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The history of Edinburgh is strongly linked to the Castle which dominates the city from its position high above the park atop an almost sheer volcanic rock.

A World Heritage site, the Castle has had many owners and visitors over the years, lost to  and recaptured from the English on several occasions. The stronghold was first recorded as early as 600AD and by the Middle Ages it had become a mighty fortification and the royal residence of Scotland's kings and queens. Since the Bronze Age it has witnessed much of the nation's rich past, including the birth of Mary Queen of Scots' only child - James VI (who united the  the crowns of England and Scotland), Cromwell's Roundheads and the Jacobite Risings.

The architecture reflects the castles complex history and role as a both stronghold and as a seat of kings. Within the castle there's the tiny St Margaret's Chapel, Edinburgh's oldest building, dating from the 1100's, the Great Hall with its hammerbeam roof built by James IV, the National War Museum of Scotland, the Vaults where prisoners of war were held in the 18th and 19th centuriers, the 'Honours of the Kingdom' exhibition telling the story of Scotland's Crown Jewels, and the giant medieval siege cannon Mons Meg once again sitting proudly on the castle ramparts.

The defences were dismantled by the Scots themselves in 1313, rebuilt in 1356, and the castle last saw action in 1745. Now Scotland's great national monument, guides and tours are included with the entrance fee if you decide to enter the castle grounds.