Prydain.co.uk — UK castles for kids

Edinburgh Castle

A fortress balanced on top of a dead volcano, looking down over an entire city.

Edinburgh, Scotland

350m yrsAge of the volcanic rock

25+Recorded sieges

1 pmDaily since 1861

The story of the rock

Long before any castle existed, a volcano stood where Edinburgh now sits. It erupted around 350 million years ago, and over time, ice and weather wore away the softer rock around it, leaving behind a steep, hard plug of volcanic rock. That rock — Castle Rock — is sheer on three sides, which made it an almost perfect natural fortress.

People have built defences on this spot since at least the Iron Age, but the castle grew into the fortress we recognise today over hundreds of years, through wars between Scotland and England. It's changed hands so many times that historians consider it one of the most fought-over buildings in the whole of Britain.

Fun facts to remember

The oldest building in Edinburgh

St Margaret's Chapel, tucked inside the castle, was built in the early 1100s and is still used for small weddings and services today.

Home to the Stone of Destiny

This ancient stone was used in royal coronations for centuries and was only returned to Scotland from England in 1996.

A cannon fires every day

The One O'Clock Gun has boomed out over the city every day except Sunday since 1861, originally to help ships set their clocks.

Mons Meg, the giant cannon

Built in 1449, this enormous medieval gun could fire a stone ball almost 2 miles — and you can still see it at the castle today.

A National War Memorial

The castle now holds Scotland's National War Memorial, honouring soldiers who died in conflicts since the First World War.

Millions of visitors a year

Edinburgh Castle is one of the UK's most visited paid attractions, drawing visitors from all over the world every single year.

Questions kids ask

The castle sits on Castle Rock, the hard plug of an extinct volcano that last erupted around 350 million years ago. Its steep cliffs made it almost impossible to attack from three sides.

It's an ancient block of sandstone used for centuries in royal coronations. England took it in 1296 and kept it for 700 years before it was finally returned to Scotland in 1996.

The One O'Clock Gun has fired daily (except Sundays) since 1861. It began as a time signal for ships in the harbour to set their clocks, and it's continued as a tradition ever since.

Historians often describe it as one of the most besieged places in Britain, attacked more than 25 times over about 1,100 years of Scottish and English conflict.

Mons Meg is a giant cannon built in 1449, big enough to fire a 150-kilogram stone cannonball nearly 2 miles. It's still on display at the castle.

Yes. It's cared for by Historic Environment Scotland and welcomes visitors year-round, including access to its museums and the Crown Jewels of Scotland.

Test your castle knowledge

Five quick questions. Tap an answer to see if you're right.

1. What is Castle Rock, the hill the castle sits on?

2. What is the Stone of Destiny used for?

3. Why was the One O'Clock Gun first fired?

4. What is Mons Meg?

5. Who looks after Edinburgh Castle today?

Question 1 of 5

You scored

0/5

Part of prydain.co.uk — British castles, myths and history, explained for kids across the UK.