Edinburgh Castle

Without a doubt, the defining image of Edinburgh and its most prominent landmark is the Castle. It's smack-dab in the middle of the city on what I think is also, or at least close to, it's highest point, and I'd say almost 80% of postcards I've seen feature it either as the principal shot or part of the skyline. Easy to miss it is not. It's also 14 pounds to get it, which helps explain why I've walked up to it a bunch of times, politely snapped my photos from the parking lot, and then left, cash in pocket. Even my recent self-outing as a "castle person" isn't enough to make me fork over that much.

Fortunately, the ISC was able to get us international students a hefty 12-pound discount and so I ventured inside what is probably one of the most important buildings in all of Scottish history...

... and it was pretty disappointing.

Now, the throngs of tourists were to be expected, but besides that, everything felt far too new and not really real. Maybe that last statement is a bit harsh, but, as my friend Zander eloquently put it, it didn't feel so much like walking around a castle as it did walking around an early version of an office complex. It was just clean building after clean building and felt like it could've been built in the early 1900s. Where was the grit? Where was the dirt? Having dioramas and mannequins recreating key moments in Scottish history took away any further feeling of authenticity.

That being said, there was some cool stuff. Getting to see the Scottish Honours (Crown Jewels) was neat as was the Scottish National War Memorial, and the views are as amazing as they were strategic (you can actually see everything except the castle itself). But overall? Meh. I can see why it's popular (and, man, were there a lot of tourists), but I think I prefer my castles remote and in ruins.

Oh my god, am I turning into a castle snob too?

Robert the Bruce at the gates.

Mel Gibson, er, William Wallace.

Half-Moon Battery

Balmoral Hotel and Calton Hill.

Scott monument.

Pet cemetery. Nope, not joking.

Mons Meg. This absolute beast of a cannon was a gift to King James II and had a range of 2 miles. You could probably fit about three small children in its chamber.

Mons Meg cannonballs. These things weighed about 400-pounds. My foot is there to give some sense of scale. I'm a size 11 in case you're wondering.

Scottish War Memorial. Incredible architecture inside, but no photos were allowed.

View down the Royal Mile from one of the cannon posts on the half-moon battery. This is one of my favourite photos so far. Spot the rainbow?

St. Margaret's Chapel, not only the oldest building in the castle, but also the oldest building in Edinburgh.

Hole where the Scottish Crown jewels were hidden during WWII. Only four people in the world knew of their whereabouts, including the Canadian Governor General.

Mary Queen of Scots' apartment. James VI was born here.

National War Memorial on the left, Royal Apartments on the right.

Great Hall.

War criminals prison. Lots of Americans were held here during the War of Independence.