Civitates orbis terrarum'']], showing David's Tower at the centre]]

In the early 15th century, another English invasion, this time under [[Henry IV of England|Henry IV]], reached Edinburgh Castle and began a siege, but eventually withdrew due to lack of supplies.<ref name=Salter46 /> At least by 1436–1437, Sir [[William Crichton, 1st Lord Crichton|William Crichton]] was Keeper or Governor of Edinburgh Castle,<ref>Tabraham (1997), p. 91.</ref> and soon after became [[Chancellor of Scotland]]. In an attempt to gain the [[regent|regency]] of Scotland, Crichton sought to break the power of the [[Earl of Douglas|Douglases]], the principal noble family in the kingdom. The 16-year-old [[William Douglas, 6th Earl of Douglas]], and his younger brother David were summoned to Edinburgh Castle in November 1440. After the so-called "Black Dinner" had taken place in David's Tower, both boys were summarily executed on trumped-up charges in the presence of the 10-year-old [[James II of Scotland|King James II]] (r.1437–1460). Douglas' supporters subsequently besieged the castle, inflicting damage.<ref name=Salter47>Salter, p. 47.</ref> Construction continued throughout this period, with the area now known as Crown Square being laid out over [[vault (architecture)|vaults]] in the 1430s. Royal apartments were built, forming the nucleus of the later palace block, and a Great Hall was in existence by 1458. In 1464, access to the castle was improved when the current approach road up the north-east side of the rock was created to allow easier movement of the royal artillery train in and out of the area now known as the Upper Ward.<ref name=BoS85-86 />

In 1479, [[Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany]], was imprisoned in David's Tower for plotting against his brother, [[James III of Scotland|King James III]] (r.1460–1488). He escaped by getting his guards drunk, and then lowering himself from a window on a rope.<ref name=Salter47 /> The duke fled to France, then England, where he allied himself with King [[Edward IV]]. In 1482, Albany [[capture of Berwick (1482)|marched into Scotland]] with [[Richard III of England|Richard, Duke of Gloucester]] (later King Richard III), and an English army. James III was trapped in the castle from 22 July to 29 September 1482 until he successfully negotiated a settlement.<ref name=Salter47 />

[[File:Impression of Edinburgh Castle before the 'Lang Siege' of 1573.jpg|thumb|left|Edinburgh Castle as it may have looked before the Lang Siege of 1571–1573, with David's Tower and the Palace block, centre and left]]

During the 15th century, the castle was increasingly used as an [[arsenal]] and armaments factory.<ref>David Caldwell, [https://www.historicenvironment.scot/archives-and-research/publications/publication/?publicationId=6954070f-2dca-4776-af22-a93f00a5e64e ''Edinburgh Castle's Role as a Gun House''] (Historic Environment Scotland, 2018), p. 2.</ref> The first known purchase of a gun was in 1384, and the "great [[Bombard (weapon)|bombard]]" [[Mons Meg]] was delivered to Edinburgh in 1457.<ref name="Tabraham 1997, p.76">Tabraham (1997), p.76.</ref> The first recorded mention of an [[Armory (military)|armoury]] for the manufacture of guns occurs in 1474, and by 1498 the master gunner Robert Borthwick was casting bronze guns at Edinburgh.<ref>Cruden, pp.206–208, although neither the 16th-century [[Holinshed's Chronicles]] nor Caldwell (pp.76–78) date Borthwick this early.</ref> By 1511 Edinburgh was the principal foundry in Scotland, supplanting Stirling Castle, with Scottish and European smiths working under Borthwick, who by 1512 was appointed "master melter of the king's guns".<ref>Caldwell, pp. 76–77.</ref> Their output included guns for the Scottish flagship, the "''[[Great Michael]]''", and the "Seven Sisters", a set of cannons captured by the English at [[Battle of Flodden|Flodden]] in 1513.<ref>Cruden, p. 209.</ref> Sir Thomas Howard, England's Lord Admiral, admired their graceful shape and brilliant finish, declaring them the most beautiful [cannon] for their size and length that he had ever seen.<ref>Mackenzie, W. Mackay (1931), ''The Secret of Flodden'', Edinburgh: Grant & Murray, p. 50.</ref> From 1510 Dutch craftsmen were also producing [[hand culverin]]s, an early [[firearm]].<ref>Caldwell, p. 81.</ref> After Flodden, Borthwick continued his work, producing an unknown number of guns, but none have survived. He was succeeded by French smiths, who began manufacturing [[hagbut]]s (another type of firearm) in the 1550s,<ref>Caldwell, p. 78.</ref> and by 1541 the castle had a stock of 413.<ref>Cruden, p. 211.</ref>

Meanwhile, the royal family began to stay more frequently at the [[Holyrood Abbey|Abbey of Holyrood]], about {{convert|1|mi}} from the castle. Around the end of the fifteenth century, [[James IV of Scotland|King James IV]] (r.1488–1513) built the [[Palace of Holyroodhouse]], by the abbey, as his principal Edinburgh residence and the castle's role as a royal home subsequently declined.<ref name=Salter47 /> James IV did, however, construct the Great Hall, which was completed in the early 16th century,<ref name=BoS85-86 /> and the castle featured in his tournaments of the [[Wild Knight and the Black Lady]].<ref>Louise Olga Fradenburg, ''City, Marriage, Tournament: Arts of Rule in Late Medieval Scotland'' (University of Wisconsin, 1991), p. 230.</ref> His daughter [[Margaret Drummond (mistress)|Margaret Stewart]] was lodged in the castle with her servant [[Ellen More]].<ref>[[Miranda Kaufmann|Kaufmann, Miranda]], ''Black Tudors: The Untold Story'' (London, 2017), pp. 17–18.</ref>

{{clear}}

===16th century and the Lang Siege===

[[File:Sir William Kirkcaldy of the Grange by Jean Clouet.jpg|thumb|upright|right|alt=Painting of a man with a red moustache|Sir William Kirkcaldy of Grange, who held the castle on behalf of Queen Mary during the Lang Siege of 1571–73. Painting by [[Jean Clouet]]]]

James IV was killed in battle at [[Battle of Flodden Field|Flodden Field]], on 9 September 1513. Expecting the English to press their advantage, the Scots hastily constructed a [[Edinburgh town walls|town wall]] around Edinburgh and augmented the castle's defences. Robert Borthwick and a Frenchman, [[Antoine d'Arces]], were involved in designing new artillery defences and fortifications in 1514, though it appears from lack of evidence that little of the planned work was carried out.<ref>MacIvor (1981), p. 105.</ref> Three years later, [[James V of Scotland|King James V]] (r.1513–1542), still only five years old, was brought to the castle for safety.<ref name=Salter47/> Upon his death 25 years later, the crown passed to his week-old daughter, [[Mary, Queen of Scots]]. English invasions followed, as King [[Henry VIII]] attempted to [[Rough Wooing|force a dynastic marriage]] on Scotland.<ref name=BoS85-86/> When the [[Burning of Edinburgh|English burnt Edinburgh in May 1544]] the gunner [[Andrew Mansioun]] firing from the castle destroyed an English cannon placed to bombard the forework.<ref>''Accounts of the Treasurer of Scotland'', vol. 8 (Edinburgh, 1908), p. 127.</ref> In 1547 disaffected members of the garrison who resented [[Regent Arran]] came to [[Norham Castle]] and offered to let the English in.<ref>Joseph Bain, ''Calendar State Papers Scotland: 1547–1563'', vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1898), p. 58.</ref>

Refortification in 1548 included an earthen angle-bastion, known as the Spur, of the type known as ''[[trace italienne]]'', one of the earliest examples in Britain.<ref name=tab104/> [[Brunstane Castle]] the home of the traitor [[Alexander Crichton of Brunstane|Alexander Crichton]] was demolished to provide building materials.<ref>''Accounts of the Treasurer of Scotland'', vol. 9 (Edinburgh, 1911), pp. xxviii, 161–3, 166–7, 172–3: ''Calendar State Papers Scotland'', vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1898), p. 93.</ref> The Spur may have been designed by [[Migliorino Ubaldini]], an Italian engineer from the court of [[Henry II of France]],<ref name=tab104>Tabraham (1997), pp. 104–105.</ref> and was said to have the [[coat of arms of France|arms of France]] carved on it.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=88430 |title=Spain: July 1551, 16–31 |journal=Calendar of State Papers, Spain |volume=10 |pages=330–341 |access-date=27 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130909130218/http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=88430 |archive-date=9 September 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> James V's widow, [[Mary of Guise]], acted as [[regent]] from 1554 until her death at the castle in 1560.<ref name=Salter47/>

The following year, the [[Roman Catholicism in Scotland|Catholic]] Mary, Queen of Scots, returned from France to begin her reign, which was marred by crises and quarrels among the powerful [[Scottish Reformation|Protestant]] Scottish nobility. In 1565, the Queen made an unpopular marriage with [[Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley]]. On 19 June 1566 in a small room of the Palace at Edinburgh Castle, she gave birth to their son [[James VI and I|James]], who would later be King of both Scotland and England. Mary made plans to repair the castle and make it somewhat fairer than it had been.<ref>Allan J. Crosby, ''Calendar State Papers Foreign Elizabeth, 1566–1568'' (London, 1871), p. 96 no. 535.</ref> Mary's reign was, however, brought to an abrupt end. Three months after the [[murder of Darnley]] at Kirk o' Field in 1567, she married [[James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell]], one of the chief murder suspects. A large proportion of the nobility rebelled, resulting ultimately in the imprisonment and [[Act Anent the demission of the Crown in favour of our Sovereign Lord, and his Majesty's Coronation 1567|forced abdication]] of Mary at [[Lochleven Castle]]. She escaped and fled to [[Kingdom of England|England]], but some of the nobility remained faithful to her cause. Edinburgh Castle was initially handed by its captain, [[James Balfour, Lord Pittendreich|James Balfour]], to the [[James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray|Regent Moray]], who had forced Mary's abdication and now held power in the name of the infant King James VI. Shortly after the [[Battle of Langside]], in May 1568, Moray appointed [[William Kirkcaldy of Grange|Sir William Kirkcaldy of Grange]] Keeper of the Castle.<ref name=Salter47/>
[[File:Edinburgh Castle during the 'Lang Siege' (May 1573).jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.15|alt=A bird's-eye view of the castle surrounded by artillery|Detail from a contemporary drawing of Edinburgh Castle under siege in 1573, showing it surrounded by attacking batteries]]

Grange was a trusted lieutenant of the Regent, but after Moray's murder in January 1570 his allegiance to the King's cause began to waver. [[Marian civil war|Intermittent civil war]] continued between the supporters of the two monarchs, and in April 1571 [[Dumbarton Castle]] fell to "the King's men". Under the influence of [[William Maitland of Lethington]], Mary's secretary, Grange changed sides, occupying the town and castle of Edinburgh for Queen Mary, and against the new regent, the [[Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox|Earl of Lennox]].<ref>Potter, p. 56.</ref> The stand-off which followed was not resolved until two years later, and became known as the "Lang Siege", from the [[Scots language|Scots]] word for "long". Hostilities began in May, with a month-long siege of the town, and a second short siege in October. Blockades and skirmishing continued meanwhile, and Grange continued to refortify the castle. The King's party appealed to [[Elizabeth I]] of England for assistance, as they lacked the artillery and money required to reduce the castle, and feared that Grange would receive aid from France and the [[Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba|Duke of Alba]] in the [[Spanish Netherlands]].<ref>Potter, p. 100.</ref> Elizabeth sent ambassadors to negotiate, and in July 1572 a truce was agreed and the blockade lifted. The town was effectively surrendered to the King's party, with Grange confined to the castle.<ref>Potter, p. 105.</ref>

The truce expired on 1 January 1573, and Grange began bombarding the town. His supplies of powder and shot, however, were running low, and despite having 40 cannons available, there were only seven gunners in the garrison.<ref name="Potter, p.131">Potter, p. 131.</ref> The King's forces, now with the [[James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton|Earl of Morton]] in charge as regent, were making headway with plans for a siege. Trenches were dug to surround the castle, and St Margaret's Well was poisoned.<ref>Potter, pp. 121–122.</ref> By February, all Queen Mary's other supporters had surrendered to the Regent, but Grange resolved to resist despite water shortages within the castle. The garrison continued to bombard the town, killing a number of citizens. They also made sorties to set fires, burning 100 houses in the town and then firing on anyone attempting to put out the flames.<ref>Potter, p. 125.</ref>

[[File:Sir William Drury from NPG.jpg|thumb|upright|right|alt=Painting of a man with dark hair and large moustache|Sir William Drury, commander of Elizabeth I of England's Protestant troops who brought the Lang Siege to an end in 1573. Unknown artist]]

In April, a force of around 1,000 English troops, led by [[William Drury|Sir William Drury]], arrived in Edinburgh. They were followed by 27 cannons from [[Berwick-upon-Tweed]],<ref name="Potter, p.131"/> including one that had been cast within Edinburgh Castle and captured by the English at Flodden.<ref name=Salter47/> The English troops built an artillery emplacement on Castle Hill, immediately facing the east walls of the castle, and five others to the north, west and south. By 17 May these batteries were ready, and the bombardment began. Over the next 12 days, the gunners dispatched around 3,000 shots at the castle.<ref name=Potter137/> On 22 May, the south wall of David's Tower collapsed, and the next day the Constable's Tower also fell. The debris blocked the castle entrance, as well as the Fore Well, although this had already run dry.<ref name=Potter137>Potter, p. 137.</ref> On 26 May, the English attacked and captured the Spur, the outer fortification of the castle, which had been isolated by the collapse. The following day Grange emerged from the castle by a ladder after calling for a ceasefire to allow negotiations for a surrender to take place. When it was made clear that he would not be allowed to go free even if he ended the siege, Grange resolved to continue the resistance, but the garrison threatened to mutiny. He therefore arranged for Drury and his men to enter the castle on 28 May, preferring to surrender to the English rather than the Regent Morton.<ref>Potter, pp. 139–140.</ref> Edinburgh Castle was handed over to [[George Douglas of Parkhead]], the Regent's brother, and the garrison was allowed to go free.<ref>Gray, p. 45.</ref> In contrast, Kirkcaldy of Grange, his brother James and two jewellers, [[James Mosman|James Mossman]] and [[James Cockie|James Cokke]], who had been minting coins in Mary's name inside the castle, were hanged at the [[Mercat Cross, Edinburgh|Cross in Edinburgh]] on 3 August.<ref>Potter, p.146: Pitcairn, vol.2, pp.45–46: {{cite journal |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=44252 |title=Elizabeth: August 1573, no.713 |journal=Calendar of State Papers, Scotland |volume=4 |page=604 |year=1905 |access-date=7 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821163339/http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=44252 |archive-date=21 August 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Nova Scotia and Civil War ===
Much of the castle was subsequently rebuilt by Regent Morton, including the Spur, the new Half Moon Battery and the Portcullis Gate. Some of these works were supervised by [[William MacDowall]], the master of work who fifteen years earlier had repaired David's Tower.<ref>MacIvor (1993), p. 69.</ref> The Half Moon Battery, while impressive in size, is considered by historians to have been an ineffective and outdated artillery fortification.<ref>MacIvor (1981), p. 146.</ref> This may have been due to a shortage of resources, although the battery's position obscuring the ancient David's Tower and enhancing the prominence of the palace block, has been seen as a significant decision.<ref>Howard, p. 35.</ref>

The battered palace block remained unused, particularly after James VI departed to become King of England in 1603.<ref>Tabraham (2008), p. 55.</ref> James had repairs carried out in 1584, and in 1615–1616 more extensive repairs were carried out in preparation for his return visit to Scotland.<ref>Tabraham (2008), p. 52.</ref> The mason [[William Wallace (mason)|William Wallace]] and master of works [[James Murray (architect)|James Murray]] introduced an early Scottish example of the double-pile block.<ref>Howard, p. 81.</ref> The principal external features were the three, three-storey [[oriel window]]s on the east façade, facing the town and emphasising that this was a palace rather than just a place of defence.<ref>Howard, p. 38.</ref> During his visit in 1617, James held court in the refurbished palace block, but still preferred to sleep at Holyrood.<ref name=BoS85-86/>
[[File:Edinburgh Castle Nova Scotia.JPG|thumb|left|alt=Photo of a bronze plaque|Memorial plaque to Sir William Alexander, on the Castle Esplanade]]

In 1621, King James granted [[William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling|Sir William Alexander]] the land in North America between [[New England]] and [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]], as ''[[Nova Scotia]]'' ("New Scotland"). To promote the settlement and [[plantation]] of the new territory, the [[Baronetage of Nova Scotia]] was created in 1624. Under [[Scots law]], [[baronet]]s had to "take [[sasine]]" by symbolically receiving the earth and stone of the land of which they were baronet. To make this possible, since Nova Scotia was so distant, the King declared that sasine could be taken either in the new province or alternatively "at the castle of Edinburgh as the most eminent and principal place of Scotland."<ref>McGrail, p. 91.</ref>

James' successor, [[Charles I of England|King Charles I]], visited Edinburgh Castle only once, hosting a feast in the Great Hall and staying the night before his Scottish coronation in 1633. This was the last occasion that a reigning monarch resided in the castle.<ref name=Salter47/> In 1639, in response to Charles' attempts to impose [[Episcopal polity|Episcopacy]] on the [[Church of Scotland|Scottish Church]], [[Bishops' Wars|civil war]] broke out between the King's forces and the Presbyterian [[Covenanter]]s. The Covenanters, led by [[Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven|Alexander Leslie]], captured Edinburgh Castle after a short siege, although it was restored to Charles after the [[Treaty of Berwick (1639)|Peace of Berwick]] in June the same year. The peace was short-lived, however, and the following year the Covenanters took the castle again, this time after a three-month siege, during which the garrison ran out of supplies. The Spur was badly damaged and was demolished in the 1640s.<ref name=BoS85-86/> The Royalist commander [[James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose|James Graham, 1st Marquis of Montrose]], was imprisoned here after his capture in 1650.<ref name=Salter48>Salter, p. 48.</ref>

In May 1650, the Covenanters signed the [[Treaty of Breda (1650)|Treaty of Breda]], allying themselves with the exiled [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] against the [[Roundhead|English Parliamentarians]], who had executed his father the previous year. In response to the Scots proclaiming Charles King, [[Oliver Cromwell]] launched an invasion of Scotland, defeating the Covenanter army at [[Battle of Dunbar (1650)|Dunbar]] in September. Edinburgh Castle was taken after a three-month siege, which caused further damage. The Governor of the Castle, Colonel Walter Dundas, surrendered to Cromwell despite having enough supplies to hold out, allegedly from a desire to change sides.<ref name=Salter48/>

===Garrison fortress: Jacobites and prisoners of war===
[[File:Prospect of Edinburgh Castle from the East (c.1753).jpg|thumb|An engraving of Edinburgh Castle made shortly before the creation of the Esplanade was begun in 1753]]
After his [[English Restoration|Restoration]] in 1660, Charles II opted to maintain a full-time [[Standing army (Great Britain)|standing army]] based on Cromwell's [[New Model Army]]. From this time until 1923, a garrison was continuously maintained at the castle.<ref>MacIvor (1993), p. 82.</ref> The medieval royal castle was transformed into a garrison fortress, but continued to see military and political action. The [[Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll|Marquis of Argyll]] was imprisoned here in 1661, when [[Charles II of England|King Charles II]] settled old scores with his enemies following his return to the throne. Twenty years later, Argyll's son, the [[Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll|9th Earl of Argyll]], was also imprisoned in the castle for religious [[Nonconformist (Protestantism)|Nonconformism]] in the reign of [[James II of England|King James VII]]. He escaped by disguising himself as his sister's [[footman]], but was recaptured and returned to the castle after his failed rebellion to oust James from the throne in 1685.<ref name=Salter48/>

James VII was deposed and exiled by the [[Glorious Revolution]] of 1688, which installed [[William III of England|William of Orange]] as King of England. Not long after, in early 1689, the [[Parliament of Scotland|Estates of Scotland]], after convening to accept William formally as their new king, demanded that [[George Gordon, 1st Duke of Gordon|Duke of Gordon]], Governor of the Castle, surrender the fortress. Gordon, who had been appointed by James VII as a fellow Catholic, refused. In March 1689, the castle was blockaded by 7,000 troops against a garrison of 160 men, further weakened by religious disputes. On 18 March, [[John Graham, 1st Viscount of Dundee|Viscount Dundee]], intent on raising a rebellion in the Highlands, climbed up the western side of the Castle Rock to urge Gordon to hold the castle against the new King.<ref>Scott, p. 101.</ref> Gordon agreed, but during the ensuing siege he refused to fire upon the town, while the besiegers inflicted little damage on the castle. Despite Dundee's initial successes in the north, Gordon eventually surrendered on 14 June, due to dwindling supplies and having lost 70 men during the three-month siege.<ref>Gray, pp. 59–63.</ref><ref>Tabraham (2008), p. 58.</ref>
[[File:edinpain.JPG|thumb|left|upright|alt=Painting of the castle under a stormy sky|''Edinburgh Castle with the Nor Loch in foreground'', around 1780, by [[Alexander Nasmyth]]]]

The castle was almost taken in the [[Jacobite rising of 1715|first Jacobite rising]] in support of [[James Francis Edward Stuart|James Stuart]], the "Old Pretender", in 1715. On 8 September, just two days after the rising began, a party of around 100 Jacobite Highlanders, led by [[James Drummond, 2nd Duke of Perth|Lord Drummond]], attempted to scale the walls with the assistance of members of the garrison. However, the rope ladder lowered by the castle sentries was too short, and the alarm was raised after a change of the watch. The Jacobites fled, while the deserters within the castle were hanged or flogged.<ref>Gray, pp. 65–66.</ref> In 1728, [[George Wade|General Wade]] reported that the castle's defences were decayed and inadequate,<ref name=Salter48/> and a major strengthening of the fortifications was carried out throughout the 1720s and 1730s. This was the period when most of the artillery defences and [[bastion]]s on the north and west sides of the castle were built. These were designed by military engineer Captain [[John Lambertus Romer|John Romer]], and built by the architect [[William Adam (architect)|William Adam]]. They include the Argyle Battery, Mills Mount Battery, the Low Defences and the Western Defences.<ref>{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=LB28010|desc=Edinburgh Castle, Batteries, including Argyle, Dury's, Forewall, Half-Moon, and Western Defences|cat=A|access-date=18 March 2019}}</ref>

The last military action at the castle took place during the [[Jacobite Rising of 1745|second Jacobite rising]] of 1745. The Jacobite army, under [[Charles Edward Stuart]] ("Bonnie Prince Charlie"), captured Edinburgh without a fight in September 1745, but the castle remained in the hands of its ageing Deputy Governor, General [[George Preston (Jacobite)|George Preston]], who refused to surrender.<ref>Gibson, p. 30.</ref> After their victory over the government army at [[Battle of Prestonpans|Prestonpans]] on 21 September, the Jacobites attempted to blockade the castle. Preston's response was to bombard Jacobite positions within the town. After several buildings had been demolished and four people killed, Charles called off the blockade.<ref>Gibson, pp. 38–42.</ref><ref>Gray, p. 72.</ref> The Jacobites themselves had no heavy guns with which to respond, and by November they had marched into England, leaving Edinburgh to the castle garrison.<ref>Gibson, p. 56.</ref>

Over the next century, the castle vaults were used to hold prisoners of war during several conflicts, including the [[Seven Years' War]] (1756–1763), the [[American War of Independence]] (1775–1783) and the [[Napoleonic Wars]] (1803–1815).<ref>Tabraham (2004), pp. 25–35.</ref> During this time, several new buildings were erected within the castle, including powder magazines, stores, the Governor's House (1742),<ref>{{cite book|title=DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Europe|publisher=Dorling Kindersley Ltd|page=84|year=2010|isbn=9781405353045}}</ref> and the New Barracks (1796–1799).<ref>MacIver 1993, p. 100.</ref>

===19th century to the present===

[[File:George IV at Edinburgh Castle 1822.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Drawing of the castle surrounded by crowds|King George IV waves from the battlements of the Half Moon Battery in 1822, drawn by James Skene.]]

A mass prison break in 1811, in which 49 prisoners of war escaped via a hole in the south wall, persuaded the authorities that the castle vaults were no longer suitable as a prison. This use ceased in 1814<ref>Tabraham (2004), pp. 59–63.</ref> and the castle began gradually to assume a different role as a national monument. In 1818, [[Walter Scott|Sir Walter Scott]] was given permission to search the castle for the [[Crown of Scotland]], believed lost after the union of Scotland and England in 1707. Breaking into a sealed room, now known as the Crown Room, and unlocking a chest within, he rediscovered the [[Honours of Scotland]], which were then put on public display with an entry charge of one [[shilling]].<ref name=Tabraham60>Tabraham (2008), p. 60.</ref> In 1822, King [[George IV]] made a [[Visit of King George IV to Scotland|visit to Edinburgh]], becoming the first reigning monarch to visit the castle since Charles II in 1651. In 1829, the cannon Mons Meg was returned from the Tower of London, where it had been taken as part of the process of disarming Scotland after "the '45", and the palace began to be opened up to visitors during the 1830s.<ref name=MacIvor107>MacIvor (1993), p. 107.</ref> St Margaret's Chapel was "rediscovered" in 1845, having been used as a store for many years.<ref name=Tabraham60/> Works in the 1880s, funded by the Edinburgh publisher William Nelson and carried out by [[Hippolyte Blanc]], saw the Argyle Tower built over the Portcullis Gate and the Great Hall restored after years of use as a barracks.<ref name=BoS85-86/> A new Gatehouse was built in 1888. During the 19th century, several schemes were put forward for rebuilding the whole castle as a [[Scottish baronial style]] ''château''. Work began in 1858, but was soon abandoned, and only the hospital building was eventually remodelled in 1897.<ref name=BoS85-86/> Following the death of [[Albert, Prince Consort|Prince Albert]] in 1861, the architect [[David Bryce]] put forward a proposal for a {{convert|50|m|ft|adj=on}} keep as a memorial, but [[Queen Victoria]] objected and the scheme was not pursued.<ref>Devine, p. 293.</ref>

[[File:Soldiers of the Castle garrison, c.1845.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Soldiers of the [[92nd Regiment of Foot]] (later [[Gordon Highlanders]]) while on garrison duty at the castle in 1845<ref>{{Cite web|date=2007-10-28|title=2nd Bn, The Gordon Highlanders: Service|url=http://www.regiments.org/deploy/uk/reg-inf/092-1.htm |access-date=2021-09-16|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071028081336/http://www.regiments.org/deploy/uk/reg-inf/092-1.htm |archive-date=28 October 2007}}</ref>]]
[[File:Edinburgh Castle by Thomas Keith.jpg|left|thumb|[https://library.nga.gov/permalink/01NGA_INST/1p5jkvq/alma994204278304896 Edinburgh Castle, waxed-paper negative by Thomas Keith, c. 1855]. Department of Image Collections, National Gallery of Art Library, Washington DC]]
In 1905, responsibility for the castle was transferred from the [[War Office]] to the [[Office of Works]],<ref>Tabraham (2008), p. 61.</ref> although the garrison remained until 1923, when the troops moved to [[Redford Barracks]] in south-west Edinburgh. The castle was again used as a prison during the First World War, when "[[Red Clydeside]]r" [[David Kirkwood]] was confined in the military prison block, and during the Second World War, when downed German ''Luftwaffe'' pilots were captured.<ref>Tabraham (2004), p. 63.</ref> The position of [[List of Governors of Edinburgh Castle|Governor of Edinburgh Castle]], vacant since 1876, was revived in 1935 as an honorary title for the [[General Officer Commanding]] in Scotland, the first holder being Lieutenant-General Sir Archibald Cameron of Lochiel.<ref>Gray, p. 79.</ref> The castle passed into the care of [[Historic Scotland]] when it was established in 1991, and was designated a [[Scheduled Ancient Monument]] in 1993.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://data.historic-scotland.gov.uk/pls/htmldb/ESCHEDULE.P_ESCHEDULE_DOWNLOADFILE?p_file=90130 |title=Entry in the Schedule of Monuments: The Monument known as Edinburgh Castle |publisher=Historic Scotland |year=1993 |access-date=19 March 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110814075809/http://data.historic-scotland.gov.uk/pls/htmldb/ESCHEDULE.P_ESCHEDULE_DOWNLOADFILE?p_file=90130 |archive-date=14 August 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> The buildings and structures of the castle are further protected by 24 separate [[listed building|listings]], including 13 at [[Category A listed|category A]], the highest level of protection for a historic building in Scotland,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://data.historic-scotland.gov.uk/pls/htmldb/f?p=2200:12:0::NO:RP:KEY,COU,PB,CAT,DF,DT:Edinburgh%20Castle%2C230%2C%2CA%2C%2C |title=Listed buildings in Edinburgh Castle |publisher=Historic Scotland |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150604194622/http://data.historic-scotland.gov.uk/pls/htmldb/f?p=2200%3A12%3A0%3A%3ANO%3ARP%3AKEY%2CCOU%2CPB%2CCAT%2CDF%2CDT%3AEdinburgh%20Castle%2C230%2C%2CA%2C%2C |archive-date=4 June 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and special care was taken when installing 31&nbsp;kW [[solar panel]]s on the roof of the War Memorial, obscured by its parapet.<ref>{{cite web |title=AES Solar installs PV at Edinburgh Castle |url=https://renews.biz/77591/aes-solar-installs-pv-at-edinburgh-castle/ |website=reNEWS – Renewable Energy News |date=3 May 2022}}</ref> The [[Old Town, Edinburgh|Old]] and [[New Town, Edinburgh|New Towns of Edinburgh]], a [[World Heritage Sites in the United Kingdom|World Heritage Site]] inscribed by [[UNESCO]] in 1995, is described as "dominated by a medieval fortress".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/728 |title=Old and New Towns of Edinburgh |publisher=UNESCO |website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre |access-date=5 June 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130120141829/https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/728 |archive-date=20 January 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Description ==
[[File:Edinburgh Castle Rock.jpg|thumb|The Castle dominates the city skyline.]]
Edinburgh Castle is located at the top of the [[Royal Mile]], at the west end of Edinburgh's [[Old Town, Edinburgh|Old Town]]. The volcanic Castle Rock offers a naturally defended position, with sheer cliffs to north and south, and a steep ascent from the west. The only easy approach is from the town to the east, and the castle's defences are situated accordingly, with a series of gates protecting the route to the summit of the Castle Rock.<ref>MacIvor (1993), pp. 136–138.</ref>
[[File:Edinburgh Castle plan coloured.png|thumb|right|upright=1.60|Plan of Edinburgh Castle<br /> Key: <br />
'''A''' Esplanade{{·}} '''B''' Gatehouse{{·}} '''C''' Ticket office{{·}} '''D''' Portcullis Gate & Argyle Tower{{·}} '''E''' Argyle Battery{{·}} '''F''' Mills Mount Battery & One o'Clock Gun{{·}} '''G''' Cartsheds{{·}} '''H''' Western Defences{{·}} '''I''' Hospital{{·}} '''J''' Butts Battery{{·}} '''K''' Scottish National War Museum{{·}} '''L''' Governors House{{·}} '''M''' New Barracks{{·}} '''N''' Military Prison{{·}} '''O''' Royal Scots Museum{{·}} '''P''' Foog's Gate{{·}} '''Q''' Reservoirs{{·}} '''R''' Mons Meg{{·}} '''S''' Pet Cemetery{{·}} '''T''' St. Margaret's Chapel{{·}} '''U''' Half Moon Battery{{·}} '''V''' Crown Square{{·}} '''W''' Royal Palace{{·}} '''X''' Great Hall{{·}} '''Y''' Queen Anne Building{{·}} '''Z''' Scottish National War Memorial ]]

===Outer defences===

In front of the castle is a long sloping forecourt known as the Esplanade. Originally the Spur, a 16th-century [[hornwork]], was located here. The present Esplanade was laid out as a parade ground in 1753, and extended in 1845.<ref name=BoS85-86/> It is upon this Esplanade that the [[Edinburgh Military Tattoo]] takes place annually. From the Esplanade the Half Moon Battery is prominent, with the Royal Palace to its left.<ref name=MacIvor136>MacIvor (1993), p. 136.</ref>

[[File:Edinburgh Castle gate 20211019.jpg|thumb|left|Main gate from the Esplanade into the castle (with the gatehouse)]]

The [[Gatehouse]] at the head of the Esplanade was built as an architecturally cosmetic addition to the castle in 1888.<ref>MacIvor (1993), pp. 116–117.</ref> Statues of [[Robert the Bruce]] by [[Thomas J Clapperton|Thomas Clapperton]] and [[William Wallace]] by [[Alexander Carrick]] were added in 1929, and the [[Latin]] motto ''[[Nemo me impune lacessit]]'' is inscribed above the gate. The dry ditch in front of the entrance was completed in its present form in 1742.<ref name=Salter49>Salter, p. 49.</ref> Within the Gatehouse are offices, and to the north is the most recent addition to the castle; the ticket office, completed in 2008 to a design by [[Gareth Hoskins Architects]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/news_search_results.htm/news_article.htm?articleid=13186 |title=Edinburgh Castle opens new ticket office and launches official Edinburgh Castle website |date=21 January 2008 |publisher=Historic Scotland |access-date=17 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212023915/http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/news_search_results.htm/news_article.htm?articleid=13186 |archive-date=12 February 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref> The road, built by James III in 1464 for the transport of cannon, leads upward and around to the north of the Half Moon Battery and the Forewall Battery, to the Portcullis Gate. In 1990, an alternative access was opened by digging a tunnel from the north of the esplanade to the north-west part of the castle, separating visitor traffic from service traffic.<ref>MacIvor (1993), p. 128.</ref>

===Portcullis Gate and Argyle Tower===

[[File:Edinburgh Castle Portcullis Gate.jpg|thumb|left|upright|The Portcullis Gate]]

The [[Portcullis]] Gate was begun by the Regent Morton after the Lang Siege of 1571–73 to replace the round Constable's Tower, which was destroyed in the siege.<ref>MacIvor (1993), p. 67.</ref> In 1584 the upper parts of the Gatehouse were completed by [[William Schaw]],<ref>MacIvor (1993), p. 71.</ref> and these were further modified in 1750.<ref>McWilliam, ''et al''.. p. 91.</ref> In 1886–1887 this plain building was replaced with a [[Scots Baronial Style architecture|Scots Baronial]] tower, designed by the architect [[Hippolyte Blanc]], although the original Portcullis Gate remains below. The new structure was named the Argyle Tower, from the fact that the 9th Earl of Argyll had been held here prior to his execution in 1685.<ref name=MI114/> Described as "restoration in an extreme form",<ref name=MI114>MacIvor (1993), p. 114.</ref> the rebuilding of the Argyle Tower was the first in a series of works funded by the publisher William Nelson.<ref name=MI114/>

Just inside the gate is the Argyle Battery overlooking [[Princes Street]], with Mills Mount Battery, the location of the One O'Clock Gun, to the west. Below these is the Low Defence, while at the base of the rock is the ruined Wellhouse Tower, built in 1362 to guard St. Margaret's Well.<ref>McWilliam, ''et al''.. p. 89.</ref> This natural spring provided an important secondary source of water for the castle, the water being lifted up by a crane mounted on a platform known as the Crane Bastion.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/52073/details/edinburgh+castle+crane+cradle/ |title=Edinburgh Castle, Crane Cradle, NMRS Number: NT27SE 1.13 |website=[[Canmore (database)|CANMORE]] |publisher=[[RCAHMS]] |access-date=13 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110916233157/http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/52073/details/edinburgh+castle+crane+cradle/ |archive-date=16 September 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Military buildings===
[[File:Edinburgh Castle (9860908625).jpg|thumb|left|Governor's House (1742)]]

The areas to the north and west of the Argyle Tower are largely occupied by military buildings erected after the castle became a major garrison in the early 18th century.<ref>MacIvor (1993), p. 89.</ref> Adjacent to Mills Mount are the 18th-century cart sheds, now tea rooms.<ref name=Salter49/> The Governor's House to the south was built in 1742 as accommodation for the Governor, Storekeeper, and Master Gunner,<ref>MacIvor (1993), p. 95.</ref> and was used until the post of Governor became vacant in the later 19th century; it was then used by nurses of the castle hospital. Today, it functions as an officers' [[mess]], and as the office of the [[List of Governors of Edinburgh Castle|Governor]] since the restoration of the post in 1936.<ref>Hardie, p.53</ref>

[[File:The New Barracks, Edinburgh Castle.JPG|thumb|The New Barracks (1799)]]

South of the Governor's House is the New Barracks, completed in 1799 to house 600 soldiers, and replacing the outdated accommodation in the Great Hall. They now house the Regimental Headquarters of the [[Royal Regiment of Scotland]] and the Regimental Headquarters of the [[Royal Scots Dragoon Guards]] (Carabiniers and Greys) as well as the [[Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Museum]]. The latter was opened in 1995 by the regiment's Colonel, Queen [[Elizabeth II]].<ref>Hardie, p. 87.</ref> Also nearby, in the former Royal Scots [[drill hall]], constructed in 1900, is the [[The Museum of the Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment) and the Royal Regiment of Scotland|Regimental Museum of the Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment)]].<ref>Hardie, p. 92.</ref> The [[military prison]] was built in 1842 as a detention block for the castle garrison and was extended in the 1880s. It was last used in 1923, when the garrison moved to the city's Redford Barracks.<ref name=MacIvor107/>

==== National War Museum of Scotland ====
{{main|National War Museum}}

West of the Governor's House, a store for munitions was built in 1747–48 and later extended to form a courtyard, in which the main gunpowder magazine also stood.<ref>McWilliam, ''et al''.. p. 102.</ref> In 1897 the area was remodelled as a military hospital, formerly housed in the Great Hall. The building to the south of this courtyard is now the National War Museum of Scotland, which forms part of the [[National Museums of Scotland]]. It was formerly known as the Scottish United Services Museum, and, prior to this, the Scottish Naval and Military Museum, when it was located in the [[#Queen Anne Building|Queen Anne Building]].<ref>MacIvor (1993), p. 123.</ref> It covers [[Military history of Scotland|Scotland's military history]] over the past 400 years, and includes a wide range of military artefacts, such as uniforms, medals and weapons. The exhibits also illustrate the history and causes behind the many wars in which Scottish soldiers have been involved. Beside the museum is Butts Battery, named after the [[archery]] butts (targets) formerly placed here.<ref>Tabraham (2008), p. 38.</ref> Below it are the Western Defences, where a [[postern]], named the West Sally Port, gives access to the western slope of the rock.<ref>Tabraham (2008), p. 41.</ref>

===Upper Ward===
[[File:One of the paths leading to St Margaret's Chapel.jpg|thumb|Foog's Gate]]
The Upper Ward or Citadel occupies the highest part of the Castle Rock, and is entered via the late 17th-century Foog's Gate.<ref name=Salter49/> The origin of this name is unknown, although it was formerly known as the Foggy Gate, which may relate to the dense sea-fogs, known as [[haar (fog)|haars]], which commonly affect Edinburgh.<ref>Tabraham (2008), p. 18.</ref> Adjacent to the gates are the large cisterns built to reduce the castle's dependency on well water and a former fire station, now used as a shop. The summit of the rock is occupied by St Margaret's Chapel and 15th-century siege gun Mons Meg. On a ledge below this area is a small 19th-century Dogs' Cemetery for the burial of the soldiers' [[regimental mascot]]s. Besides this, the Lang Stair leads down to the Argyle Battery, past a section of a medieval bastion,<ref name=Salter49/> and gives access to the upper storey of the Argyle Tower. The eastern end of the Upper Ward is occupied by the Forewall and Half Moon Batteries, with Crown Square to the south.<ref name=MacIvor136/>

[[File:St Margarets Chapel.JPG|thumb|left|St. Margaret's Chapel]]

==== St. Margaret's Chapel ====

{{main|St. Margaret's Chapel}}

The oldest building in the castle and in Edinburgh is the small St. Margaret's Chapel.<ref name=eotca/> One of the few 12th-century structures surviving in any Scottish castle,<ref name="Tabraham 1997, p.23"/> it dates from the reign of [[David I of Scotland|King David I]] (r.1124–1153), who built it as a private chapel for the royal family and dedicated it to his mother, [[Saint Margaret of Scotland]], who died in the castle in 1093. It survived the slighting of 1314, when the castle's defences were destroyed on the orders of Robert the Bruce, and was used as a gunpowder store from the 16th century when the present roof was built. In 1845, it was "discovered" by the [[antiquary]] [[Daniel Wilson (academic)|Daniel Wilson]], while in use as part of the larger garrison chapel, and was restored in 1851–1852.<ref name=BoS85-86/> The chapel is still used for religious ceremonies, such as weddings.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/places/hire/weddings/edinburghcastle-wedding.htm |title=Weddings at Edinburgh Castle |publisher=Historic Scotland |access-date=7 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130707192851/http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/places/hire/weddings/edinburghcastle-wedding.htm |archive-date=7 July 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>  {{Clear}}

==== Mons Meg ====
{{main|Mons Meg}}

[[File:Mons Meg, Medieval Bombard, Edinburgh, Scotland. Pic 01.jpg|thumb|right|The siege gun Mons Meg, described in a 17th-century document as "the great iron murderer called Muckle-Meg" (''muckle'' being [[Scots language|Scots]] for 'big')]]

The 15th-century siege gun or [[Bombard (weapon)|bombard]] known as Mons Meg is displayed on a terrace in front of St. Margaret's Chapel. It was constructed in the [[Flanders]] on the orders of [[Philip III, Duke of Burgundy]], in 1449, and given as a gift to King [[James II of Scotland|James II]], the husband of his niece, in 1457.<ref name="Tabraham 1997, p.76"/> The {{convert|13000|lb|t|adj=on}} gun rests on a reconstructed carriage, the details of which were copied from an old stone relief that can be seen inside the tunnel of the Gatehouse at the castle entrance. Some of Meg's large gun stones, weighing around {{convert|330|lb|kg}} each,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk/explore-the-castle/highlights/castlehighlights.aspx?start=5 |title=Mons Meg |website=Edinburgh Castle website |publisher=Historic Scotland |access-date=24 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029191844/http://www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk/explore-the-castle/highlights/castlehighlights.aspx?start=5 |archive-date=29 October 2013 }}</ref> are displayed alongside it. On 3 July 1558, it was fired in salute to celebrate the marriage of [[Mary, Queen of Scots]], to the French [[Dauphin of France|dauphin]], [[François II]]. The royal Treasurer's Accounts of the time record a payment to soldiers for retrieving one of her stones from [[Trinity, Edinburgh|Wardie Muir]] near the [[Firth of Forth]], fully {{convert|2|mi|km|0}} from the castle.<ref>{{cite book |title=Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland |volume=X |year=1913 |pages=lxxv–lxxvi, 367}}</ref> The gun has been defunct since its barrel burst while firing a salute to greet the Duke of Albany, the future [[James II of England|King James VII and II]], on his arrival in Edinburgh on 30 October 1681.<ref>Grant (1850), p. 175.</ref>

==== Half Moon Battery and David's Tower ====
[[File:Half Moon Battery and Palace Block, Edinburgh Castle.jpg|thumb|left|Half Moon Battery and Palace Block seen from the Esplanade]]
The Half Moon Battery, which remains a prominent feature on the east side of the castle, was built as part of the reconstruction works supervised by the [[James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton|Regent Morton]], and was erected between 1573 and 1588.<ref name=Salter49/> The Forewall to the north was built between 1689 and 1695 to link the Half Moon to the Portcullis Tower, although part of the original wall of 1540 was incorporated into it.<ref name=Salter49/> The Half Moon Battery was built around and over the ruins of David's Tower, two storeys of which survive beneath, with windows facing out onto the interior wall of the battery. David's Tower was built on an [[L-plan castle|L-plan]], the main block being {{convert|51|by|38|ft|m}}, with a wing measuring {{convert|21|by|18|ft|m}} to the west.<ref name=Salter49/> The entrance was via a pointed-arched doorway in the inner angle, although in the 16th century this was filled in to make the tower a solid rectangle. Prior to the Lang Siege, the tower was recorded as being {{convert|59|ft}} high, and the remaining portions stand up to {{convert|49|ft}} from the rock.<ref name=Oldrieve>Oldrieve, pp. 230–270.</ref>

The tower was rediscovered during routine maintenance work in 1912, and excavations below the Half Moon Battery revealed the extent of the surviving buildings. Several rooms are accessible to the public, although the lower parts are generally closed. Outside the tower, but within the battery, is a three-storey room, where large portions of the exterior wall of the tower are still visible, showing shattered masonry caused by the bombardment of 1573.<ref name=Oldrieve/> Beside the tower, a section of the former [[curtain wall (fortification)|curtain wall]] was discovered, with a gun loop which overlooked High Street: a recess was made in the outer battery wall to reveal this gun loop. In 1912–1913 the adjacent Fore Well was cleared and surveyed and was found to be {{convert|110|ft}} deep, mostly hewn through the rock below the castle.<ref name=Oldrieve/>

=== Crown Square ===

[[File:Edinburgh-Castle.jpg|thumb|right|The Royal Palace in Crown Square]]

Crown Square, also known as Palace Yard, was laid out in the 15th century, during the reign of [[James III of Scotland|King James III]], as the principal courtyard of the castle. The foundations were formed by the construction of a series of large stone [[vault (architecture)|vaults]] built onto the uneven Castle Rock in the 1430s. These vaults were used as a state prison until the 19th century, although more important prisoners were held in the main parts of the castle.<ref>Tabraham (2004), pp. 10, 13.</ref> The square is formed by the Royal Palace to the east, the Great Hall to the south, the Queen Anne Building to the west, and the National War Memorial to the north.<ref>MacIvor (1993), p. 137.</ref>

==== Royal Palace ====
The Royal Palace comprises the former royal apartments, which were the residence of the later [[House of Stuart|Stewart]] monarchs. It was begun in the mid-15th century, during the reign of [[James IV of Scotland|James IV]],<ref>MacIvor (1993), p. 62.</ref> and it originally communicated with David's Tower.<ref name=Salter49/> The building was extensively remodelled for the visit of [[James VI and I|James VI]] to the castle in 1617, when [[state apartment]]s for the King and Queen were built.<ref>MacIvor (1993), pp. 72–74.</ref> On the ground floor is the Laich (low) Hall, now called the King's Dining Room, and a small room, known as the Birth Chamber or Mary Room, where James VI was born to Mary, Queen of Scots, on 19 June 1566. The commemorative [[Scottish Renaissance painted ceilings|painted ceiling]] and other decorations were added in 1617. On the first floor is the vaulted Crown Room, built in 1615 to house the [[Honours of Scotland]]: the [[Crown of Scotland|crown]], the sceptre and the sword of state.<ref>MacIvor (1993), p. 51.</ref> The [[Stone of Scone]], upon which the monarchs of Scotland were traditionally crowned, has been kept in the Crown Room since its return to Scotland in 1996. To the south of the palace is the Register House, built in the 1540s to accommodate state archives.<ref>McWilliam ''et al'', p. 94.</ref>

==== Great Hall ====
[[File:Great Hall panoramic view-Edinburgh Castle.jpg|thumb|center|800px|Great Hall panoramic view-Edinburgh Castle]]
<!--[[File:The Great Hall, Edinburgh Castle - geograph.org.uk - 1299970.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Interior of the Great Hall]]-->

The Great Hall measures {{convert|29|by|12.5|m}}, and was the chief place of state assembly in the castle, although there is no evidence that the [[Parliament of Scotland]] ever met here, as is sometimes reported.<ref name=MIhall>MacIvor (1993), pp. 49–50.</ref> Historians have disagreed over its dating, although it is usually ascribed to the reign of [[James IV of Scotland|King James IV]], and is thought to have been completed in the early years of the 16th century.<ref>McWilliam ''et al.'', p.97, give 1511 as the completion date; MacIvor (1993), p.49, gives 1503, although both note that interpretations vary.</ref> The decorative carved stone [[corbel]]s supporting the roof have [[Renaissance]] detailing, which has been compared to works at [[Château de Blois|Blois]], France, of around 1515, indicating that the arts in Scotland were relatively advanced at this time.<ref name=MIhall/> It is one of only two medieval halls in Scotland with an original [[hammerbeam roof]].<ref>The other is at [[Darnaway Castle]] in Moray. Tabraham (1997), p. 73.</ref>

Following [[Oliver Cromwell]]'s seizure of the castle in 1650, the Great Hall was converted into a barracks for his troops; and in 1737 it was subdivided into three storeys to house 312 soldiers.<ref name=BoS85-86/> Following the construction of the New Barracks in the 1790s, it became a military hospital until 1897. It was then restored by Hippolyte Blanc in line with contemporary ideas of medieval architecture.<ref name="MI114"/> The Great Hall is still occasionally used for ceremonial occasions, and has been used as a venue on [[Hogmanay]] for [[BBC Scotland]]'s ''[[Hogmanay Live]]'' programme. To the south of the hall is a section of curtain wall from the 14th century with a parapet of later date.<ref name=Salter49/>

{{clear}}

==== Queen Anne Building ====

[[File:Edinburgh Castle buildings.JPG|thumb|The Queen Anne Building (centre-right)]]

In the 16th century, this area housed the kitchens serving the adjacent Great Hall, and was later the site of the Royal Gunhouse.<ref>Tabraham (2008), p. 56.</ref> The present building was named after [[Anne, Queen of Great Britain|Queen Anne]] and was built during the attempted [[Planned French Invasion of Britain (1708)|Jacobite invasion]] by the [[James Francis Edward Stuart|Old Pretender]] in 1708. It was designed by Captain Theodore Dury, military engineer for Scotland, who also designed Dury's Battery, named in his honour, on the south side of the castle in 1713.<ref>MacIvor (1993), p. 90.</ref> The Queen Anne Building provided accommodation for [[Staff Officer]]s, but after the departure of the Army it was remodelled in the 1920s as the Naval and Military Museum, to complement the newly opened [[Scottish National War Memorial]].<ref name=Salter49/> The museum later moved to the former hospital in the western part of the castle, and the building now houses a function suite and an education centre.<ref>Tabraham (2008), p. 36.</ref>

==== Scottish National War Memorial ====
{{main|Scottish National War Memorial}}

[[File:EdinburghSNWM.JPG|thumb|left|The Scottish National War Memorial]]

The Scottish National War Memorial occupies a converted barrack block on the north side of Crown Square. It stands on the site of the medieval St. Mary's Church which was rebuilt in 1366, and was converted into an armoury in 1540. It was demolished in 1755, and the masonry reused to build a new North Barrack Block on the site.<ref>MacIvor (1993), p. 98.</ref> Proposals for a Scottish National War Memorial were put forward in 1917, during the First World War, and the architect [[Robert Lorimer|Sir Robert Lorimer]] was appointed in 1919. Construction began in 1923, and the memorial was formally opened on 14 July 1927 by the [[Edward VIII|Prince of Wales]].<ref name=snwmhist>{{cite web |url=http://www.snwm.org/website/history/index.html#A1 |title=History of the Scottish National War Memorial |publisher=Scottish National War Memorial |author=Henderson, Diana M |access-date=19 March 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718210109/http://www.snwm.org/website/history/index.html#A1 |archive-date=18 July 2011 }}</ref> The exterior is decorated with [[gargoyle]]s and sculpture, while the interior contains monuments to individual regiments. The [[stained-glass]] windows are by [[Douglas Strachan]].<ref>McWilliam ''et al.'', pp. 99–100.</ref>

The memorial commemorates Scottish soldiers, and those serving with [[Scottish regiment]]s, who died in the two world wars and in more recent conflicts. Upon the altar within the Shrine, placed upon the highest point of the Castle Rock, is a sealed casket containing Rolls of Honour which list over 147,000 names of those soldiers killed in the First World War. After the Second World War, another 50,000 names were inscribed on Rolls of Honour held within the Hall, and further names continue to be added there.<ref name=snwmhist/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ukniwm.org.uk/server/show/conMemorial.2002 |title=Scottish National War Memorial |website=UK National Inventory of War Memorials |access-date=3 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080705195806/http://www.ukniwm.org.uk/server/show/conMemorial.2002 |archive-date=5 July 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref> The memorial is maintained by a charitable trust.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.oscr.org.uk/search-charity-register/charity-extract/?charitynumber=sc009869 |title=Scottish National War Memorial, SC009869 |website=Scottish Charity Register |publisher=[[Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator]] |access-date=13 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330161932/http://www.oscr.org.uk/search-charity-register/charity-extract/?charitynumber=SC009869 |archive-date=30 March 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Present use==
[[File:Panoramic view from Edinburgh Castle, June 2024.jpg|thumb|center|800px|Panoramic view from Edinburgh Castle, June 2024]]
Edinburgh Castle is in the ownership of the Scottish Ministers as heads of the devolved [[Scottish Government]]. The castle is run and administered, for the most part, by [[Historic Environment Scotland]], an [[executive agency]] of the Scottish Government, although the Army remains responsible for some areas, including the New Barracks block and the military museums. Both Historic Environment Scotland and the Army share use of the Guardroom immediately inside the castle entrance.<ref name=osowska>{{cite web |url=http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S3_PublicPetitionsCommittee/Submissions_10/10-PE1352C.pdf |title=Francesca Osowska to Mr Fergus Cochrane |publisher=[[Scottish Government]] |date=November 2010 |page=2 |access-date=25 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121128150804/http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S3_PublicPetitionsCommittee/Submissions_10/10-PE1352C.pdf |archive-date=28 November 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell.jpg|thumb|left|upright|A re-enactor portraying [[James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell]], a husband of [[Mary, Queen of Scots]], in the Great Hall]]

===Tourist attraction===
Historic Environment Scotland undertakes the dual tasks of operating the castle as a commercially viable [[Tourism in Scotland|tourist attraction]], while simultaneously bearing responsibility for conservation of the site. Edinburgh Castle remains the most popular paid visitor attraction in Scotland, with over 2.2&nbsp;million visitors in 2019.<ref name="ALVA 2019 visitor numbers" /> Historic Environment Scotland maintains a number of facilities within the castle, including two cafés/restaurants, several shops, and numerous historical displays. An educational centre in the Queen Anne Building runs events for schools and educational groups, and employs [[Historical reenactment|re-enactors]] in costume and with period weaponry.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.edinburghcastle.gov.uk/index.php/tag/costumed-performers/ |title=Costumed Performers |publisher=Historic Scotland |website=Edinburgh Castle website |access-date=4 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130807225620/http://blog.edinburghcastle.gov.uk/index.php/tag/costumed-performers/ |archive-date=7 August 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Military role===
[[File:Sentries at Edinburgh Castle Gatehouse.jpg|thumb|Sentries guarding the Gatehouse]]
Direct administration of the castle by the [[War Office]] came to an end in 1905, and in 1923 the Army formally moved to the city's new Redford Barracks. Nevertheless, the castle continues to have a strong connection with the Army, and is one of the few ancient castles in Britain that still has a military garrison, albeit for largely ceremonial and administrative purposes. Public duties performed by the garrison include guarding the [[Honours of Scotland]], and armed [[wikt:sentry|sentries]] stand watch at the Gatehouse outside opening hours. The post of [[Governor of Edinburgh Castle]] is now a ceremonial post. The New Barracks contain both the Governor's House, which serves as the Officers' Mess, and the Regimental Headquarters of the [[Royal Regiment of Scotland]]. The Army retains responsibility for these and for the [[Royal Scots]] Museum and [[Royal Scots Dragoon Guards]] Museum.<ref name=osowska/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www2.army.mod.uk/52bde/edinburgh_castle.htm |title=Edinburgh Castle |publisher=British Army |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080502223627/http://www.army.mod.uk/52bde/edinburgh_castle.htm |archive-date=2 May 2008 }}</ref>

=== Military tattoo ===
{{main|Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo}}
[[File:edinburgh castle tattoo.jpg|thumb|right|[[Royal Marines]] emerging from Edinburgh Castle during the military tattoo in 2005]]

A series of performances known as the Edinburgh Military Tattoo (since 2010 the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo) takes place on the Esplanade each year during August. The basis of each performance is a parade of the massed [[pipes and drums]] of the [[Scottish regiments]], and since its inception in 1950 the tattoo has developed a complex format that includes a variety of performers invited from around the world, although still with a largely military focus. The climax of the evening is the lone [[Bagpipes|piper]] on the castle battlements, playing a [[Pìobaireachd|pibroch]] in memory of dead comrades-in-arms, followed by massed bands joining in a medley of traditional Scottish tunes. The tattoo attracts an annual audience of around 217,000 people, and is broadcast in some 30 countries to a television audience estimated at 100&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.edintattoo.co.uk/the-experience/about-the-tattoo |title=About the Tattoo |publisher=Edinburgh Military Tattoo |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225052739/http://www.edintattoo.co.uk/the-experience/about-the-tattoo |archive-date=25 December 2013 |url-status=dead  }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.edinburghtattoo.biz/Home/edinburgh-tattoo-2011 |title=Edinburgh Tattoo 2014 |publisher=Edinburgh Tattoo |archive-date=8 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140908175857/http://www.edinburghtattoo.biz/Home/edinburgh-tattoo-2011  }}</ref>

=== One O'Clock Gun ===
[[File:One OClock Gun.JPG|thumb|left|The One O'Clock Gun being fired from Mill's Mount Battery]]

The One O'Clock Gun is a [[time signal]], fired every day at precisely one p.m., excepting Sunday, [[Good Friday]] and Christmas Day. The 'Time Gun' was established in 1861 as a time signal for ships in the harbour of [[Leith]] and the Firth of Forth, {{convert|2|mi|km|0}} away. It complemented the '[[Time Ball]]', which was installed on the [[Nelson Monument, Edinburgh|Nelson Monument]] in 1852, but was useless as a visual signal in foggy weather. Because sound travels relatively slowly (approximately {{convert|343|m/s|mph}}), a map was produced in 1861 to show the actual time when the sound of the gun would be heard at various locations across Edinburgh.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_maps_2/0_map_edinburgh_time-gun_1861_-_map_notes.htm |title=Time Gun-Maps |website=EdinPhoto |access-date=16 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212115320/http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_maps_2/0_map_edinburgh_time-gun_1861_-_map_notes.htm |archive-date=12 February 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The original gun was an 18-pound [[Muzzleloader|muzzle-loading]] cannon, which needed four men to load, and was fired from the Half Moon Battery. This was replaced in 1913 by a 32-pound [[Breech-loading weapon|breech-loader]], and in May 1952 by a [[Ordnance QF 25 pounder|25-pound Howitzer]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.1oclockgun.com/25_pounder_hmb.html |title=1952 – 25 Pounder |publisher=The One O'Clock Gun Association |access-date=16 December 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204164230/http://www.1oclockgun.com/25_pounder_hmb.html |archive-date=4 December 2008 }}</ref> The present One O'Clock Gun is an [[L118 Light Gun]], brought into service on 30 November 2001.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.edinburgh-tattoo.co.uk/news/pressrelease16.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020611082122/http://www.edinburgh-tattoo.co.uk/news/pressrelease16.html |archive-date=11 June 2002 |title="Tam the Gun" heralds the start of a new era as Edinburgh's new One O'Clock Gun is fired from the Castle |publisher=Edinburgh Military Tattoo |date=30 November 2001}}</ref>

On Sunday 2 April 1916, at an unknown time of day, the One O'Clock Gun was fired in vain at a German [[Zeppelin]] during an air raid, the gun's only known use in war.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scotlandmag.com/magazine/issue45/12009312.html |quote=So desperate were the military for weapons that even the One O’Clock Gun was aimed skywards, the only time in its history since 1861 ever to see action. Not that this was much use, for the rounds were blanks as they always have been. |title=When zeppelins rained terror |publisher=Paragraph Publishing |date=June 2009 |website=Scotland Magazine |access-date=4 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140304180159/http://www.scotlandmag.com/magazine/issue45/12009312.html |archive-date=4 March 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The gun is now fired from Mill's Mount Battery, on the north face of the castle, by the District Gunner from the [[105th Regiment Royal Artillery]]. Although the gun is no longer required for its original purpose, the ceremony has become a popular tourist attraction. The longest-serving District Gunner, Staff Sergeant [[Thomas McKay (gunner)|Thomas McKay]] [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]], nicknamed "[[Tam the Gun]]", fired the One O'Clock Gun from 1979 until his retirement in January 2005. McKay helped establish the One O'Clock Gun Association, which opened a small exhibition at Mill's Mount, and published a book entitled ''What Time Does Edinburgh's One O'clock Gun Fire?''<ref>McKay, pp. 14–15</ref> In 2006 Sergeant Jamie Shannon, nicknamed "Shannon the Cannon", became the 29th District Gunner,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/meet-shannon-the-cannon-1-1000975 |title=Meet Shannon the Cannon |website=The Scotsman |date=5 October 2006 |access-date=11 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213101900/http://www.scotsman.com/news/meet-shannon-the-cannon-1-1000975 |archive-date=13 December 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> and in 2006 Bombardier Allison Jones became the first woman to fire the gun.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4840582.stm |title=Female first for One O'Clock Gun |publisher=BBC |date=24 March 2006 |access-date=9 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080331061238/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4840582.stm |archive-date=31 March 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Symbol of Edinburgh===
<!-- Commented out: [[File:Edinburgh-coa.png|thumb|upright|Edinburgh Castle as it appears on the [[Coat of arms of Edinburgh|coat of arms]] of the city]] -->
[[File:Aerial View of Edinburgh, by Alfred Buckham, from about 1920.jpg|thumb|[[Alfred Buckham]]'s "Aerial View of Edinburgh", from about 1920]]
The castle has become a recognisable symbol of Edinburgh, and of Scotland.<ref>Tabraham (2008), p.63</ref> It appears, in stylised form, on the [[coat of arms|coats of arms]] of the [[City of Edinburgh Council]] and the [[University of Edinburgh]]. It also features on the badge of [[No. 603 Squadron RAF|No. 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron]] which was based at [[Edinburgh Airport#History|RAF Turnhouse]] (now Edinburgh Airport) during [[Second World War]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Spitfire Dive-Bombers Versus the V2|first=Bill|last=Simpson|page=138|publisher=Pen & Sword Aviation|year=2007|isbn=9781844155712}}</ref> Images of the castle are used as a logo by organisations including [[Edinburgh Rugby]], the ''[[Edinburgh Evening News]]'', [[Hibernian F.C.]] and the [[Edinburgh Marathon]]. It also appears on the "[[Castle series stamps|Castle series]]" of Royal Mail postage stamps, and has been represented on various issues of [[Banknotes of the pound sterling|banknotes]] issued by Scottish clearing banks. In the 1960s the castle was illustrated on £5 notes issued by the [[National Commercial Bank of Scotland]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://banknoteworld.com/banknote/scotland/5%20Pounds/16801 |title=5 Pounds Scotland's Banknote |publisher=Banknote World |access-date=4 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140529195105/http://banknoteworld.com/banknote/scotland/5%20Pounds/16801 |archive-date=29 May 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> and since 1987 it has featured on the reverse of £1 notes issued by the [[Royal Bank of Scotland]].<ref name="scotbanks">{{cite web|url=http://www.scotbanks.org.uk/banknote_design_royal_bank_of_scotland.php|title=Banknote Design Features : The Royal Bank of Scotland|publisher=The Committee of Scottish Bankers|access-date=4 June 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202014641/http://www.scotbanks.org.uk/banknote_design_royal_bank_of_scotland.php|archive-date=2 December 2013}}</ref> Since 2009 the castle, as part of Edinburgh's World Heritage Site, has appeared on £10 notes issued by the [[Clydesdale Bank]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scotbanks.org.uk/banknote_design_clydesdale_bank_World_Heritage.php |title=Banknote Design Features : Clydesdale Bank World Heritage Series |publisher=The Committee of Scottish Bankers |access-date=4 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006123943/http://www.scotbanks.org.uk/banknote_design_clydesdale_bank_World_Heritage.php |archive-date=6 October 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> The castle is a focal point for annual fireworks displays which mark Edinburgh's [[Hogmanay]] (new year) celebrations,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.edinburghshogmanay.org/content/midnight-moment/3734/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121129114441/http://www.edinburghshogmanay.org/content/Street%20Party/1455 |archive-date=29 November 2012 |title=Street party |publisher=Edinburgh's Hogmanay |url-status=dead  }}</ref> and the end of the [[Edinburgh Festival]] in the summer.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eif.co.uk/virginmoneyfireworksconcert-gardens |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530092910/http://www.eif.co.uk/virginmoneyfireworksconcert-gardens |archive-date=30 May 2013 |title=Virgin Money Fireworks Concert |publisher=Edinburgh International Festival |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Banknotes of Scotland]] (featured on design)
* [[List of governors of Edinburgh Castle]]
* [[List of castles in Scotland]]
* [[Military history of Scotland]]
* [[Armed forces in Scotland]]
* [[History of Edinburgh]]
* [[Stone of Scone]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |author=Ashmole, Myrtle |title=Harpers Handbook to Edinburgh |year=1981 |publisher=Noel Collins |isbn=978-0-907686-00-2}}
* {{cite book |author=Caldwell, David H |chapter=Royal Patronage of Arms and Armour Making |editor=Caldwell, David H |title=Scottish Weapons and Fortifications 1100–1800 |isbn=978-0-85976-047-8 |year=1981 |publisher=John Donald}}
* {{cite journal |last=Caldwell |first=David H (National Museums of Scotland) |title=Besieged |pages=20–24 |journal=Historic Scotland Magazine |year=2014 }}
* {{cite book |author=Camden, William |author-link=William Camden |year=1607 |others=trans. [[Philemon Holland]] |url=http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/scoteng.html#loth4 |chapter=Lauden or Lothien |title=Britannia }}
* {{cite book |author=Chambers, Robert |title=Edinburgh Papers: Ancient Domestic Architecture of Edinburgh: Edinburgh Castle as before the Siege of 1573 |year=1859 |publisher=Wm&nbsp;& Rob't Chambers |location=Edinburgh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=olpMAAAAcAAJ }}
* {{cite book |author=Cruden, Stewart |title=The Scottish Castle |year=1981 |edition=3rd |publisher=Spurbooks |isbn=978-0-7157-2088-2}}
* {{cite book |author=Devine, T.M. |title=The Scottish Nation: 1700–2000 |publisher=Penguin |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-14-023004-8 }}
* {{cite book |title=Dictionary of National Biography |year=1937 |publisher=London and Oxford:Oxford University Press|title-link=Dictionary of National Biography }}
* {{Cite book |last1=Driscoll |first1=S.T. |last2=Yeoman |first2=Peter |title=Excavations within Edinburgh Castle in 1988–91 |year=1997 |publisher=[[Society of Antiquaries of Scotland]] |isbn=978-0-903903-12-7 }}
* {{cite book |author=Dunbar, John |title=Scottish Royal Palaces: The Architecture of the Royal Residences during the Late Medieval and Early Renaissance Periods |publisher=Tuckwell Press |year=1999 |isbn=978-1-86232-042-0}}
* {{cite book |author=Fenwick, Hugh |title=Scotland's Castles |publisher=Robert Hale |year=1976 |isbn=978-0-7091-5731-1}}
* {{cite journal |url=http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/arch-352-1/dissemination/pdf/vol_116/116_393_411.pdf |author=Fernie, Eric |date=1987 |title=Early church architecture in Scotland |journal=Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland |volume=116 |pages=393–411 |doi=10.9750/PSAS.116.393.411 |s2cid=55675266 }}
* {{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NcQPSg_11X8C |title=The History of the Kings of Britain |author=Geoffrey of Monmouth |editor=Lewis G. M. Thorpe |isbn=978-0-14-044170-3 |year=1966 |publisher=Penguin Classics }}
* {{cite book |author=Gibson, John Sibbald |title=Edinburgh in the '45 |publisher=Saltire Society |year=1995 |isbn=978-0-85411-067-4}}
* {{cite book |author=Gillies, James |year=1886 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m19zB-KxzHwC |title=Edinburgh Past And Present |publisher=Oliphant, Anderson & Ferrier |isbn=978-1-4086-6024-9 }}
* {{cite book |author=Grant, James |title=Memorials of the Castle of Edinburgh |year=1850 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WqQHAAAAQAAJ }}
* {{cite book |author=Grant, James |year=c. 1890 |title=Old and New Edinburgh |volume=I |page=15 |publisher=Cassell and Co |url=http://www.oldandnewedinburgh.co.uk/volume1/page26.html }}
* {{cite book|last=Gray|first=W. Forbes|title=A Short History of Edinburgh Castle|publisher=Moray Press|location=Edinburgh|year=1948}}
* {{cite book |author=Halkerston, Peter |year=1831 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WisFSH2PA-gC |title=A Treatise on the History, Law, and Privileges of the Palace and Sanctuary of Holyroodhouse |publisher=Maclachlan and Stewart |isbn=978-1-4097-8829-4 }}
* {{cite book |author=Hardie, Alastair M R |title=Edinburgh's Castle in the Air |publisher=Serendpity |location=London |year=2004 |isbn=978-1-84394-111-8}}
* {{cite book |author=Harris, Stuart |year=2002 |title=The Place Names of Edinburgh: Their Origins and History |isbn=978-1-904246-06-0 |publisher=Steve Savage Publishers |location=London}}
* {{cite book |author=Howard, Deborah |year=1995 |title=Scottish Architecture from the Reformation to the Restoration, 1560–1660 |series=The Architectural History of Scotland |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |isbn=978-0-7486-0530-9}}
* {{cite book |author=Hussey, Christopher |year=1931 |title=The Work of Sir Robert Lorimer |publisher=London:Country Life}}
* {{cite book |author=Lynch, Michael |title=Scotland: A New History |year=1992 |isbn=978-0-7126-9893-1 |publisher=Pimlico |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/scotlandnewhisto0000lync }}
* {{cite journal|last=Macritchie|first=David|title=Notes on the Words ''Men'' and ''Maiden'' in British Topography|url=http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archiveDS/archiveDownload?t=arch-352-1/dissemination/pdf/vol_032/32_158_166.pdf|journal=Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland|volume=XXXII|date=14 March 1838|pages=158–166}}
* {{cite book |author=McAdam, David |title=Edinburgh and West Lothian: a landscape fashioned by geology |publisher=[[Scottish Natural Heritage]] |year=2003 |isbn=978-1-85397-327-7}}
* {{cite book |author=McGrail, Thomas H |title=Sir William Alexander, First Earl of Stirling: A biographical study |year=1940 |publisher=Oliver & Boyd}}
* {{cite book |author=McHardy, Stuart |title=Tales of Edinburgh Castle |publisher=Luath |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-905222-95-7}}
* {{cite book |author=MacIvor, Iain |chapter=Artillery and Major Places of Strength in the Lothians |editor=Caldwell, David H |title=Scottish Weapons and Fortifications 1100–1800 |isbn=978-0-85976-047-8 |year=1981 |publisher=John Donald}}
* {{cite book |author=MacIvor, Iain |title=Edinburgh Castle |publisher=B. T. Batsford |isbn=978-0-7134-7295-0 |year=1993}}
* {{cite book |author= McKay, Tam |title=What Time Does Edinburgh's One O'clock Gun Fire? |publisher=Cadies/Witchery Tours |isbn=978-0-9522927-3-9 |year=2002}}
* {{cite book |author=McKean, Charles |title=Edinburgh, Portrait of a City |publisher=Ebury Press |isbn=978-0-7126-3867-8 |year=1991}}
* {{cite book |author=MacQuarrie, Alan |title=Medieval Scotland: Kingship and Nation |year=2004 |isbn= 978-0-7509-2977-6 |publisher=The History Press}}
* {{cite book |author1=McWilliam, Colin |author2=Gifford, John |author3=Walker, David |year=1984 |publisher=Penguin |title=Edinburgh |series=[[Pevsner Architectural Guides|The Buildings of Scotland]] |isbn=978-0-14-071068-7 |author-link1=Colin McWilliam}}
* {{cite book |url=https://archive.org/stream/inpraiseofedinbu00massuoft/inpraiseofedinbu00massuoft_djvu.txt |title=In Praise of Edinburgh, an Anthology in Prose and Verse |editor=Masson, Rosaline |publisher=Constable and Co |year=1912 }}
* {{cite book |author=Moffat, Alistair |title=Before Scotland: The Story of Scotland Before History |publisher=Thames & Hudson |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-500-05133-7}}
* {{cite journal |author=Oldrieve, W. T. |title=Account of the recent discovery of the Remains of David's Tower at Edinburgh Castle |journal=Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland |volume=48 |year=1914 |url=http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/arch-352-1/dissemination/pdf/vol_048/48_230_271.pdf |pages=230–270 |doi=10.9750/PSAS.048.230.270 |s2cid=254528810 |access-date=25 July 2011 |archive-date=23 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120523165046/http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/arch-352-1/dissemination/pdf/vol_048/48_230_271.pdf |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite book |editor=Paul, James Balfour |title=Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland |volume=X |year=1913 |publisher=H.M. General Register House |location=Edinburgh}}
* {{cite book |editor=Pitcairn, Robert |title=Criminal trials in Scotland, from 1488 to 1624 |volume=2 |year=1833 |publisher=William Tait |location=Edinburgh |url=https://archive.org/stream/criminaltrialsin01pitc#page/44/mode/2up }}
* {{cite book |author=Potter, Harry |title=Edinburgh Under Siege: 1571–1573 |publisher=Tempus |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-7524-2332-6 }}
* {{cite book |author=Salter, Mike |year=1994 |title=The Castles of Lothian and the Borders |publisher=Folly Publications |isbn=978-1-871731-20-0 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/castlesoflothian0000salt }}
* {{cite book |author=Scott, Andrew Murray |title=Bonnie Dundee |isbn=978-0-85976-532-9 |publisher=John Donald |year=2000}}
* {{cite book |author=Scott-Moncrieff, George |title=Edinburgh |year=1965 |isbn=978-0-05-001829-3}}
* {{cite book |author=Tabraham, Chris |year=1997 |title=Scotland's Castles |publisher=BT Batsford/Historic Scotland |isbn=978-0-7134-7965-2 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/scotlandscastles0000tabr }}
* {{cite book |author=Tabraham, Chris |author2=Grove, Doreen |title=Fortress Scotland and the Jacobites |isbn=978-0-7134-7484-8 |publisher=Batsford |year=2001 |url=https://archive.org/details/fortressscotland00tabr }}
* {{cite book |author=Tabraham, Chris |publisher=Historic Scotland |title=Edinburgh Castle: Prisons of War |isbn=978-1-903570-99-9 |year=2004}}
* {{cite book |author=Tabraham, Chris |publisher=Historic Scotland |title=Edinburgh Castle: Official Guide |url=https://archive.org/details/edinburghcastleo0000tabr |url-access=registration |isbn=978-1-903570-33-3 |year=2008 }}
* {{cite book |editor=Tyler, Royall |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/source.aspx?pubid=972 |title=Calendar of State Papers, Spain, Volume 10: 1550-1552 |year=1914 }}
* {{cite journal |year=1887 |author=Wilson, Daniel |author-link=Daniel Wilson (academic) |journal=Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland |volume=21 |pages=291–316 |title=Notice of St Margaret's Chapel, Edinburgh Castle |doi=10.9750/PSAS.021.291.316 |s2cid=195390950 |url=http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/arch-352-1/dissemination/pdf/vol_021/21_291_316.pdf |access-date=25 July 2011 |archive-date=23 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120523165129/http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/arch-352-1/dissemination/pdf/vol_021/21_291_316.pdf |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite book |year=1891 |author=Wilson, Daniel |volume=1 |title=Memorials of Edinburgh in the Olden Time |url=http://www.edinburghbookshelf.org.uk/volume10/ |publisher=Adam & Charles Black |edition=2nd }}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{commons category|Edinburgh Castle}}
* {{official website|https://www.edinburghcastle.scot/}}
* {{Historic Environment Scotland|num=SM90130|desc=Edinburgh Castle}}
* [https://www.historicenvironment.scot/archives-and-research/publications/publication/?publicationid=b555b8be-e5b8-413b-ac1e-aaa001011d3c Bess Rhodes, ''Edinburgh Castle Research: The Tournaments'' (Historic Environment Scotland, 2019).]
* [https://www.historicenvironment.scot/archives-and-research/publications/publication/?publicationId=41613211-710f-4197-a087-aae700b49d71 Arkady Hodge, ''Edinburgh Castle Research: The Medieval Documents'' (Historic Environment Scotland, 2019).] 
* [http://www.snwm.org/ Scottish National War Memorial website]
* [http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/52068/details/edinburgh+castle/ Edinburgh Castle] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140105022512/http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/52068/details/edinburgh+castle/ |date=5 January 2014 }}, [[Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland]] "[[Canmore (database)|Canmore]]" database
* [http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/52068/digital_images/edinburgh+castle/ Images of Edinburgh Castle] from the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland
* [http://digital.nls.uk/slezer/engraving.cfm?sl=59 Engraving of view of the North East view of Edinburgh Castle in 1693] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180104153449/http://digital.nls.uk/slezer/engraving.cfm?sl=59 |date=4 January 2018 }} by [[John Slezer]] at National Library of Scotland
* [http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/1_MAP_2/1_map_edinburgh_1861_time-gun_-_whole_map.htm Time-Gun Map of Edinburgh & Leith 1861 at edinphoto]

{{Royal palaces in the United Kingdom}}
{{Buildings and Structures in Edinburgh}}
{{Defence infrastructure in Edinburgh}}
{{Residential buildings in Edinburgh}}
{{Edinburgh}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Edinburgh Castle| ]]
[[Category:Castles in Edinburgh]]
[[Category:Clan Stewart]]
[[Category:Defunct prisons in Edinburgh]]
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[[Category:Listed castles in Scotland]]
[[Category:Listed prison buildings in Scotland]]
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[[Category:Prison museums in the United Kingdom]]
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[[Category:Renaissance architecture in Scotland]]
[[Category:Royal Regiment of Scotland]]
[[Category:Royal residences in Scotland]]
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