Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle sits at one end of the Royal Mile, on rock that is perched above the city with great views.  The castle has served as a focal point of Scottish and Edinburgh life for centuries -- as the home of kings and queens, and most recently as a military garrison.  It's actually a collection of buildings linked together with cobblestone walkways, all behind massive stonewalls with cannons strategically placed for protection.

St. Margaret's Chapel was the first

building constructed -- it dates to 1130 -- and is the oldest building in Edinburgh.  Parts of the Castle have also served as a jail including housing American prisoners during the Revolutionary War.

The esplanade leading to the the castle entrance has been temporarily transformed into a small stadium in preparation for the Edinburgh Tattoo that's held every August.  The Tattoo brings together the best pipes and drums groups from around the world.  This is frequently shown on PBS.  Every year they erect the stadium
seating for this event and then remove it in September once it's over.  Our apartment overlooks the esplanade and typically has great views of the castle.  Unfortunately for our stay, we see the underside of stadium seating.  We all agree that's a small price to pay for having such an awesome location for our Edinburgh stay.

Setting up for the Tattoo