Edinburgh Castle

In the center of Edinburgh, the castle sits on a volcanic rock that rises straight out of the city streets. Fortified since the Iron Age, it has been a royal fortress and military base from the 1100s to the present day, watching almost every turning point in Scottish history. During the Wars of Independence it changed hands again and again until Scots retook it in a daring night climb in 1314, and in 1566 Mary Queen of Scots gave birth here to the future James VI, the king who would one day unite the crowns of Scotland and England. Inside are the Honours of Scotland, the country's crown jewels, and the Stone of Destiny, the ancient coronation stone of Scottish kings. It is also one of Scotland's most haunted places, home to the legend of the Lone Piper who vanished in the tunnels below and was never found. May, June, and September give the best balance of weather and crowds; August is the busiest month.