Typology: castle
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"Edinburgh Castle" in #Edinburgh crowns Castle Rock, a crag-and-tail formation that has provided natural defence since prehistoric times. Human presence stretches back to the late Bronze Age or early Iron Age, with evidence of an Iron Age hillfort. The site may align with Ptolemy's 2nd-century "Alauna" and the Gododdin stronghold "Din Eidyn" around 600 AD. A royal castle emerged in the 11th century under Malcolm III, where his queen, St Margaret, died in 1093. David I fortified it in the 12th century. Through the High Middle Ages it served as a major royal residence. From the 15th century, monarchs increasingly favoured Holyrood, and the castle evolved into a military stronghold, arsenal, mint and treasury. It endured 26 sieges across 1,100 years, most famously the destructive Lang Siege of 1571-73, when English artillery largely obliterated the medieval defences, including David's Tower. By the 17th century it had become a pure garrison fortress, cementing its place as Scotland's most embattled and iconic stronghold.
