The History of Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle sits high up on Castle Rock, one of the first places humans are said to have lived in Edinburgh. Its strategic position led it to endure many sieges during the Wars of Independence.  

Inside the castle is St. Margaret’s Chapel, Edinburgh’s oldest building. It’s named after Queen Margaret who died in the castle. Pan around to explore.

The castle is spread over 2.8 hectares and sits on top of an extinct volcano. It hosts a number of well-known cultural events including the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.  

The castle is made up of 27 buildings. Pan around to see the entrance.

Edinburgh Castle is one of the most popular visitor attractions in the UK. As the most popular ticketed attraction outside of London, it gets approximately two million visitors per year. 

The castle is managed by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) who investigate, look after and promote Scotland's historic environment. The teams at HES use digital tools to help understand and manage these sites.