Most people of Scottish origin have seen the towering edifice of Edinburgh Castle in photographs and travel magazines, on film or television during the Edinburgh Tattoo. The Castle is not only a legacy from turbulent times but it is also the site of the Scottish National War Memorial.

The origin of the castle goes back to Edwin, the seventh-century king of Northumbria who probably had a fortress on the rock. Malcolm III of Scotland erected a wooden fort there in the 11th century and later, kings built stone walls with inner buildings.

Several times the castle was held by the English. Edward I used a form of the Roman ballista or catapult to hurl rocks at the walls and seized it in 1296. In 1313, the castle was taken by a party of 30 Scots who scaled its walls and caught the guard by suprise. Robert the Bruce dismantled it only to have Edward III of England rebuild it in 1337.

The castle has been the scene of many gruesome and daring events. In 1440, the young Earl of Douglas and his brother were lured there for a banquet and were seized and beheaded. Some fifty years later the the Duke of Albany, brother to James, escaped over the battlements using a knotted rope. He must have been brave because it is an awful long way down!

It was here that Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to the future King James VI of Scotland (who later became James the First of England) on June 19, 1566. Mary is alleged to have said, "This is the son who shall first unite the two kingdoms of Scotland and England" and her wish came true in 1603 when her distant relative Elizabeth I of England died and James ascended to the English throne as King James I.

The castle was the scene for a desperate defence by British soldiers when the Jacobite rebels seized Edinburgh in 1745. Within the castle walls there are today several important buildings including the Great Hall with its collection of weapons and armour. The Honours of Scotland as they are called - the Crown, Sceptre and Sword of State - together with the Stone of Scone are in the Crown Room. And, of course, there is the famous one o'clock Gun which is fired every day, except Sunday, at precisely 1.00 pm.

With such a history it is little wonder that the Castle was used for military purposes until the end of the First World War. But even before the Armistice was signed it had been decided that the castle would not be needed for a large body of troops after the war. In July, 1919, the recommendation was made that there should be a dedicated shrine on the Castle Rock, although it was not until 1924 that the work began under the direction of reknowned Scottish architect Sir Robert Lorimer. A great deal of planning went into the project and old materials from demolished buildings were combined with the best of Scottish arts and crafts to create what is undeniably a worthy memorial to some 100,000 Scots who perished in the Great War.

Mere words cannot describe the quality of the workmanship that went into the structure: the sculptured stoneworks, the stained glass windows and the magnificent bronze frieze are almost beyond description.

There are two different parts to the Memorial - the Hall of Honour which is a focus for record and remembrance; and, the Shrine which is for the more personal prayer and remembrance of loved ones. Each has its own quite unique features.

The Shrine contains the Casket, set upon the bare rock tip that is the castle foundation, in which the Rolls of Honour of the regiments are kept. Overlooking it all, carved in Scottish oak and suspended from the ceiling is a magnificent figure of the Archangel St Michael stern of face, representing Righteousness overcoming Wrong.

There are seven stained glass windows which together portray in three groups: 1) the birth of War on the west wall; 2) the overthrow of War in the east wall and; 3) Peace, Thanksgiving and Praise to God in the northerly windows. Around the walls beneath the windows there is a stunning bronze frieze which depicts the various types of Scottish soldiers, sailors, airmen, nurses in their battle dress as they lived and died. All Scotch regiments and services in which they served are depicted, and even the animals and carrier pigeons have not been forgotten.

The Hall of Honour also has eight beautiful stained glass windows but they are more of the functional kind . They are of paler glass and include the memorials to the Navy and Air Force, the war at home, as well as the four seasons. The long walls of the Hall are pillared and separated into small sanctuaries dedicated to particular regiments. Each is similar yet with an emphasis that is special to those whose memory it preserves. Two bays commemorate the Padres. the Women's Services, the Mercantile Marine, the Royal Artillery, the Royal Engineers, the Royal Army Service Corps, the Royal Army Medical Corps and the Yeomanry.

Most symbolic of all perhaps is the carved pelican above the porch piercing her breast for drops of blood to feed her young, to remind us of the self sacrifice of those commemorated here. Visitors to the War Memorial should remember that these works were created by Scottish craftsmen, in homage to Scottish sons and daughters, husbands, wives and lovers who lost their lives in pursuit of peace. Their work is no less than a Memorial to Scotland itself.

Meet the Author Brian Orr

With special thanks to Richard Huseth for the use of his photographs.

Links:

Richard Huseth Scottish Photographs

Scottish War Memorial

Sir Robert Lorimer

The Scots at War

Edinburgh Castle Web Cam

Edinburgh Castle

The Crag Where Edinburgh Began