Template:POTD/2023-01-25
Edinburgh Castle is a castle in Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age. Serving as a royal residence for the Kingdom of Scotland from the 12th century or earlier until 1633, Edinburgh Castle was involved in many historical conflicts from the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th century to the Jacobite rising of 1745. Few of the present buildings pre-date the Lang Siege of the 16th century when the medieval defences were largely destroyed by artillery bombardment. The most notable exceptions are St Margaret's Chapel (which dates from the early 12th century and is regarded as the oldest building in Edinburgh), the Royal Palace, and the early-16th-century Great Hall. The castle also houses the Scottish regalia, known as the Honours of Scotland, and is the site of the Scottish National War Memorial and the National War Museum. Some of the castle buildings house regimental museums that contribute to its presentation as a tourist attraction. This image shows a view of Edinburgh Castle from the nearby Grassmarket, taken by the Scottish photographer George Washington Wilson between 1865 and 1885.Photograph credit: George Washington Wilson; restored by Adam Cuerden