Edinburgh Castle at a Glance

With a history spanning over 1000 years, Edinburgh Castle is perhaps the most unavoidable and visually ubiquitous centrepiece of the city. I take a moment from a very quick day trip to Edinburgh to join the thousands of visitors who tick it off their Scottish bucket list each year.

With a history spanning over 1000 years, Edinburgh Castle is perhaps the most unavoidable and visually ubiquitous centrepiece of the city. I take a moment from a very quick day trip to Edinburgh to join the thousands of visitors who tick it off their Scottish bucket list each year.

We tend to think of any historic human development, building or monument as being static - a snapshot of a long time ago, erected suddenly, and subsequently steeped in inevitable history. In reality, most buildings have a varied, if vague sense of when and how they were created. Often they are a product of an architectural evolution, involving construction, destruction, adaptation, salvation and fortitude, guided by the equally chaotic history of human civilisation.

In fact, we could say that the history of Edinburgh Castle in fact began millions, rather than thousands of years ago, and surprisingly this ancient period created the most obvious and dominating feature of the castle. After dropping my bag off at the nearby hotel, the striking, towering volcanic bedrock that the castle sits atop of is immediately obvious walking towards it. As I get closer, the dramatically shaped black rock formed millions of years ago presents itself as the first stage in the castles history. One side is a sheer cliff face where ancient lava struck, and the other a gentle slope, protected from the jagged cliffs on the other side, where the lava 'gracefully' drifted by. The castle's proudest statement is that its built on a prehistoric volcano.

I walk towards this sloping section, gifted by nature as a natural gateway to this fortress of rock, aptly named 'The Royal Mile'. Ancient buildings are more often than not chosen for their geographical surroundings and convenience, Edinburgh Castle being a clear example. As I reach the top of some steps, The Royal Mile slopes gently downwards to the right, and the castle stands beckoning to the left.

With the Fringe Festival commencing tomorrow, and the stadium already set up for the Edinburgh Tattoo, the crowds swarm around me. I enter through the first archway, with proud knights carved either side.

It takes a while to obtain my ticket, which I put down to the fact that the one o'clock cannon firing is in about half an hour. There is time for little exploring before. The castle walls seem to have more of reddish hue up close than expected, instead of the grey colour perceived from a distance. The walls are lined with cannons and outlooks, and immediately the impressive vantage point is obvious.

The castle's history as a royal residential establishment is actually quite limited - in fact only up until about 1603. Its chief involvement in history from then on was for military and war purposes. The list of wars Edinburgh Castle had involvement in is staggering, spanning centuries.

Holding prisoners of war was one of the castle's primary purposes. I head into the dark recesses of the prison area, guided by displays, exhibits and audio visual information. The smell of rot and damp fills the air. A large stone room is full of recreated hammocks where prisoners would have slept. It's easy to see how the comradery amongst prisoners formed and lead to prison breaks.

The next prison I head into is of typical Victorian design, with a central area containing a wrought iron staircase, and rows of small individual cells around it. Peering inside reveals the isolating nature of the conditions, although perhaps more preferable to the hammocks.

The Regiment Museum is just around the corner, and a quick walk-through reveals a fascinating history in costume and items such as pistols, horns and horse riding paraphernalia. Of course the kilt, as well as ornate bagpipes, are a recurring theme.

I justle for a position outside to witness the firing of the cannon at one o'clock. Tourists wrestle and push for a position whilst staff politely (and repeatedly) ask them to keep off the grass banks of the castle interior. Rather unceremoniously a kilted Scot appears, and although I am expecting it, the ricocheting bang makes me jump, and is followed by a plume of smoke drifting across the Edinburgh skyline.

The (hopefully) final battle in the castle seems to be the war of the tourists, as I fight my way through dozy dawdlers and screaming children to find the The Great Hall. The red walls and glowing embers of the huge fireplace create a warm space, with knights armour and weaponry adorning it.

Dramatic paintings, elaborate chandeliers and wooden vaulted ceilings adds to the grandness of it. The exterior certainly does seem to create a villainous sense of foreboding, intentional or not.

Finally I have a very quick peek into the Memorial Hall, before having to go back into battle to leave. Framed by the fortification inside the castle, modern Edinburgh from this perspective appears nurtured and as though under a protective spell.

Whether predominantly from its volcanic roots millions of years ago, or from its rich and evolving architectural history, Edinburgh Castle seems to cultivate a position of permanent authority from its location, and one of prowess from its strong stone walls.