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PLAN
OF EDINBURGH CASTLE
Edinburgh
Castle is a magificent site and can be seen from all over Scotland's
capital city.
There has been a defensive settlement on the Castle Rock since 600 A.D.
making it one of the oldest known european settlements.
The
rock, and what it now the Royal Mile, was created by huge glaciers during
the iceage. It consists of the 'crag' a dorment volcano with a long
sloping 'tail' to the east with steep valleys carved to the north and
South. The crag is an obvious defensive position with steep rocky cliffs
all around, and a view for miles all around and across the River Forth.
In 1460 King James III ordered the castle's northern defences to be
strengthened and the valley was flooded to create a large loch.
At first the Nor' Loch was a
picturesque lake but over time it became stagnent and full of sewage
and other waste. In 1760's the Nor' Loch was drained and the beautiful
Princes Street
Gardens were created.
Around the same time the New Town was built to the North and those who could afford to immediately vacated the overcrowded Old town. The poorer people immediately moved into the vacated properties. Only in the Royal Mile could a cabbage-seller live in a mansion
The
Castle as it is today has been built, nearly destroyed and re-built
may times over the centuries.
With over 1,25000 visitors per year it is second only to the Tower of
London as the UK's most visited tourist attraction.
Edinburgh Castle
