Edinburgh: Down The Rabbit Hole (Part 3)

Strolling to Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile, we felt so lucky. How often is someone welcomed to a new city with the sounds of a live concert in front of a medieval castle? And, by II Divo, no less! Their voices resonated with immense power as we walked closer towards the Heart of Edinburgh.

Edinburgh Castle

When you are traveling to Edinburgh for the first time, most likely Edinburgh Castle will be at the top of your list of places to visit. For us, it was a no-brainer.

As with most medieval structures, Edinburgh Castle is not just a standalone castle, but a complex of buildings strategically built for its functionality, defense, and livelihood of its occupants.

By the way, if you want to avoid long lines, be smart and buy your tickets online beforehand (£19.50 per adult). While standing the queue we checked their website and purchased entrance tickets for a later time. So we left to explore the City a bit and then returned to Edinburgh Castle, bypassing the lines.

St. Margaret Church

Erected to honor Margaret of Wessex (1045 – 1093), an English Princess and Scottish Queen, married to King Malcolm III of Scotland, the inner chapel space is tiny and humble with whitewashed walls and minimum décor.

Margaret was a devoted Catholic, canonized into sainthood by the Pope in 1250. The beautiful stained glass in the church depicts her image. By some accounts, Mary, Queen of Scotts, had St. Margaret’s preserved head in her possession that somehow got lost. Why would anybody want to have a 500-year old mummified head? And who would remove it and preserve it in the first place, and where did the head go?!

In any case, St. Margaret Church is the oldest standing structure in Edinburgh Castle. However, the first settlements there go way back to the 2nd century A.D. The original construction of the Castle known as “The Maidens’ Castle” or “The Winged Rock” was attributed to the legendary king Ebraucus in 989 B.C. to host nine sisters. Among them, Morgan Le Fay (a.k.a. Morgan the Fairy or Morganna) whose name might ring a bell as a part of Arthurian legends. She was Arthur’s fierce challenger, and later his caretaker, taking him to his final journey to Avalon.

Mons Meg

This 6-ton medieval cannon could fire a 330lb stone ball up to two miles! It was gifted to James II, King of Scots, by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy in 1454. After being used in battles for centuries, Mons Meg was taken to the Tower of London in 1754. It was returned to Edinburgh almost a century later in 1829 and restored.

Soldiers’ Dogs Cemetery

When you are by Mons Meg, look down from the castle wall. You’ll see a small area with about twenty headstones, commemorating some of the four-legged companions who guarded Edinburgh Castle.

The Great Hall

Entering the Great Hall of Edinburgh Castle, you will be awed by the intricate wooden roof. For some reason, its rafters reminded us of the hull of a Viking ship. What do you think?

You could easily walk into this enormous fireplace!

A fine collection of period armor and weapons lines the walls of the Great Hall. This wall arrangement of flintlock pistols definitely caught our attention:

Honours of Scotland

In the Crown Room of Edinburgh Castle, the Honours of Scotland are displayed.

We really liked the educational exhibits leading to the Crown Room, learning more about Scottish history while standing in a slow-moving line of visitors.

Honours of Scotland include a gorgeous crown made with gold, silver, and precious gems from 1540, a scepter (both used by Mary, Queen of Scotts, at her coronation), and a sword. Plus, a mysterious silver-gilded wand with wooden core and crystal on top (discovered by Sir Walter Scott when he helped to return the treasures to Edinburgh). And, the Stone of Destiny of obscure origins, that has been used for centuries in Scotland in the inauguration of its kings. (Unfortunately, the Honours of Scotland display did not allow photography)

But… Isn’t the Stone of Destiny atop the Hill of Tara in Ireland? So, where is the Scottish Stone of Destiny from? Some say it was brought over from Ireland. Others claim it came from Jerusalem. No one really knows for certain, but we were quickly discovering that the more we dug into Edinburgh’s history, the farther down the Rabbit Hole we went.

Panoramic Views

Although the views of the City from atop Camera Obscura & World of Illusions are our favorites, the views from Edinburgh Castle aren’t too shabby either.

And, it was a perfect day to capture these panoramic views of Edinburgh.

As you can see, we really lucked out with the weather!

Would we recommend Edinburgh Castle for your first time visit in Edinburgh? Absolutely!

St. Giles Cathedral

If you love religious architecture, do not miss St. Giles Cathedral, about a five-minute walk from Edinburgh Castle. Named after Saint Giles, the patron of Edinburgh, the cathedral is worth spending time in to absorb the history and sheer beauty of it.

Greyfriars Kirkyard

First things first – what’s a Kirkyard? Kirkyard means a graveyard or cemetery, surrounding a kirk (church). This particular kirk was established by the Greyfriars, a Franciscan order of the Catholic Church. Local burials began here in the 16th century. And, it’s been haunted ever since. Some of its sections are only open for guided tours, because of the heightened paranormal activity. Oooo! 😊

However, we did find peace of mind walking around Greyfriars Kirkyard. It is a quiet place to gather your thoughts and hide away from fellow travelers for a while. And, it’s conveniently located just a couple of blocks from the bustling Royal Mile.

Actually, we liked Greyfriars Kirkyard so much, that it made our list of Cemeteries Worth Visiting While You Are Still Alive list!

Edinburgh New Town

While spending most of our first trip to Edinburgh in Old Town, we did make a point to see New Town and Prince Street, with its gorgeous neoclassical buildings. Though it is known as New Town, most buildings are at least 200 years old. Fabulous department stores, boutiques, and restaurants await you here. One of our unexpected finds was Rose Street, with countless restaurants, pubs, and bars lining this pedestrianized area.

By sheer luck, we managed to get an early dinner at Wildfire, and with no reservations (NOTE: reservations are STRONGLY recommended).

The whole dinner was superb, but this pan-roasted sea trout with crispy skin stole the show. It rested on top of herb polenta, cherry tomatoes, samphire, in a perfect lemony-parsley buttery pool.

Samphire was a brand-new ingredient for us. See the green succulent sprigs on the photo above? That’s samphire. It grows on the coast and marshes in the United Kingdom, Isle of Man, and a few other countries. It has a pleasant salty taste, a perfect addition to the fish.

We also shared this decadent cheesecake dessert. YUMMY!

Oh, Edinburgh… We wish to see you again, and soon! We felt so welcomed there, exploring as much as we could in the time allowed, but there is so much more to see!

We hope this 3-part series inspired you to visit Edinburgh, Scotland in the near future. Don’t miss our post on Camera Obscura, The Royal Mile and Harry Potter inspired walks. If you are into Templar and Masonic mysteries, and Dan Brown’s “Da Vinci Code”, our Rosslyn Chapel adventure is a must-read! 😊

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