1000 Places to See Before You Die 6 – Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland

The castle is the hallmark of the city of Edinburgh, perched on top of an extinct volcano. It traces its history back to the little Chapel of St. Margaret from the 1100s, which is the oldest building in all of Edinburgh.


I went there in 2005 when I was doing the big Interrail trip of Western Europe with my friend. The castle was at the top of the sightseeing list in Edinburgh, and it did not disappoint. Included in the admission price was a free group tour, and we took advantage of that. I think you just get more out of a place when you have a guide. Of course, there is a big difference between guides, some are good, some are bad, but our guide in the castle was really good. He told us all the "obvious" stuff, but also the fun things you might not get from reading a guide book. We saw the cemetery for the dogs of the soldiers that served at the castle and the cannons that had never been fired, because they were navy cannons, which means that they were meant to be loaded from the front, which is hard to do with the barrel pointing out over the abyss.

The cemetery for soldiers' dog
The Honours of Scotland (the royal jewels) are also kept and exhibited at the castle, and according to my notes they consist of the crown, the sceptre and the royal sword. These are the oldest regalia in Europe. Furthermore you can see the royal chambers that were used until the king moved to England permanently in 1603 AD.

The Royal Mile is the street that connects Castle Hill to High Street, and this part of town is the most historic, the back alleys and twisted passages giving it a medieval touch. The 1½ km long Princes Street is the main shopping street of the town, but other shops can be found throughout the city, and it is definitely worth a wander.



My friend and I also went to the museum Camera Obscura, which, as I recall, was situated close to the castle. The museum is based around optical illusions and tricks, and we had a lot of fun in there. The Camera Obscura itself is a giant mirror tilted in such a way that it shows the streets of the city on a white board. You can see the people walking around, and when it was first introduced in the Victorian age people thought it was sorcery. The best part was probably a machine that allowed you to take a picture of yourself and then see yourself as a chimpanzee, a baby, an anime-figure and as the last person who took a picture. My friend and I took a picture that blended our two faces and sent it to our mums, who were very confused as to which one of us it was. This museum is definitely worth a visit.

Edinburgh is a great city, both for shopping and culture, and I have always wanted to go back there. Hopefully I will soon.

All facts are from the book “1000 Places to See Before You Die” by Patricia Schultz



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