Edinburgh Castle is an ancient stronghold which dominates the sky-line of the city of Edinburgh its position atop Castle Rock
Edinburgh Castle is an ancient stronghold which dominates the sky-line of the city of Edinburgh from its position atop Castle Rock. It is Scotland's second-most-visited tourist attraction. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC. As it stands today though, few of the castle's structures pre-date the Lang Siege of the 16th century, with the notable exception of St Margaret's Chapel, the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh, which dates from the early 12th century. The Castle stands upon the basalt plug of an extinct volcano which is estimated to have risen some 340 million years ago, during the lower Carboniferous period. Standing 120 metres (390 ft) above sea level, the Castle Rock, and the sloping hill to the east, is a classic example of a crag and tail formation. These geological foundations cannot be underestimated in their significance for the subsequent development of the Castle, and indeed the city, and the events which have defined its history. To the south, west and north, the castle is protected by sheer cliffs rearing some 80 metres (260 ft) from the surrounding landscape. This means that the only readily accessible route to the castle lies to the east, where the ridge slopes more gently. But just as its location has rendered the Castle all but impregnable, it has also presented difficulties. Not the least of these is that basalt is an extremely poor aquifer, and therefore providing water to the Upper Ward of the Castle in particular has long been problematic, and has proved disastrous under siege conditions, for instance when the garrison ran out of water during the Lang Siege of 1573.
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Photo credit: © 19th era / Alamy / Afripics
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