United Kingdom

Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle sits on top of Castle Rock, an extinct volcanic plug that has been fortified for over 1,000 years. It is Scotland's most-visited paid attraction, drawing around 2.2 million visitors a year.

The oldest surviving building is St Margaret's Chapel, dating to around 1130, making it the oldest building in Edinburgh. The castle has been a royal residence, military fortress, prison, and seat of government over the centuries. It was besieged more often than almost any other fortress in Britain.

One of the most dramatic moments in the castle's history came in 1314, during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Thomas Randolph, nephew of Robert the Bruce, led a small group of men up the north face of Castle Rock in the dead of night, scaling the cliffs to retake the castle from the English. They demolished much of the fortress afterward to prevent the English from using it again.

The castle houses the Honours of Scotland, the Scottish Crown Jewels, which are the oldest crown jewels in Britain. It also held the Stone of Scone (the Stone of Destiny) from 1996 until it was moved to Perth in 2024.

The One O'Clock Gun has been fired from the castle's battlements at 1pm every day except Sunday since 1861, originally as a time signal for ships in the Firth of Forth.

If you're on a Questo quest through Edinburgh, the castle dominates the skyline from nearly everywhere in the city, and its stories stretch back to the very beginning of Scotland's history.

Edinburgh Castle 

The Writers' Museum

Museum on the Mound

St Giles' Cathedral

St Giles' Cathedral stands on the Royal Mile in the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town and has been a place of worship for over 900 years. It is the principal church of the Church of Scotland and one of the most historically significant buildings in the country.

The original church was founded around 1124 by King David I. The current building is largely Gothic, dating to the 14th and 15th centuries, though it has been heavily modified over the centuries. The distinctive crown steeple, one of Edinburgh's most recognizable silhouettes, was added around 1500.

St Giles' played a central role in the Scottish Reformation. In 1559, John Knox became the minister here and used the pulpit to drive the Protestant revolution that transformed Scotland. The cathedral also witnessed one of the most famous acts of defiance in Scottish history: in 1637, a woman named Jenny Geddes reportedly threw a stool at a minister who was reading from the new Anglican prayer book, sparking a riot that led to the signing of the National Covenant and, eventually, civil war.

Inside, the Thistle Chapel, designed by Robert Lorimer and completed in 1911, is an extraordinary piece of Gothic Revival craftsmanship, with intricately carved wooden stalls, heraldic shields, and an angel playing the bagpipes hidden among the carvings.

Entry to the cathedral is free. If you're on a Questo quest along the Royal Mile, St Giles' is where the story of Scotland's religious and political identity is carved into every stone.

St. Giles' Cathedral

The Greyfriars Bobby statue is one of Edinburgh's most photographed landmarks, a small bronze Skye Terrier sitting atop a drinking fountain at the junction of George IV Bridge and Candlemaker Row.

The statue was erected in November 1873, just one year after Bobby died. According to the story, Bobby was a Skye Terrier belonging to John Gray, a nightwatchman for the Edinburgh City Police. When Gray died in 1858, Bobby spent the next 14 years sitting by his master's grave in Greyfriars Kirkyard, leaving only for food. The dog's loyalty captured the city's heart. The Lord Provost, William Chambers, paid for Bobby's dog licence so he wouldn't be put down as a stray.

The statue was commissioned by the English philanthropist Lady Burdett-Coutts and sculpted by William Brodie. It's Edinburgh's smallest listed structure. Visitors have developed a tradition of rubbing Bobby's nose for luck, which has polished it to a bright golden sheen, though the city has asked people to stop as it damages the bronze.

Bobby died on January 14, 1872, and was buried just inside the gate of Greyfriars Kirkyard, near Gray's own grave. His collar, with its brass inscription, is now in the Museum of Edinburgh.

The story inspired a 1961 Disney film and remains one of Edinburgh's most beloved tales. If you're on a Questo quest through Edinburgh's Old Town, Bobby is a stop where the city's sentimental side shines through.

Edinburgh Castle Esplanade, Edinburgh — Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

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