Princes Street Gardens - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

St Margaret's Chapel, in Edinburgh Castle, is the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh, Scotland.[1] An example of Romanesque architecture, it is a category A listed building. As you will see, the chapel is a small building, found in the upper levels of the castle, and was used for prayer by the Scottish Royal Family. It is very simply designed inside, and the chancel arch is still the original structure.

Edinburgh Castle is a historic fortress dominating the skyline of Edinburgh. It is located on top of Castle Rock, a volcanic lava rock formed 350 million years ago. Edinburgh Castle is Scotland's most and the United Kingdom's second most-visited paid attraction. The castle has undergone 26 sieges in its 1,100 year history. It is beleived to be the most besieged place in Great Britain and one of the most attacked in the world.

Camera Obscura & World of Illusions is a tourist attraction located in Outlook Tower on the Castlehill section of the Royal Mile close to Edinburgh Castle. The original attraction was founded by entrepreneur Maria Theresa Short in 1835 and was exhibited on Calton Hill. Outlook Tower has been a museum since the late 1890s and is currently home to many interactive exhibits, including the original Camera Obscura.

The National War Museum, situated within Edinburgh Castle, is Scotland’s national war museum reflecting over 400 years of Scotland at war. It has collection features, as well as the typical military items, traditional Scottish clothing worn during the battles, personal items belonging to the soldiers, and letters sent home from the battlegrounds on distant lands.

The Mound is an artificial steep hill that connects the Edinburgh New Town and Old Town in the city centre. It was formed by dumping around 1,501,000 cartloads of earth excavated from the foundations of the New Town into Nor Loch which was drained in 1765 and forms today's Princes Street Gardens. Some of Edinburgh's most notable buildings and institutions have their premises on the Mound, including the National Gallery of Scotland, the Royal Scottish Academy, the spires of New College and so mor