If you’re looking for a cheap holiday or short break, you could do a lot worse than visiting the historic city of Edinburgh.

Overlooking the city is the dominant figure of Edinburgh Castle, steeped in history dating back to the eleventh century, situated on Castle Rock.  The castle actually sits on an extinct volcano!

Back in the eleventh century, the castle was the royal residence of Queen Margaret and King Malcolm Canmore.  Reportedly, Queen Margaret built St Margarets Chapel when she first moved to the castle and the Chapel is one of the oldest roofed buildings in Scotland.

Outside the castle, there is the Witches’ Well where more than three hundred witches were buried.  Argyll’s Tower is over the gate, where apparently the Marquess of Argyll was kept imprisoned until his execution in 1661.

In the Crown Room, you can still see the Scottish Crown Jewels, the British Isles’ oldest surviving crown jewels.  They were packed away after the Act of Union in 1707 and remained hidden until Sir Water Scott discovered them in the early 1800’s.

In 1996, the Stone of Destiny, otherwise known as the Stone of Scone, was returned to the castle, having been stored underneath the Coronation Chair of Westminster Abbey for over seven hundred years.

The jewelled crown itself is made from Scottish gold and hasn’t been used since 1651 when Charles II wore it.

Whilst in Edinburgh, you can also see the Royal Mile, the Scottish Parliament, the Palace of Holyroodhouse and Arthur’s Seat.  There are many restaurants where you can try the traditional scottish haggis and if you feel a little worn out after all that history and exploration, why not try one of the local spa hotels for that extra treat?