Dawn over the castle is very beautiful!
Everything in it is interesting and makes a strong impression: a view from afar and a view from up close, the road to it and the view from its windows, architecture and interior decoration, as well as the surrounding myths and legends, in a word, everything is history and everything is very ancient culture. No wonder this fortress, located at the top of an extinct volcano, was usually called the "key to the country"! By the way, archaeologists are still digging on the territory of the castle. As far as possible, of course, since no one will allow anyone to lift slabs and loosen foundations just like that. Nevertheless, it has already been proven that people lived here for a very long time, that is, when there was no castle here either.
Edinburgh castle.
Climbing the rock on which he stands has always been difficult, and those who once took a fancy to this place to live appreciated their security very much. And then there was a legend that whoever owns Edinburgh Castle owns Scotland! Therefore, it is not surprising that after the Second World War it still belonged to the Ministry of Defense and was listed in the list of fortifications operating in the country, and became a museum object relatively recently. Be that as it may, we know that the Romans already built some kind of fortification here. Then whoever it did not belong to - the Scots, and the Britons, and even the Picts. Among the Romans in the II century. a settlement was known, which they called "Alauna", which means "mountainous place", it is very possible that this "place" was just located on the Castle Rock.
Edinburgh Castle and the fountain below.
In any case, in the 600th year of our era, according to ancient chronicles, King Munnidog lived on the "Castle Rock" in the Eidin fortress. The territory under his control was small, the army was also not impressive in number, and in the battle with the Angles he was defeated. By the way, her name Eidin refers only to this year. Prior to that, and up to the 17th century inclusive, this fortress in Edinburgh was called the "Castle of the Virgins".
In winter they look like this …
Now in the history of the castle we will have a lacuna of as much as 500 years, during which a lot has happened, and people all lived and lived here. As for the number 500, it arose again from documents, since the first mention in which this castle was described dates back to 1093. The chronicle informs about the death of King Malcolm III, and also that it was here, in the "Castle of the Virgins", that his widow died of grief, and the children managed to escape from enemies through a secret door in the wall during the siege. Moreover, his wife, Margaret, was subsequently canonized for her piety, and she became the first Scottish saint!
Top view of the castle.
Moreover, even then, the first meeting of the Scottish parliament took place on the "Castle Rock" under the son of Margaret King David I. By the way, before David's reign, Edinburgh was not the capital of Scotland. It was with him that he became such. And besides, the king built here the first stone buildings: a chapel in honor of the mother of St. Margaret and St. Virgin Mary.
Royal Palace.
But then the Scots were unlucky. It so happened that in 1174 the grandson of David I, King William I of Scotland, nicknamed "The Lion", did not live up to his warlike nickname, lost the battle at Alnwick and was captured by the British. For his release, he had to become a vassal of Henry II, give him Edinburgh Castle, and Scotland - to recognize him as a fief. But having married the granddaughter of Henry I, he returned him as a dowry, after which he also returned independence to the country, and in a very peaceful way. He bought it from King Richard the Lionheart, who urgently needed money for a crusade, for a very decent amount of 10 thousand silver marks.
The gate to the castle.
At the end of the 13th century, King Edward I of England began the war against Scotland and managed to take Edinburgh Castle in just two months. The British set up throwing machines and threw stones at him for three days, after which the garrison surrendered. All the royal regalia and jewelry that belonged to the Scottish kings were sent to London, and many historical archives were taken there, which, apparently, were already of considerable value in the eyes of the conquerors.
View of the castle from the city.
In the future, "Castle of the Virgins" now and then passed from hand to hand. Either the Scots rallied and recaptured him from the British, then the British took him back in response. This continued until 1357, when the kings of Scotland and England finally signed a treaty, according to which Scotland gained full independence. 10 years after this event, a 30-meter-high tower was built in the castle, which was named the tower of King David II in honor of the signatory of this treaty. But, unfortunately, it has not survived to this day.
Big hall.
The main fireplace in the Great Hall.
In 1479, the Tower of David held Alexander Stuart, the second son of King James II and Mary of Geldern, accused of witchcraft. But being still the son of the king, he was kept with privileges, had access to wine, and managed to escape. He watered his guards and climbed down the rope from the cell window. The plot is very similar to the escape scene of the "Iron Mask" from the 1962 movie. Naturally, Alexander could only flee to France, where he received a warm welcome from Louis XI. In 1482, a revolt of the Scottish barons against the king broke out, James III was imprisoned at Edinburgh Castle, and now Alexander Stuart was able to return to Scotland, relying on the support of Richard III, who needed any allies.
One of the fireplaces in the Great Hall.
The years passed. The inhabitants of the castle, as befits medieval lords, drank themselves, overeat, squeezed maids in the corners and lifted the skirts of the reapers in the fields, went hunting, and also betrayed and violated oaths, chopped off their heads - in a word, led a normal medieval life. Mary Stuart gave birth to King James in the castle, although she never liked the castle itself. Gradually, it was overgrown with new fortifications, and most importantly - bastions for cannons.
The castle houses a solid collection of ancient weapons. It would be more correct to say - it is there everywhere!
In 1573, it was besieged by the troops of Queen Elizabeth. It was impossible to get to it from three sides because of the steep cliffs, and the only road that led to its gate from the valley was very steep and so narrow that the defenders of the fortress could destroy it with the first cannon shot.
Hall of Fame - Scottish War Memorial.
And then the commander of Elizabeth, William Drury, abandoned the assault and for almost a month built a gun battery opposite the castle. When it was ready, from May 17 to May 29, artillery shelling of the "Castle of the Virgins" began. Moreover, the fire did not stop either day or night. Chronicles report that then more than 3000 shells fell into the castle and one can imagine what was happening there. The Tower of David II and many other fortifications of the fortress were completely destroyed. Even the well was destroyed, so that the defenders started having problems with water. As a result, the defenders of the fortress rebelled against their commanders and surrendered the castle. Elizabeth I showed mercy to them and released all the soldiers to freedom, and only two brothers, who led the defense and took the side of Mary Stuart, and two jewelers who minted coins of pure gold with her image, were ordered by the queen to be hanged.
For the next century and a half, the castle was re-fortified several times and then destroyed again, and its surroundings and walls resounded with the cries of war and the groans of the dead. The Scots, although it was very difficult for them, did not want to surrender to the British. But in 1707, Scotland nevertheless became part of Great Britain. And in 1728, the authorities of the United Kingdom, bearing in mind the strategic importance of this important object, built several towers with loopholes in the castle at once.
And they did it just in time! Since in 1745 another uprising followed, during which the Jacobins again tried to take possession of the "heart of Scotland." But they did not succeed in taking the castle by storm, and they simply did not have such a quantity of artillery as in 1573.
The museum is a prison!
There was no more fighting inside the kingdom, but nevertheless, the castle was on the list of the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense as an important military facility. And then, already in 1799, the construction of many new premises began on its territory. The House of the Governor and the Barracks were erected, which were named "New". But now the castle was turned into a fortress-prison, where especially dangerous criminals were kept.
View of the castle from Grassmarket.
But, apparently, the castle was not very suitable for this purpose. Since in 1811 49 prisoners fled from it at once, who managed to make a hole in the southern part of the castle. After that, the prison was moved.
Royal insignia.
And then an epoch-making event happened in the castle. The writer Walter Scott in 1818, having read old documents, found in it the crown of Scotland. He received permission to search, went to the castle and … found! So old documents are a great thing, and those who neglect them make a big mistake.
Since 1830, tourists have been allowed to visit Edinburgh Castle, and after another 15 years in the chapel of St. Margaret, the widow of Malcolm III, they began to perform divine services, which attracted numerous Scottish Catholics here.
St Margaret's Chapel is the oldest building in Edinburgh, dating back to 1130.
In 1880, a very large restoration work was carried out in the castle, after which it acquired a modern appearance. But the castle did not lose its function as a prison either. During the Second World War, it contained German aces pilots from the Luftwaffe. That is why the Germans did not bomb the city. After all, even a random bomb could kill the most real heroes!
"Hour Cannon"
What and how should you watch at Edinburgh Castle? Well, first of all, you should approach him along the street, which is called the "royal mile", which is interesting in itself. Then you need to visit the chapel of St. Margaret. After all, this is the oldest building on earth in the United Kingdom. And then all that remains is to move from museum to museum, which are arranged everywhere in the castle. And within the walls (!), And in the "House of the Governor", even in prison cells.
"Clock Tower" with a black ball on the cross.
The famous Stone of Destiny is also displayed in one of the rooms! What it is? And here's what: the legendary stone, which is more than 3,000 years old. Again, according to legend, this stone belonged to the daughter of the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II. And for some reason (this is obvious nonsense!) She took him to Scotland, and then she left him, and after that all the monarchs of the country began to be crowned on him. Having captured the castle, the British took him to London. But in 1996, with the approval of Queen Elizabeth II, it was decided to return the stone to Edinburgh Palace. True, on one condition: as it is needed for the coronation of the new monarch of the United Kingdom, the Stone of Destiny will be taken and taken to London.
"The stone of Destiny"
According to another legend, Saint Jacob was sleeping on it when angels appeared to him, descending to earth by stairs. It is difficult to say which of them should be believed and whether it should be at all. But people believe. In any case, during the solemn ceremony of his return, the people and Catholic priests stood along the entire "royal mile" and there were both, well, just a lot.
A very entertaining cemetery for the dogs of garrison officers.
People also look at the "Hour Cannon", which, since 1861, on all days (except for the holidays of Christmas and Good Friday), has been firing one shot at exactly 13-00. It is duplicated by the "Ball of Time", which is located on the tower outside the castle at a distance of 1 238 m. At 13-00 it falls and at the same time the cannon rumbles. There were several "sentry guns", and all of them are preserved in the castle. The one firing now is the L119 modern light artillery gun in service. Finally, if you decide to visit the fortified castle at the end of August, do not forget to check the time. Because then you will be able to see a truly enchanting spectacle, namely, the festival of the best military bands in the world. At its opening, a huge number of Scottish drummers in national military uniforms, beating a roll, pass through the courtyard. They are followed by pipers, who with their mournful heartbreaking howls pay tribute to the history of proud Scotland.
Mons Mag. Side view.
The caliber is impressive!
And these are its cores!
There is another unique monument of the era in the castle: the Mons Meg bombarda (Mons Mug) - one of the few forged weapons of the 15th century that have survived to our time. It is believed that it was made by order of Philip III the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in 1449, and 8 years later it was presented as a gift to King James II of Scotland. The caliber of the gun is 520 mm. Mons Meg is one of the largest stone cannons in the world. It is known that she shot once, at the wedding of Queen Mary and the French Dauphin Francis. The stone core flew out of it for 3 kilometers, but the trunk cracked at the same time, revealing its internal structure. Then, by the way, the core was found, although not soon!
It was in this place that it was torn apart, and now, thanks to this, it is clearly visible how it was arranged!
