MOC 7-20 Edinburgh Castle
- Description
- For MOC 7 Day 20: Storytelling
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We visited Edinburgh, Scotland on a late October weekend in 2017. I’d wanted to go to Scotland for so long. What a beautiful country, so green and so peaceful. We stayed in a hotel across the street from Edinburgh Castle. The history of castles such as this in Scotland is simply mind blowing. Edinburgh Castle is situated on lava rock from a volcano that erupted 340 MILLION years ago. It was built during the 12th century and was not the first castle in this location. It was a military base and a royal residence for centuries. From 1296 to 1341, Edinburgh Castle bounced back and forth from England to Scotland changing hands several times during the wars for Scottish Independence. In 1571, English forces seized the castle again in attempt to capture Mary, Queen of Scots. It lasted for two years and all of Mary’s supporters surrendered to the English. Later, in 166-1746, during the Jacobite Risings, the Scots attempted several times to recapture their castle but unfortunately were never able to overpower the English army. The final attempt was led in 1745 by bonnie Prince Charlie or Charles Stewart. In the late 18th century to the early 19th century, the castle was used to house military prisoners from England’s many wars. It became a national monument in 1814 after a mass prison break proved it could not hold its prisoners. During the 19th and 20th centuries, Edinburgh Castle was slowly restored and in 1927 turned into the Scottish National War Memorial. It is now one of the most popular tourist attractions in Scotland visited by over 1 million people per year. They hold military ceremonies, re-enactments and have sites to visit such as St. Margaret’s Chapel and the Great Hall of King James IV. To visit this castle as a tourist of Scotland is a beautiful treat. The views alone from the top of the climb show the land around it in every direction. Walking through such an old, historical site is almost unreal. It’s hard to imagine the wars and battles fought there and the royals who called it home. We had the most beautiful view out of our hotel window to look at this castle. It can be seen from all over the area because it is up so high on the volcanic rock. Edinburgh is a beautiful city with a rich history that wasn’t always pretty but what was left behind is what makes the city such a beautiful place to visit.
Historical information from this website.
Credits:
By Little Butterfly Wings
Butterfly Basics - Travel Edition {Bundle}
By Sara Gleason and Amber LaBau
A Daring Adventure