from Princeton to Oxford: Edinburgh Castle

2 July 2018

This morning we hiked up the hill to tour inside Edinburgh Castle. It was our first (and only) taste of cool, cloudy weather, and we could see clearing in the distance. We enjoyed the view from the ramparts. We saw St. Margaret’s chapel, built in the early 12th century, then went into the central castle grounds to see the royal residences.

We walked through the Great Hall, and a few other royal quarters. Mary Queen of Scots came here in 1566 to deliver her baby, future King James VI. She fled Scotland the next year after being accused of plotting to murder her husband. She was exiled by her cousin Queen Elizabeth I of England, who considered her a threat to her own reign. After Queen Elizabeth I died without an heir, James VI of Scotland became King James I of England as well as Scotland.

We noticed a few modern references to Queen Elizabeth I. In Scotland, she is not the second, as she is only the first Queen Elizabeth of Scotland!

We also viewed the Honours of Scotland, aka the Scottish regalia and crown jewels. We couldn’t photograph these. One of the honors is a large stone that a monarch sits on during his or her coronation - it will be taken to Westminster Abbey when the next monarch is crowned.

We had lunch with a great view over Edinburgh in the castle’s cafe. It also gave us a nice vantage point to watch the firing of the one o’clock gun!