| Edinburgh Castle | |
|---|---|
| Castlehill, Edinburgh in Scotland | |
 Edinburgh Castle dominates the Old Town | |
 | |
 Location in Edinburgh | |
| Coordinates | 55°56′55″N 3°12′3″W / 55.94861°N 3.20083°W |
| Type | Visitor attraction and British Army regimental headquarters |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Scottish Ministers[1] |
| Operator | Historic Environment Scotland and British Army[1] |
| Open to the public | Yes |
| Visitor numbers | 2,201,354 (2019)[2] |
| Website | www |
| Site history | |
| Built | 11th century through to the 21st century |
| Battles/wars |
|
| Events | Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (annual) |
| Garrison information | |
| Current commander | Major General Alastair Bruce of Crionaich |
| Past commanders | List of governors of Edinburgh Castle |
| Designated | 17 May 1993 |
| Reference no. | SM90130[3] |
Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on 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 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 Scottish history, and has served variously as a royal residence, an arsenal, a treasury, a national archive, a 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".[4] 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,[5] 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 museums, 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 million visitors in 2019[6] and over 70 percent of leisure visitors to Edinburgh visiting the castle.[7] 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.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
osowskawas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Visits made in 2019 to visitor attractions in membership with ALVA". Association of Leading Visitor Attractions. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
- ^ "Edinburgh Castle/Caisteal Dhùn Èideann". portal.historicenvironment.scot. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
- ^ Caldwell, pp. 20–24.
- ^ "Pre-1750 Buildings in Edinburgh Old Town Conservation Area". City of Edinburgh Council, City Development Department. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2009.
- ^ "ALVA – Association of Leading Visitor Attractions". alva.org.uk. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ Lynn Jones Research Ltd. (28 January 2013). "Edinburgh Visitor Survey: Visitrac Survey Response Analysis" (PDF). City of Edinburgh Council. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 October 2017. Retrieved 13 October 2017.