Editing Edinburgh Castle (section)

==== Great Hall ====
[[File:Great Hall panoramic view-Edinburgh Castle.jpg|thumb|center|800px|Great Hall panoramic view-Edinburgh Castle]]
<!--[[File:The Great Hall, Edinburgh Castle - geograph.org.uk - 1299970.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Interior of the Great Hall]]-->

The Great Hall measures {{convert|29|by|12.5|m}}, and was the chief place of state assembly in the castle, although there is no evidence that the [[Parliament of Scotland]] ever met here, as is sometimes reported.<ref name=MIhall>MacIvor (1993), pp. 49–50.</ref> Historians have disagreed over its dating, although it is usually ascribed to the reign of [[James IV of Scotland|King James IV]], and is thought to have been completed in the early years of the 16th century.<ref>McWilliam ''et al.'', p.97, give 1511 as the completion date; MacIvor (1993), p.49, gives 1503, although both note that interpretations vary.</ref> The decorative carved stone [[corbel]]s supporting the roof have [[Renaissance]] detailing, which has been compared to works at [[Château de Blois|Blois]], France, of around 1515, indicating that the arts in Scotland were relatively advanced at this time.<ref name=MIhall/> It is one of only two medieval halls in Scotland with an original [[hammerbeam roof]].<ref>The other is at [[Darnaway Castle]] in Moray. Tabraham (1997), p. 73.</ref>

Following [[Oliver Cromwell]]'s seizure of the castle in 1650, the Great Hall was converted into a barracks for his troops; and in 1737 it was subdivided into three storeys to house 312 soldiers.<ref name=BoS85-86/> Following the construction of the New Barracks in the 1790s, it became a military hospital until 1897. It was then restored by Hippolyte Blanc in line with contemporary ideas of medieval architecture.<ref name="MI114"/> The Great Hall is still occasionally used for ceremonial occasions, and has been used as a venue on [[Hogmanay]] for [[BBC Scotland]]'s ''[[Hogmanay Live]]'' programme. To the south of the hall is a section of curtain wall from the 14th century with a parapet of later date.<ref name=Salter49/>

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