queen of the hill

Edinburgh Castle / Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh Castle is an ancient stronghold which dominates the sky-line of the city from its prominent position at the top of the Royal Mile. This shot is of a minor structure on the castle grounds sitting literally on the precipice of Castle Rock. The castle grounds were first inhabited back in the 9th century BC; however, as it stands today few of the castle's structures pre-date the 16th century, with the notable exception of St Margaret's Chapel, the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh, which dates from the early 12th century. Perhaps the castle's most recognized royalty was Mary, Queen of Scots who occupied the throne for nearly 25 years during her reign in the mid-16th century. She was later imprisoned, tried and executed in 1587 for treason following the religious divides which allegedly linked her involvement to several assasination plots against her cousin, Elizabeth I of England which would have allowed her to then place herself on the English throne.