Nira Caledonia

Landmarks

• Edinburgh Castle

  Edinburgh Castle has dominated its surroundings with majesty for centuries. Today the castle continues to attract visitors to its rocky perch. Edinburgh’s Castle rock has been a stronghold for over 3000 years. Captivating visitors with its ancient buildings and marvellous views, it continues to spellbound with its wonderful story. DIN EIDYN Archaeologists have found evidence for human occupation of the Castle Rock reaching back to 900 BC, the late Bronze Age. During the Roman occupation of Scotland in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, it was a thriving settlement. In those far-off days they called the place Din Eidyn, ‘the stronghold of Eidyn’. Then came the invading Angles, around AD 638, and ever since then the rock has been known by its English name - Edinburgh. A ROYAL CASTLE In the Middle Ages Edinburgh became Scotland’s chief royal castle - seat of royalty, headquarters of the sheriff of Edinburgh, military garrison and storehouse of the royal gun train, and repository of the nation’s crown jewels and state records. Impressive buildings were constructed, including the 12th-century St Margaret’s Chapel, the oldest building in Edinburgh, David’s Tower, built for David II, Robert the Bruce’s son, in the 1370s, and the monumental great hall of James IV, opened in 1511. But the long and bitter Wars of Independence with the ‘auld enemy’, England, took their toll, and the castle endured siege upon siege; Edward I, Edward III and Henry VIII all did their utmost to batter down the walls. In 1566 Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to James VI in the royal palace within the castle. The tiny bed-closet still survives, a room that has a special significance for Great Britain, for in 1603 James VI became also James I of England - the ‘Union of the Crowns’. The departure of the Scottish court for London saw much of the royal ‘glitter’ go from the castle. Thereafter the stronghold became little more than a garrison fortress and arsenal. The last sovereign to sleep there was Charles I in 1633, prior to his coronation as king of Scots. NEW ROLES

• Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art

  Home to Scotland’s outstanding national collection of modern and contemporary art, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art includes two buildings, Modern One and Modern Two. The Collection Modern One Works from the Gallery’s collection, plus special loans, are presented here. The early part of the collection features French and Russian art from the beginning of the twentieth century, cubist paintings and superb holdings of expressionist and modern British art. Special highlights include paintings by Matisse and Picasso. The Gallery also has an outstanding collection of international post-war work and the most important and extensive collection of modern Scottish art. The post-war collection features art by Francis Bacon, David Hockney, Andy Warhol and Lucian Freud, with more recent works by artists including Antony Gormley, Gilbert & George, Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin. Modern Two (previously the Dean Gallery) Modern Two is home to a changing programme of world-class exhibitions and displays drawn for the permanent collection. On permanent display is a fascinating recreation of Eduard Paolozzi’s studio, as well as his 7.3m tall sculpture, Vulcan, that dominates the café. Modern Two is also home to the Gallery’s substantial library and archive, open to the public by appointment, and changing displays in the Gabrielle Keiller library. Also in Modern Two is The Stairwell Project, a large-scale, permanent work by 2009 Turner Prize winner Richard Wright. Comprising several thousand individually hand-painted forms, the piece sits as Wright's most complex and ambitious work to date in Britain

• National Museum of Scotland

  From the age of the dinosaurs to the technology of the future, our galleries contain treasures from around the world. From meteorites to the monsters from the deep, our Natural World galleries tell the story of our planet, while our World Culture gallery link people and possessions across the globe. Discover the story of Scotland from prehistory to the present day, or explore the history of art and style in our Art and Design galleries and chart advances that have shaped our lives in our Science and Technology galleries.

• Royal Botanic Garden

  Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh The Botanics captures the imagination of everyone who visits and is world renowned for its horticultural excellence. Over 70 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds provide a tranquil haven just one mile from the city centre. Open daily (except 25 Dec and 1 Jan) 10am to 6pm (March-Sept)), 10am to 4pm (Nov-Jan), 10am to 5pm (Feb & Oct) Garden entry FREE with a charge for Glasshouses.

• Palace of Holyroodhouse

  The Queen is in residence at the Palace of Holyroodhouse during Holyrood week, which usually takes place from the end of June to the beginning of July. Then the Scottish variant of the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom is flown, and the Royal Company of Archers forms Her Majesty's ceremonial bodyguard. At the start of The Queen’s visit, the Palace forecourt is transformed into a crowded and colourful parade ground, where 700 guests stand to watch the enactment of an ancient ceremony, the Presentation of the Keys of the City of Edinburgh. On her arrival in the forecourt, The Queen is presented with a red-velvet cushion, on which rests the great key of the city. It is handed to The Queen by the Lord Provost, who welcomes Her Majesty formally and pledges her the city’s loyalty. Her Majesty then hands back the key for safekeeping. The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh entertain around 8,000 guests from all walks of Scottish life during Holyrood week. Her Majesty holds Investitures in the Great Gallery, audiences in the Morning Drawing Room and a Garden Party. The Queen also carries out a wide range of official engagements elsewhere in Scotland. The Queen received His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI at Holyroodhouse during The Pope’s official visit to the UK in September 2010. The gift presented by His Holiness to Her Majesty, a facsimile of the Lorsch Gospels, is on display at the Palace. Prince Charles resides at Holyroodhouse for one week a year, carrying out official duties as The Duke of Rothesay. The Royal Family stayed at Holyroodhouse at the time of the wedding of Zara Phillips, The Queen’s granddaughter, to Mike Tindall in Canongate Kirk on 30 July 2011.

• Royal Yacht Britannia

  This magnificent ship has played host to some of the most famous people in the world. But, above all, she was home to Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Family. Now in Edinburgh you are welcome on board to discover the heart and soul of this most special of royal residences.