1. Scottish Castles

2. Edinburgh Castle Scotland’s most visited tourist attraction

3. Edinburgh Castle O Edinburgh Castle is built upon Castle Rock which is an extinct volcano O The castle is 80 metres higher than the land in the North, West and South of the city so many tourists go here to see views over the city O The first building within the castle was built in the 12 th century – St Margaret’s chapel O St Margaret was an English princess who married King Malcolm III and became Queen Margaret of Scotland O Her son, King David, built the chapel after her death

4. O During the Scottish Wars of Independence (13 th - 14 th centuries) the ownership of the Castle was changed between Scotland and England many times O Many members of Scottish royalty have lived here including Queen Margaret (later became St Margaret) who died in the castle in 1093 and Mary Queen of Scots who had her son James VI in 1566 in the castle Left: St Margaret Right: Mary Queen of Scots

5. Stone of Destiny O The Stone of Destiny caused 700 years of fighting between Scotland and England O It is used for the coronations of monarchs and was last used for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, our current queen, in 1953 O On St Andrew’s Day (30 th November) 1996 it was returned to Scotland from England and is now in Edinburgh Castle next to the Crown Jewels

6. Honours of Scotland O The Crown Jewels are also called the Honours of Scotland and are the oldest symbols of royalty in the British Isles O They consist of a crown with many jewels, a sceptre and a sword. O The sceptre is silver with many symbols of the church on it including Mary, Jesus and St Andrew holding a Saltire Flag

7. Balmoral Castle O Built in 1390 and is now part of Balmoral Estate O Bought is 1852 by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert O Queen Elizabeth II and her family spend their summer holidays in buildings next to this castle

8. Stirling Castle

9. O Stirling Castle was built upon a massive hill in the 12 th century and has steep cliffs on 3 sides of it O Many wars have been fought against English soldiers in or near the castle such as the Battle of Bannockburn, Battle of Stirling Bridge and the Wars of Independence O Many Kings and Queens lived here such as Mary, Queen of Scots, King Henry and King James

10. Dunvegan Castle O Dunvegan Castle is on the Isle of Skye O It is the oldest castle in Scotland to have people living in it continuously – since 1270 O The chiefs of the Clan MacLeod live there

11. Glamis Castle O Glamis Castle is in Angus, Scotland O It was the home of The Queen Mother and Princess Margaret was born there O It was used as a military hospital in World War I

12. Eilean Donan Castle O Built in 1343 on an island but connected to the mainland by a bridge O The castle has been shown in many films such as Made of Honor and The World is Not Enough

13. Newark Castle O Built in 1478 in Port Glasgow, Scotland O A man called Patrick Maxwell lived there for many years and was a friend of King James VI of Scotland O There is said to be a ghost in the castle which can be seen in some photos O This is a very popular place for wedding photos because there is great views of the River Clyde behind the castle

14. Skelmorlie Castle O Built in a village called Skelmorlie in Ayrshire in 1502 O Has more than 20 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms and 9 kitchens O The ghost of Lady Margaret Douglas is in the castle O It was sold in 2009 for £2.5million