The Edinburgh Castle is definitely one of Scotland's most popular tourist attractions. In fact, it may be the very first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of Scotland, other than the charming accent and bagpipes of course. The caste itself is filled with history, having served as a royal residence in the past, as well as a military stronghold. While it's exterior may look rather grand and put together, you will soon realise that not all the parts of the castle were built during the same era, which has resulted in different architectural styles inside some of them. The oldest of the lot is none other than St. Margaret's Chapel, which actually dates back all the way to the 12th century. It might look rather simple on the outside, but this chapel is actually the oldest building in Scotland, so history buffs may find it particularly interesting.

In addition, what you will see inside clearly proves that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, as it's Romanesque architecture truly shines the moment you step in. The Great Hall on the other hand was built in 1510. Its magnificent wooden roof is truly sublime, and since it once played host to state dinners and events, you can be sure that the ambience here is absolutely grand. But if you thought that all the buildings here were fairly ancient, well, there's the Scottish National War Memorial here too, which was built after World War I. The compound itself may seem starkly different to the other buildings here, but it is no less grand. Within its walls lie the One O'Clock Gun, which is a 25-pounder from World War II. Stop by at 1pm and you will get to observe the gun give off a loud boom, signalling the time to the rest of the city. With so much history to see here, you could easily spend an entire day visiting the Edinburgh Castle.