We set off this morning to take a HopOn HopOff bus tour. We passed the impressive Scott Monument (built in the 1840’s to honour the author Sir Walter Scott) and arrived at the ticket seller and bought our “Royal Edinburgh Ticket” that included entry and line-skipping privileges into the Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Royal Britannia Yacht plus travel on all 3 routes of the buses. It was only available to seniors and was a great deal. I guess there are some benefits to being old! We got on with the idea to do a loop of the old town to get oriented but after sitting in traffic for what seemed like hours on the Royal Mile (street that goes downhill for a mile from Edinburgh Castle and is packed with stores, cafes and lanes) we decided to get off at Edinburgh Castle to tour it.

Along the way we saw a small statue of a little dog. This is Greyfriars Bobby. Apparently in 1858, this dog followed the remains of his master to Greyfriars churchyard and lingered there until his death in 1872. A little Edinburgh folklore for you.

Edinburgh Castle was home to kings and queens for many centuries. It is one of the oldest fortified places in Europe with a long history as a royal residence, military garrison, prison and fortress. Iron Age people built a hill fort on the rock. As well as guarding great moments in history, the castle has suffered many sieges. During the Wars of Independence it changed hands many times. In 1314, the Scots retook the castle from the English in a daring night raid led by Thomas Randolph, nephew of Robert the Bruce. The castle defences have evolved over hundreds of years. Mons Meg, one of the greatest medieval cannons ever made, was given to King James II in 1457. The Half Moon Battery, built in the aftermath of the Lang Siege of 1573, was armed for 200 years by bronze guns known as the Seven Sisters. Six more guns defend the Argyle Battery, with its open outlook to the north. There is so much history. Queen Margaret (who was later made a saint) died here in 1093. The chapel built in her honour by her son, King David I, is Edinburgh’s oldest building. The Great Hall, completed in 1511 for King James IV, hosted grand banquets and state events. But the king had little time to enjoy it. James IV died at the Battle of Flodden in 1513, fighting English forces sent by his brother-in-law, King Henry VIII of England. Above the door to the Royal Palace are the gilded initials MAH – for Mary Queen of Scots and her second husband Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley. Mary gave birth to James VI in the Royal Palace in 1566. He became king of Scotland at 13 months old and united the crowns of Scotland and England in 1603. We explored all the nooks and crannies. We stood in line, for about a 1/2 hour, to view the Honours of Scotland, which are the oldest Crown jewels in Britain. Made of gold, silver and precious gems, they were created in Scotland and Italy during the reigns of James IV and James V. The crown, sceptre and sword of state were first used together for the coronation of a monarch in 1543, when Mary Queen of Scots came to the throne.

The iconic Stone of Destiny (a replica is at the Palace of Scone), used for centuries to inaugurate monarchs, is also on display in the Crown Room.

Following the ‘Union of the Crowns’ of 1603, Edinburgh Castle was rarely visited by the reigning monarch, but from the 1650s it grew into a significant military base. Defences were rebuilt and enhanced in response to the Jacobite Risings of 1689–1746. New gun batteries such as Dury’s Battery were constructed and new barracks such as the Queen Anne Building were added to house the many soldiers and officers.

Some 600 troops were housed in the New Barracks, built during the Napoleonic Wars with France. It’s still in use by the military today. Regiments often had a mascot, many of whom were dogs – some of them are laid to rest in the Dog Cemetery, along with other canine companions.

Life was truly grim for many of the prisoners who were locked up in the vaults below Crown Square. As a formidable stronghold, the castle was the most secure lock-up in Scotland. Between 1757 and 1814 the vaults became home to many hundreds of prisoners of war.

Ok, enough of the Castle. After lunch, in the oldest pub in Edinburgh, we walked down the royal mile and did some shopping until we arrived at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Her Majesty The Queen's official residence in Scotland. Standing at the end of Edinburgh's historic Royal Mile, this palace is the home of Scottish royal history. Included was a special exhibition "A Royal Wedding: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex", which highlighted all the fashion from the wedding.

We did an audiotape tour of the 14 magnificent State Apartments. Best known as the home of Mary, Queen of Scots, the Palace was the setting for many dramatic episodes in her short reign as featured in the 2019 Universal Pictures movie Mary, Queen of Scots. Today, the State Apartments are used regularly by The Queen for State ceremonies and official entertaining. Queen Elizabeth spends one week in residence at Holyrood Palace at the beginning of each summer, where she carries out a range of official engagements and ceremonies. The 16th-century Historic Apartments of Mary, Queen of Scots and the State Apartments, used for official and state entertaining, are open to the public, except when members of the Royal Family are in residence.

After a bit of recharging at the apartment we all went out to dinner. Day 1 of Edinburgh was over.