Skip the lines to enter Scotland’s second-most-popular tourist attraction as you learn about the bloody history including stories of the kings and queens who lived in this castle.There is evidence of a fort here for almost 3000 years, and it has been a royal castle since at least King David I’s reign in the 12th century. The Scottish monarchs continued to use it as such until 1633, and even saw the birth of King James VI within its walls.Your tour will begin on the esplanade of the castle as you hear your guide talking about the origins of the castle and its sieges.Once inside Edinburgh Castle, the guide will take you through the different parts of the fortress and tell you its fascinating history, including Scotland’s kings and queens. Inside the complex you will find three museums, two prisons, a canine cemetery, the Chapel of Saint Margaret which is the oldest building in the city, the National Monument to the fallen of Scotland, the Great Hall and a Royal Palace.