Edinburgh Castle is the most known of all Scottish landmarks, with over 3,000 years of history. Here are 10 unexpected facts I learned after visiting this famous fortress.
It is the second busiest visitor attraction in the country
With a record-breaking 1.3 million visitors in 2022, it is the second most visited attraction in Scotland after the National Museum (1.9 million).
The castle sits atop a volcano
Don’t need to worry, the last volcanic explosion occurred nearly 340 million years ago. Archaeological evidence suggests humans have been living here since 850 BC, but the earliest surviving buildings date to the 12th century, they were constructed atop the plug of the volcano’s vent.
An elephant once lived here
Highlanders brought an elephant from one of the expeditions to Sri Lanka. The elephant’s toenails are currently displayed in the National War Museum.
The walls have ears
In the castle’s Great Hall, there is a small, barred window above and to the right of the fireplace. Known as the ‘laird’s lug’ (‘lord’s ear’), it allowed the king to hide away and spy on his courtiers’ conversations.
In 1984, ahead of a scheduled visit from Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev, the KGB insisted that the holes be bricked up on security grounds.
There is a dog cemetery
Tucked off the main path is the final resting place of mascots and Scottish guards’ loyal canine companions dating back to 1840. They were buried on castle grounds for their loyalty and service – a custom usually only reserved for nobility and soldiers of distinction.
The Scottish crown jewels were lost in the castle for years
The Crown, the Sceptre, and the Sword of State used in the coronation of Scottish monarchs were locked in a chest in Edinburgh Castle and forgotten for nearly a century until they were rediscovered by Sir Walter Scott in 1818. They’ve been on continuous display in the castle since then, however, taking photographs there is banned.
The castle is haunted by a ghost
The legend goes that the secret passageways were discovered underneath the castle. One day, a young piper was dispatched into the tunnels and instructed to play his pipes as he walked, so that people above could map out where the passages led. However, his playing abruptly ceased, and no trace of the young piper could be found. It is said that his ghostly piping can still be heard beneath the castle to this day.
It contains the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh
King David I built the chapel in about 1130 in honor of his saintly mother, Margaret. St Margaret’s Chapel is not only the oldest building in the castle but also the earliest surviving building in Edinburgh.
The Great Hall served as a soldier’s barracks
The English general Oliver Cromwell turned the Great Hall into barracks for companies of Redcoat soldiers after capturing the castle in 1650. This would have been a noisy, smelly, and unsanitary place.
Six-tonnes wedding gift
In 1457, the medieval siege gun “Mons Meg” arrived in Scotland as a gift for the wedding of King James II and Mary of Guelders. Mons Meg was so heavy that it was carried on a reinforced cart and moved only about 15 km (9 miles) a day.
Two of Scotland’s most celebrated warriors stand guard outside the castle
Many tourists overlook these statues that guard the main gates of Edinburgh Castle. Sir William Wallace (the statue on the right), famously depicted in the movie Braveheart, was among the first Scottish leaders to revolt against King Edward I of England.
Robert the Bruce declared himself King of Scots in 1306. He had royal ambitions fueling his desire to free the Scots from English rule.
Is there any fact that surprised you?
