Tourists in front of and in the doorway of the Scottish National War Museum inside Edinburgh Castle, built on the north side of Crown Square. The memorial was opened in 1927 by the Prince of Wales. The building is wonderfully decorated. This memorial commemorates Scottish soldiers, dying in 2 world wars, and in the conflicts that happened after that. The inscription above the doorway reads: "To the glory of God & in memory of Scots who fell 1914 - 1918". There are carvings on the outside walls of the memorial. The Edinburgh Castle is a historic structure, with the royal castle dating back to the time of the kind David I from the 12th century. The Castle is built on a volcanic high, called the Castle Rock. The Castle was very important in the medieval ages, when there were conflicts to ensure Scottish independence from England. However, by the time of the 15th century, the importance of the Castle as the site of political power and dispute had reduced, and over the centuries, this importance reduced. After the crown of England and Scotland was unified in 1603, this decline in the importance of the castle reduced further. It was only in the last 200 years that there was an effort to do restoration of the castle and emphasize its historical importance.
The Castle dominates the skyline of Edinburgh, especially because it is built on a higher platform than the rest of the city, being built on a volcanic high. The castle height made it a good defensive platform, but the hard rock on which it was built also made it difficult to get water through wells.
The importance of the Castle for Scotland is very high, with the castle being a recognizable symbol of the city of Edinburgh, and it is used in the logos of many institutions, used on the banknotes issued by the Royal Bank of Scotland.