Edinburgh Castle Timeline

(c. 2nd century AD - Present)

Edinburgh Castle is a historic fortress perched on Castle Rock, an extinct volcano in the heart of Edinburgh, Scotland. It has served as a royal residence, military stronghold, prison, and symbol of Scottish national identity for over a thousand years. Today it is one of Scotland's most visited tourist attractions and houses the Crown Jewels of Scotland and the Stone of Destiny. More Less

Go to: Timeline | Event List | Key Facts | Directory

Medieval Era

Castle Rock becomes a Pictish stronghold

600

By the early Middle Ages, the rock had become an important stronghold of the Gododdin and later Pictish peoples, known as Din Eidyn, giving Edinburgh its name.

Image source: Edinburgh Castle

St Margaret's Chapel constructed

1130

King David I built St Margaret's Chapel in memory of his mother. It is the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh and still stands within the castle today.

Image source: St Margaret's Chapel, Edinburgh

David II rebuilds the castle

1356

After his release from English captivity, King David II began rebuilding the castle, restoring it as the principal stronghold of the Scottish crown.

Image source: David II of Scotland

Mary of Guise strengthens the castle defences

1540

As regent of Scotland, Mary of Guise commissioned extensive new fortifications, including the Spur, to defend the castle against English attacks during the Rough Wooing.

Image source: Mary of Guise

Mons Meg delivered to the castle

1557

The giant bombard Mons Meg, forged in Flanders in the 15th century, became part of the castle's arsenal and remains displayed there as one of its most famous artefacts.

Image source: Mons Meg

Wars and Sieges

English capture of the fortress by King Edmund

955

The Anglian king Edmund I of England is recorded as overrunning the region around Edinburgh in the mid-10th century, marking one of the earliest documented military actions at the site.

Edward I of England captures the castle

Mar 1296

During the outbreak of the Wars of Scottish Independence, Edward I of England stormed and captured Edinburgh Castle after a brief siege, beginning a long period of English occupation.

Image source: Edward I of England

William Wallace's assault on the castle fails

1297

William Wallace's forces attempted to retake the castle during the uprising against English rule but were unable to overcome its formidable defences.

Image source: William Wallace

Bruce orders the castle slighted

1314

Following its recapture, Robert the Bruce ordered the destruction of the castle's defences to prevent it being used by the English again, leaving only the chapel standing.

Robert the Bruce recaptures the castle

Mar 14, 1314

Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray, leading forces loyal to Robert the Bruce, scaled the cliffs at night and recaptured the castle from the English garrison during the campaign before Bannockburn.

Image source: Edinburgh Castle

Lang Siege begins during the Marian civil war

1571 - May 28, 1573

The castle, held for Mary, Queen of Scots by William Kirkcaldy of Grange, endured the 'Lang Siege' — one of the longest sieges in British history — until English artillery forced its surrender.

Covenanters capture the castle

Mar 1639

During the Bishops' Wars, Scottish Covenanters took control of the castle without a fight, exploiting political divisions between the garrison and Edinburgh's citizens.

Image source: Bishops' Wars

Oliver Cromwell seizes the castle

Dec 1650

Cromwell's New Model Army captured the castle after the Battle of Dunbar, using it as a base during the Commonwealth period; the Honours of Scotland were smuggled out beforehand.

Jacobite attempt to seize the castle

Mar 1715

Jacobites attempted to capture the castle for James Francis Edward Stuart by scaling its walls, but the plot failed when their rope ladder proved too short and they were discovered.

Image source: Jacobite rising of 1715

Last siege: Hanoverian garrison holds firm

Sep 1745

During Bonnie Prince Charlie's Jacobite rising of 1745, the castle's Hanoverian garrison held out against the rebels, firing on the city — the last siege in the castle's history.

Image source: Jacobite rising of 1745

Royal Connections

First royal residence under Malcolm III

1058

King Malcolm III Canmore made the castle his principal royal residence after seizing the Scottish throne, beginning its long association with Scotland's monarchy.

Image source: Malcolm III of Scotland

Death of Queen Margaret at Edinburgh Castle

Nov 16, 1093

Queen Margaret, wife of Malcolm III, died at Edinburgh Castle shortly after learning of her husband's death. She was later canonised, and the castle's chapel is dedicated to her memory.

Image source: Saint Margaret of Scotland

Birth of James VI's son at the castle

Feb 19, 1594

Prince Henry Frederick, eldest son of James VI, celebrated with the spectacular baptismal festivities at the castle, for which the historic great hall was refurbished.

Image source: Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales

James VI departs for England via the castle

Apr 5, 1603

King James VI left Edinburgh to claim the English throne as James I, uniting the crowns of Scotland and England and reducing the castle's role as a principal royal residence.

Image source: Union of the Crowns

Honours of Scotland hidden at Dunnottar

1652 - 1660

To keep them from Cromwell's forces, the Scottish crown jewels were secretly removed from Edinburgh Castle and hidden, first in Dunnottar Castle and later under the floor of Kinneff Church.

Image source: Honours of Scotland

Scottish crown jewels rediscovered

Feb 4, 1818

Sir Walter Scott led a search of the castle that uncovered the lost Honours of Scotland, locked away since the Act of Union in 1707, sparking national celebration.

George IV's visit revives interest in the castle

Aug 1822

King George IV's visit to Edinburgh, orchestrated by Sir Walter Scott, marked the first reigning monarch to visit Scotland in nearly two centuries and boosted restoration of the castle and its treasures.

Image source: Visit of George IV to Scotland

Modern History

Construction of the Half Moon Battery

1573 - 1588

Built following the Lang Siege, the Half Moon Battery mounted powerful guns over the ruins of David's Tower and became one of the castle's most imposing defensive features.

Charles II restores the castle as a garrison

1660

With the Restoration of Charles II, the castle returned to royal control and was re-established as a permanent military garrison, beginning its modern role as a barracks and depot.

Image source: Restoration (Scotland)

Prison for French POWs during Napoleonic Wars

1796 - 1814

The castle vaults housed thousands of French prisoners of war during the Napoleonic Wars, some of whom carved ship models and graffiti into the ancient stone walls.

One o'clock gun first fired

Jun 7, 1861

The One o'clock Gun was first fired from the castle's Half Moon Battery to allow ships in Leith Harbour to set their marine chronometers accurately, a tradition that continues daily.

Image source: Time signal

Scottish National War Memorial opened

Jul 14, 1927

Designed by Robert Lorimer, the Scottish National War Memorial was unveiled within the castle to honour Scots who died in the First World War, later extended to commemorate all subsequent conflicts.

Image source: Scottish National War Memorial

Stone of Scone recovered and returned to Scotland

Dec 30, 1996

After 700 years in Westminster Abbey, the Stone of Scone was formally returned to Scotland and placed in Edinburgh Castle alongside the Honours of Scotland, where it remains on display.

Image source: Stone of Scone

Castle becomes Scotland's most-visited attraction

2018

Managed by Historic Environment Scotland, Edinburgh Castle attracted over two million visitors annually, cementing its status as Scotland's most popular paid tourist attraction and an enduring symbol of the nation.

Key Facts

The castle sits atop Castle Rock, the plug of an extinct volcano that formed around 350 million years ago, making it naturally defensible.
A settlement on Castle Rock may date back to the Iron Age, and by the 12th century the castle had become a principal royal residence under David I.
Edinburgh Castle changed hands many times during the Wars of Scottish Independence between England and Scotland in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.
In 1296, Edward I of England captured the castle, beginning a long period of Anglo-Scottish conflict over control of the fortress.
Today, Edinburgh Castle houses the Honours (Crown Jewels) of Scotland, the Stone of Destiny, and the National War Museum of Scotland.

Source

This Edinburgh Castle timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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