Calton Hill, which affords a great view of the city, is
crowned by what some people call Scotland’s
Acropolis. It is actually the unfinished National Monument to commemorate the
dead of Waterloo and was designed
to be a replica of the Parthenon in Athens.
There is also a Nelson’s Tower, commemorating the victory at Trafalgar. There are two observatories on Calton Hill: the Old
Observatory, designed by architect James Craig in 1792; and the City
Observatory, built in 1818, which has exhibitions and viewings of the night
sky.
Edinburgh Castle
Visitors enter the castle from the Esplanade, a parade ground where the
changing of the guard occurs on the hour. The Esplanade is also the venue of
the world-famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the annual occasion on which, over
a period of three weeks in August, the Army presents a lively program of music,
marching and historical re-enactments under floodlights before large and
appreciative audiences.
Sites within the castle proper include Mills Mount Battery, where a gun
salute takes place on weekdays at one o’clock,
St Margaret's Chapel, the oldest building in Edinburgh,
the Palace, built between the 15th and 16th centuries, and the Scottish
United Services Museum,
which houses displays on the history of Scottish regiments. The castle
dominates the town of Edinburgh and
affords views of not only the city, but the surrounding countryside. It was the
seat of Scottish Kings, and the historical apartments include the Great Hall,
which now houses a collection of weapons and armor. The Royal apartments
include a tiny room in which Mary, Queen of Scots gave birth to the boy who was
to become King James VI of Scotland
and James 1 of England upon the death of Queen Elizabeth in 1603. The ancient
Honors of Scotland - the Crown, the Scepter and the Sword of State - are on
view in the Crown Room. Nearby is the Scottish National War Memorial, a
building designed and created shortly after the First World War.