Editing Edinburgh Castle (section)

===Upper Ward===
[[File:One of the paths leading to St Margaret's Chapel.jpg|thumb|Foog's Gate]]
The Upper Ward or Citadel occupies the highest part of the Castle Rock, and is entered via the late 17th-century Foog's Gate.<ref name=Salter49/> The origin of this name is unknown, although it was formerly known as the Foggy Gate, which may relate to the dense sea-fogs, known as [[haar (fog)|haars]], which commonly affect Edinburgh.<ref>Tabraham (2008), p. 18.</ref> Adjacent to the gates are the large cisterns built to reduce the castle's dependency on well water and a former fire station, now used as a shop. The summit of the rock is occupied by St Margaret's Chapel and 15th-century siege gun Mons Meg. On a ledge below this area is a small 19th-century Dogs' Cemetery for the burial of the soldiers' [[regimental mascot]]s. Besides this, the Lang Stair leads down to the Argyle Battery, past a section of a medieval bastion,<ref name=Salter49/> and gives access to the upper storey of the Argyle Tower. The eastern end of the Upper Ward is occupied by the Forewall and Half Moon Batteries, with Crown Square to the south.<ref name=MacIvor136/>

[[File:St Margarets Chapel.JPG|thumb|left|St. Margaret's Chapel]]

==== St. Margaret's Chapel ====

{{main|St. Margaret's Chapel}}

The oldest building in the castle and in Edinburgh is the small St. Margaret's Chapel.<ref name=eotca/> One of the few 12th-century structures surviving in any Scottish castle,<ref name="Tabraham 1997, p.23"/> it dates from the reign of [[David I of Scotland|King David I]] (r.1124–1153), who built it as a private chapel for the royal family and dedicated it to his mother, [[Saint Margaret of Scotland]], who died in the castle in 1093. It survived the slighting of 1314, when the castle's defences were destroyed on the orders of Robert the Bruce, and was used as a gunpowder store from the 16th century when the present roof was built. In 1845, it was "discovered" by the [[antiquary]] [[Daniel Wilson (academic)|Daniel Wilson]], while in use as part of the larger garrison chapel, and was restored in 1851–1852.<ref name=BoS85-86/> The chapel is still used for religious ceremonies, such as weddings.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/places/hire/weddings/edinburghcastle-wedding.htm |title=Weddings at Edinburgh Castle |publisher=Historic Scotland |access-date=7 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130707192851/http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/places/hire/weddings/edinburghcastle-wedding.htm |archive-date=7 July 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>  {{Clear}}

==== Mons Meg ====
{{main|Mons Meg}}

[[File:Mons Meg, Medieval Bombard, Edinburgh, Scotland. Pic 01.jpg|thumb|right|The siege gun Mons Meg, described in a 17th-century document as "the great iron murderer called Muckle-Meg" (''muckle'' being [[Scots language|Scots]] for 'big')]]

The 15th-century siege gun or [[Bombard (weapon)|bombard]] known as Mons Meg is displayed on a terrace in front of St. Margaret's Chapel. It was constructed in the [[Flanders]] on the orders of [[Philip III, Duke of Burgundy]], in 1449, and given as a gift to King [[James II of Scotland|James II]], the husband of his niece, in 1457.<ref name="Tabraham 1997, p.76"/> The {{convert|13000|lb|t|adj=on}} gun rests on a reconstructed carriage, the details of which were copied from an old stone relief that can be seen inside the tunnel of the Gatehouse at the castle entrance. Some of Meg's large gun stones, weighing around {{convert|330|lb|kg}} each,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk/explore-the-castle/highlights/castlehighlights.aspx?start=5 |title=Mons Meg |website=Edinburgh Castle website |publisher=Historic Scotland |access-date=24 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029191844/http://www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk/explore-the-castle/highlights/castlehighlights.aspx?start=5 |archive-date=29 October 2013 }}</ref> are displayed alongside it. On 3 July 1558, it was fired in salute to celebrate the marriage of [[Mary, Queen of Scots]], to the French [[Dauphin of France|dauphin]], [[François II]]. The royal Treasurer's Accounts of the time record a payment to soldiers for retrieving one of her stones from [[Trinity, Edinburgh|Wardie Muir]] near the [[Firth of Forth]], fully {{convert|2|mi|km|0}} from the castle.<ref>{{cite book |title=Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland |volume=X |year=1913 |pages=lxxv–lxxvi, 367}}</ref> The gun has been defunct since its barrel burst while firing a salute to greet the Duke of Albany, the future [[James II of England|King James VII and II]], on his arrival in Edinburgh on 30 October 1681.<ref>Grant (1850), p. 175.</ref>

==== Half Moon Battery and David's Tower ====
[[File:Half Moon Battery and Palace Block, Edinburgh Castle.jpg|thumb|left|Half Moon Battery and Palace Block seen from the Esplanade]]
The Half Moon Battery, which remains a prominent feature on the east side of the castle, was built as part of the reconstruction works supervised by the [[James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton|Regent Morton]], and was erected between 1573 and 1588.<ref name=Salter49/> The Forewall to the north was built between 1689 and 1695 to link the Half Moon to the Portcullis Tower, although part of the original wall of 1540 was incorporated into it.<ref name=Salter49/> The Half Moon Battery was built around and over the ruins of David's Tower, two storeys of which survive beneath, with windows facing out onto the interior wall of the battery. David's Tower was built on an [[L-plan castle|L-plan]], the main block being {{convert|51|by|38|ft|m}}, with a wing measuring {{convert|21|by|18|ft|m}} to the west.<ref name=Salter49/> The entrance was via a pointed-arched doorway in the inner angle, although in the 16th century this was filled in to make the tower a solid rectangle. Prior to the Lang Siege, the tower was recorded as being {{convert|59|ft}} high, and the remaining portions stand up to {{convert|49|ft}} from the rock.<ref name=Oldrieve>Oldrieve, pp. 230–270.</ref>

The tower was rediscovered during routine maintenance work in 1912, and excavations below the Half Moon Battery revealed the extent of the surviving buildings. Several rooms are accessible to the public, although the lower parts are generally closed. Outside the tower, but within the battery, is a three-storey room, where large portions of the exterior wall of the tower are still visible, showing shattered masonry caused by the bombardment of 1573.<ref name=Oldrieve/> Beside the tower, a section of the former [[curtain wall (fortification)|curtain wall]] was discovered, with a gun loop which overlooked High Street: a recess was made in the outer battery wall to reveal this gun loop. In 1912–1913 the adjacent Fore Well was cleared and surveyed and was found to be {{convert|110|ft}} deep, mostly hewn through the rock below the castle.<ref name=Oldrieve/>