Edinburgh Castle Facts & Worksheets

Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh. It is located on Castle Rock and has been inhabited by humans since the Iron Age. The rock has had a royal castle since at least the reign of Malcolm III in the 11th century, and it served as a royal home until 1633.

See the fact file below for more information about Edinburgh Castle, or you can download our 23-page Edinburgh Castle worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

• Edinburgh Castle dominates the skyline of Scotland’s capital city, perched on a volcanic rocky outcrop with towering cliffs on three sides. The site has been occupied since the Bronze Age, and archaeological excavations indicate that the clifftop was artificially leveled in 900 BCE.
• The location hosted a conventional hilltop fort during the Iron Age in the first and second centuries CE. This fort was considered the capital of the Votadini tribe. The fort, primarily made of wood and earthworks, had an entrance guarded by two massive ditches.
• The castle first appears in literature in The Gododdin, a compilation of poetic lyrics written in the early seventh century CE. It was the location of a stronghold built by the same name tribe, who dominated areas of southern Scotland and Northern England at the time. 
• The fort was known as Din Eidyn, which was eventually anglicized to Edinburgh after the Angles invaded and gained possession of the Gododdin.
• Despite its continued use as a fortress throughout the early Middle Ages, no elements of the castle or walls before the 11th century CE exist, and just a few relics of the people who had lived there remain.

EARLIEST HABITATION:

• Archaeological research is still underway to determine when Castle Rock was first used as a human settlement. The Castle Rock is the remnants of a volcanic pipe carved through the surrounding sedimentary rock before cooling and hardening to produce exceedingly solid dolerite, a basalt.
• During General Agricola’s conquest of northern Britain toward the end of the first century CE, there was no mention of any Roman interest in the site. 
• Ptolemy’s map from the second century CE depicts a settlement in the territory of the Votadini called Alauna, which translates as rock place, making this the earliest known name for Castle Rock.
• William Camden, an English historian, mentioned in his survey Britannia 1607 that the Britons called Edinburgh Castle Castle Myned Agned or winged rock, while the Scots called it Maiden Castle and the Virgins Castle. 
• According to Father Richard Hay, a 17th-century antiquarian, the maidens were a group of nuns who were removed from the castle and replaced with canons who were judged suitable to live among soldiers.
• However, this account was deemed apocryphal by 19th-century antiquarian Daniel Wilson and has since been dismissed by historians. 
• According to Wilson, the name could have come from a Cult of the Nine Maidens mythology. 
• An archaeological dig in the early 1990s discovered evidence of the site being established throughout the late Bronze Age or early Iron Age, perhaps making Castle Rock Scotland’s longest continually occupied site.
• The dig in the 1990s showed unmistakable traces of settlement from the first and second centuries CE, correlating with Ptolemy’s reference to Alauna. 
• Some Roman material was discovered, including pottery, bronzes, and brooches, implying a possible trading relationship between the Votadini and the Romans, beginning with Agricola’s northern campaign in 82 CE and continuing until the Antonine Wall was built around 140 CE. 
• The nature of the village during this period is still being determined. However, Driscoll and Yeoman speculate it was a broch comparable to the one at Edin’s Hall near Duns in the Scottish Borders.

MEDIEVAL CASTLE

• Saint Margaret of Scotland ruled Scotland as the second wife of Malcolm III from 1070 until her death in November 1093. Her reign and commitment to Roman Catholicism are revealed in the Norman chapel built at Edinburgh Castle, now the fortress’s oldest original section. 
• Margaret’s son, David I of Scotland, most likely erected the private chapel around 1130. David had gone on a castle-building binge throughout Scotland, including Edinburgh Castle, where he most likely built a Norman-style castle keep.
• Despite its intimidating appearance on a massive rock and considerable water self-sufficiency, the castle was a letdown during sieges thanks to the Fore Well. Between 1174 and 1186, the English acquired control of the fortress following the capture of William I of Scotland.
• The castle was retaken, but Edward I of England gained admission after only a three-day siege in 1296; during the struggle to establish the Bruces as Scotland’s royal house, Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray, reclaimed control of the fortress from the English garrison in 1314.
• Undoubtedly dissatisfied with the fortress’s record, Robert the Bruce razed the castle down to its foundations in 1314, primarily to guarantee that the English never used it again if they captured the rock.
• However, in 1341, a small Scottish force led by Sir William Douglas disguised themselves as merchants and recovered the fortress for Scotland.

EARLY MODERN CASTLE

• James IV utilized the castle as a royal home, but its history as a fortification was not forgotten, as the king used it as a repository for the kingdom’s artillery pieces. 
• King James also built a new Great Hall in the castle, which housed the Scottish parliament.
• The Great Hall has had a tumultuous history, with high points being its use for state banquets and low ones being its use as a military barracks and, subsequently, a hospital in the nineteenth century.
• The current ceiling in the hall is the late medieval original, with investigation revealing that the oak beams came from woods in Norway around 1510. 
• The Royal Palace of the Crown Square was now finished and became the site of the castle’s first and final royal birth, that of future James VI of Scotland, on June 19, 1566.
• The fortress failed to hold safe once more during a four-day siege in 1573, when an English army with cannons battered followers of the deposed Mary, Queen of Scots, into submission.
• Some governmental officials lived in Edinburgh Castle, which housed the national archives, an armory, and an occasional prison. The renovated fortress was undoubtedly more difficult for attackers, as evidenced by the protracted sieges of 1640 during the Covenant Wars and in 1650 by Oliver Cromwell, an English statesman.
• The castle benefited from a massive new parade ground known as the Esplanade in the early decades of the nineteenth century, which renovated the 1753 parade ground and replaced the former site of public executions known as Castle Hill. 
• Every August, this open space now hosts the world-famous Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. 
• In the last quarter of the nineteenth century, further remodeling took place, most notably on the gatehouses and the Great Hall, as part of a new process of raising Scottish national pride, a trend further evidenced by the construction of a Scottish National War Memorial on the rock in 1927.

EDINBURGH CASTLE AT PRESENT

• As leaders of the devolved Scottish Government, the Scottish Ministers own Edinburgh Castle. The castle is mainly run and governed by Historic Environment Scotland, an executive agency of the Scottish Government, while the Army is still in charge of some portions, such as the New Barracks building and the military museums. Historic Environment Scotland and the Army share the Guardroom inside the castle door. 
• Edinburgh Castle is now Scotland’s most popular tourist destination, with well over one million tourists annually. The castle is an outstanding landmark in and of itself, with every stone steeped in history, but it also houses the National War Museum and three regimental museums. The castle is a World Heritage Site, declared by UNESCO in 1995 as part of the city of Edinburgh.
• Since 2009, the castle has appeared on £10 notes produced by the Clydesdale Bank as part of Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site. The castle serves as a focal point for annual fireworks displays commemorating Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations and the end of the Edinburgh Festival in the summer.

Edinburgh Castle Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Edinburgh Castle across 23 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Edinburgh Castle. Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh. It is located on Castle Rock and has been inhabited by humans since the Iron Age. 

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

1. Edinburgh Castle Facts
2. Fact-Checking
3. Policy Making
4. Comparing Castles
5. Significant Facts
6. Create your Castle
7. My Purpose
8. TourisThing
9. What’s on Your Mind?
10. Have Fun!
11. Love from Edinburgh

When was Edinburgh Castle built?

Edinburgh Castle’s origins can be traced back to the 12th century, with the first known mention of a castle on the Castle Rock dating to the reign of David I in the 1130s.

Who built Edinburgh Castle?

The initial castle on Castle Rock was likely built by King David I of Scotland. However, the castle has undergone numerous renovations and expansions over the centuries, with various monarchs contributing to its development.

What is the significance of Edinburgh Castle?

Edinburgh Castle holds immense historical and cultural significance. It has served as a royal residence, a military stronghold, and a symbol of Scottish power. The castle has witnessed key historical events, including battles and sieges, and it is now one of Scotland’s most iconic landmarks.

Which famous events are associated with Edinburgh Castle?

Edinburgh Castle has played a role in several historical events, such as the Wars of Scottish Independence and the Jacobite Risings. Notable moments include the Lang Siege in the 16th century and the castle’s use as a military garrison during both World Wars.

What attractions can visitors find at Edinburgh Castle today?

Today, Edinburgh Castle is a popular tourist destination. Visitors can explore various attractions within the castle, including the Crown Jewels of Scotland, the Stone of Destiny, the National War Museum of Scotland, and St. Margaret’s Chapel, believed to be the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh. The castle also offers panoramic views of the city from its elevated position.

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