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Edinburgh Castle
Author's note:
This piece was inspired by my trip to Edinburgh Castle in Scotland.
Edinburgh Castle was the home to Britain’s most famous royals. The founders of the castle are King Malcolm Canmore and St. Margaret in the 11th century. Edinburgh castle is located in Edinburgh, Scotland and is built on top of a dead volcano called Castle Rock. It also played an important part in Scottish history. It had interesting tales of mystery. Edinburgh castle was the home of Scotland’s military unit and the Scottish Crown Jewels.
Edinburgh castle was the most fought over castle in Britain. It has been attacked twenty-three times by Scottish clans, English kings, and German airships. The castle was turned into a military headquarters by Charles II during the middle of the 17th century. It is now a military barracks and it still has a working military garrison. Edinburgh had many purposes throughout the years. Many people lived in the castle. The castle was used to house nobles who lived in the royal apartments, servants who lived in the vaults, and prisoners who lived in the dungeons. The castle’s purpose was to protect the people living there, provide a living quarters for royals, and to store weapons. The castle was also used to store the crown jewels of Scotland which are the crown, sword, and scepter.
One of Edinburgh Castle’s purposes was to keep prisoners. The prisoners came from as far as France, America, Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Italy, Denmark, and Poland. The first prisoners were French privateers captured in 1758. Among the prisoners, was a five-year-old drummer boy captured at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. One time a prisoner was so desperate to get out of prison, they hid in a dung barrow. Unfortunately, they got dashed into pieces when it tripped over the castle wall.
The Great Hall is a room in Edinburgh Castle. It was completed in 1511 for James IV. It is filled with important symbols like the thistle, which is a symbol for Scotland. James IV had little time to enjoy the Great Hall because he was killed by King Henry VIII of England. When the castle was taken by the English, the hall became a military barracks.
The Royal Palace is another room in Edinburgh Castle. It was richly decorated and furnished for the queens and kings. Queen Mary of Guise who was the last defender of the Auld Alliance with France and a champion of the Catholic faith against the Protestant Reformation, died here in 1560. This is also where Mary Queen of Scots gave birth in 1566 to James VI in 1566, who is the king who united Scotland and England in 1603. Charles I also slept here on June 19th 1633 which is the night before his Scottish coronation.
St Margaret’s Chapel is the oldest building in Edinburgh Castle. David I dedicated the chapel to his mother Queen Margaret. Queen Margaret was a member of the English royal family. She fled the Norman invasion and married King Malcolm Canmore. She was canonized in 1250 by Pope Innocent IV. The chapel is still used for christenings and weddings.
The Half Moon Battery makes the castle unique. It was built after the Tudor queen Queen Elizabeth I of England when she knocked down David’s Tower. David’s Tower was built by King David II. It was used was used as a house for royals and was the city’s first tower house. The Half Moon Battery was built around of the remains of David’s tower. It wraps around the southern face of the castle and is designed to give the men who are firing cannons the maximum range of fire over the area below.
The Stone of Destiny is an important symbol in Scottish monarchy. It witnessed the coronation of Scottish monarchy. In a legend, it was used as a pillow by Patriarch Jacob, father of Joseph in the Old Testament, when he dreamed of Jacob’s Ladder. Edward I of England took the stone and had it built into his own thrown in 1296. In 1950, Scottish students removed the stone from Westminster Abbey in London. In 1996 the stone was returned to Scotland.
The Crown Jewels or the Honors of Scotland, are in Edinburgh Castle. The Crown Jewels of Scotland are the crown, sword, and scepter. In 1494, the scepter was presented to James IV by Pope Alexander VI. In 1540, the crown was first used for the coronation of Queen Mary of Guise. All of the crown jewels were first used in 1543 for the coronation of Mary Queen of Scots.
Mons Meg is a main cannon in Edinburgh Castle. Mons Meg was at the cutting edge of military technology during the time. It was given to James II by Duke Philip of Burgundy in 1457. It was hauled to the siege of Roxburgh Castle in 1313. Mons Meg is capable of blasting a 150kg gunstone for two miles. James IV used Mons Meg in his attacks on Dumbarton and Norman castles. Mons Meg retired in 1550 in James V’s navy.
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