EDINBURGH CASTLE
No city ever made such an overwhelming wow impression on me as Edinburgh. Not even London ten days earlier. The reasons are numerous, but the most obvious was I felt that I was invited inside a fairy tale…
Who am I kidding? I was inside a fairy tale for a day! And I was a welcomed guest at the Edinburgh Castle.
PLANNING AHEAD IS IMPORTANT
Underscoring that I knew little or none about history of Scotland, I made some advance research to check the key points of interest. Edinburgh Castle won. Especially, since I wanted to at least once have proper English tea whilst in the UK and after I learned that there is a tearoom right in the castle… I booked our teatime and our castle entry time.
That is right, with scores of visitors pretty much year round, except possibly January, the times you enter the castle are listed on your tickets. By the way, tickets need to be purchased in advance if you have limited time, as we did, having been brought into the city by transfer bus from S. Queensferry, about 40 minutes each way. Cruise ship wait for for no passengers.
KNOW YOUR SCOTTISH HISTORY
With the exception of Mary of Scots, I had no knowledge of Scottish history. I knew also that Queen Elizabeth II visited Balmoral Castle. Saw it in the film about the Queen a few years ago, but until I saw Scotland with my own eyes, I could not comprehend its uniquely special beauty.
But sticking with Edinburgh, the rock upon which the Castle was ultimately built is actually a
geological plug of an extinct volcano…rising about 400 ft above sea level.
The earliest settlements on Castle Rock date to end of 1st century AD. The water supply to the castle was provided by its only well.
But the Castle’s history begins to be fascinating during the Middle Ages when King David I (1124-1153) developed Edinburgh into a seat of royal power. In my absolute ignorance, I was surprised to know that there was a King David in Scotland, or his father, King Malcolm III, or subsequently a King Alexander III. There is so much history in Scotland that deserves a deeper look. I hope I can manage to find time to do some exploring.
CASTLE ROCK – NOT HOLLYWOOD
To get to the Castle you need to get to the top of Castle Rock, where the Old Town is, and the easiest access is driving through the Royal Mile or climbing a long set of steps from the Grassmarket way down at the foothill of Castle Rock.
Incidentally, we took our favorite transport, the Hop On-Off Bus and it stopped within easy reach of the main gate checkpoint.
At the checkpoint, they ascertain the entry-time of your tickets. Ours was 12:30 to 1 p.m. They give you some leeway, but if you are very late, access may be denied. It is done to avoid congestion in the key areas, like great hall and royal jewels rooms. With over 2,000,000 people visiting annually, I’d say we were among at least 6,000 that day and it felt crowded, despite the crowd control measures.
INTERNATIONAL CONCERT VENUE
In the month of August, Edinburgh hosts a slew of important international festivals and concerts.
Annually, a stage is erected at the entry to the Castle and it was already up on June 22, the day of our visit. Concert attendees need to go through security checkpoints at the bottom of Castle Rock before climbing up…
CASTLE GROUNDS
Besides the Royal Palace,
where we stood in a winding line to view the Royal Jewels, some of which were out for repairs, we saw
The Queen Anne Building, The Scottish War Memorial,
The Governors House, St. Margaret’s Chapel (the only building surviving from King David I days). No photography of Royal Jewels were permitted. And the Great Hall 
and Royal Apartment.
MILITARY TATOO
Edinburgh Castle is one the few remaining ancient castles in Great Britain with active military presence. It has a military garrison. The daily ceremony of the One O’Clock Gun was something we heard to welcome us to the top of the Crown Square, in front of the Royal Palace. No gun is fired on Sundays, Good Friday and Christmas Day. The Gun is fired by 105th Regiment Royal Artillery. Apparently, there are also spectacular Military Tatoo pipes and drums ceremonies, but they are in August. The Tatoo attracts annual audience in excess of 200,000 and is broadcasted to over 30 countries to reach an estimated 1,000,000,000.
CASTLE AFTERNOON TEA
My individual high was sitting down to tea
in this ancient place and having earl gray with lemon and a variety of tea treats. It’s been ages since I had proper tea. The service, however, could use betterment.