Apr-Sept daily 9:30am-5:15pm; Oct-Mar daily 9:30am-4:15pm
Admission charged
No place in Scotland is filled with as much history, legend, and lore as Edinburgh Castle, one of the highlights of a visit to Scotland. It is believed the ancient city grew up on the seat of a dead volcano, Castle Rock. In the 11th century Malcolm III (Canmore) and his Saxon queen, later venerated as St. Margaret, founded a castle on this spot. The only fragment left of their castle--in fact, the oldest structure in Edinburgh--is St. Margaret's Chapel, built in the Norman style, the oblong structure dating principally from the 12th century. Children will enjoy the climb and the adventure of exploring the site. They will also like seeing the cannon. Among the batteries of cannons that protected the castle is Mons Meg, a 15th-century cannon weighing more than 5 tons