Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh
Edinburgh Castle is the fortress of the kings of Scotland, on the rock above the Old Town. The open space in front of the entrance, called the Esplanade, is public and free.
A very hard rock
The castle stands on a rock of black, very hard stone. Glaciers scraped away the land around it, but not the rock. That's why the rock has three very steep sides and only one gentle slope.
The castle of the kings
There has been a royal castle on the rock since the 11th century. In the 1500s the kings preferred the Palace of Holyroodhouse, but the castle remained theirs. Inside are kept the jewels of the Scottish kings, once used in great ceremonies.
The Esplanade
In the 1700s the ground in front of the castle was levelled for parades and ceremonies. In 1816 the Esplanade was enlarged and closed off by a low wall on the city side. Every August a famous show of bands takes place here, with bagpipes and drums.
A signal for ships
Since 1861 the castle has sent out a sound signal from Monday to Saturday, except on a few holidays. It helped ship captains, who used it to work out their course at sea. The tradition still goes on. Across the city, at that hour, many people look up at the rock to listen for it.
