Edinburgh Castle

What young man's first visit to Scotland could not include an exploration of Edinburgh Castle?  This pic was taken on our way OUT, when we were full of beans and larking around.  Several other youngsters gathered round and watched us having fun.  Shame their own parents couldn't provide it.

We arrived on the train just in time to walk out onto Princes Street and listen for the One O'clock Gun.  It's Festival time, and we happened to be standing next to some Nepalese-ish drumming group, which made it harder, but we still heard it.  What a great tradition.  We sought out the gun later and agreed to watch from close quarters next time we're in Old Reekie.

So, Edinburgh Castle.  I visited several times when I was a youngster.  It was big and impressive.  But I preferred Stirling.  What would Sam think?  This is what you can see from the Low Defences looking back towards the Esplanade.  "Low Defences" is rather a relative name, as they are still many, many metres above ground level.

The Low Defences house two cannon.  And there's an alomost hidden stairway to reach them.

There are great views in all directions from the castle.  This is looking towards Princes Street over the gardens.

Just to the left of this imposing facade is a staircase called the "Land Stairs".  In English that means the long stairs, and before the sloping roadway that runs around the right side of these buildings was built it was the only access to the upper ("summit") level of the castle.  And when you stand on the Lang Stairs you can understand why they built an easier way to move heavy cannon like Mons Meg up to the higher levels....

Talking of Mons Meg, here is Sam standing beside it/her.  I could not believe that guns this size were used in battle, they are enormously cumbersome and heavy and need one hundred men to drag around.  They fire stone cannonballs weighing 150kg up to two miles.  Devastating for siege warfare I think.  Mons Meg last fired in 1681 for a birthday salute for the Duke of Albany - the barrel burst and it/she was "retired".  The stoneball from this final firing was found two miles away.

Sam found a very comfortable spot in the corber of Mons Meg's platform.  He wouldn't move!  "I love this place, I love it here!" he said.  He seemed to be enjoying the castle.  Great views over the west of Edinburgh too.

This is the almost unique dog cemetery.  Regimental mascots and notable officers' dogs are buried here.  A very British little place.

Nobody under the age of 18 can visit Edinburgh Castle without posing atop a cannon!  Here's Sam on top of one of the cannon on the Forewall Battery, built in the 1540s.

Just along from the Forewall Battery is the Half Moon Battery, which we snapped from below.  It was built over David's Tower which was smashed to pieces during a siege, and armed with seven brass cannon known as the Seven Sisters.

On our way out we tried to spot our seats for that evening's Tattoo performance....if you look along the top of the stands for the number 3, we were two rows in front of the number.

Before we went to the castle we had some fun along Princes Street (look out for our review of The Mighty Gareth!).  Here's Sam gooning in front of a nice view.

This was taken towards the top of The Mound as we headed towards the castle.

Sam took this rather excellent, moody, tempting picture while we were still on the train to Edinburgh.

For me, this day was a first.  Actually, for Sam too, thinking about it.  First time either of us have travelled over the Forth Rail Bridge.

And just as we hopped off the train, Sam snapped this monument to.....to.....can't remember!