Terry Deary - Edinburgh: Gruesome Guides

AD A Celtic tribe called the Gododdin moves into the Edinburgh area. But that isnt good enough. No, the men of Gododdin have to go and attack the English at Catterick in Yorkshire. They are wiped out. Big mistake. The English carry out a revenge attack and capture the Gododdin capital Dun Edin. They change its name to the Saxon Edin-burgh.

AD The Anglo-Saxon King Ecgfrid leaves the safety of Edinburgh to attack the Picts in the north. Massive mistake. Ecgfrid and his army are wiped out at Nechtansmere. Ravens peck out the eyes of the Saxon dead. The Saxons wont be back would you, if your mate had had his eyes pecked out?

AD The Pict tribes from the north join with the Scots tribes (from Ireland). The Pict leader Kenneth MacAlpin becomes king of the Scots. Which town does he choose for his capital?

1076 King Malcolm Canmore (with the large head) builds a little church for his wife Margaret on the top of the Castle rock. A castle is probably there too. The church is still there today the oldest building in Edinburgh. Malc isnt there. He was killed in battle in 1093 trying to conquer England for the fifth time. Margaret dies of a broken heart when she gets the news.

1125 King David I moves his capital from Dunfermline to Edinburgh and makes it a royal town which means the people have to pay taxes. (They still do!) He is out hunting one day when a stag attacks him. But then a cross magically appears in his hand and drives off the evil creature. He is saved! A cross is also known as a rood so Dave builds a Holy rood Abbey to say thanks to God. The Palace of Holyroodhouse is there now.

1296 Edward I of England attacks Scotland and captures Edinburgh Castle. English rule OK? (Or not-so-OK if you are a Scot.)

1314 With a small band of men Thomas Randolph, the Earl of Murray, climbs the north face of the rock while the rest of his army attack the south gate. Randolph and his men enter the castle, open the gate and capture the castle from the careless English. They knock a lot of it down.

1328 Robert the Bruce wins back Scotland for the Scots and signs the Treaty of Edinburgh (also signed by Edward III) which says Rob is king and Scotland is free. Good news? Not really. Rob dies soon after. Bad news for the Scots lots of weak kings, babies on the throne and bullying English will bring hundreds of years of bloody battles to Edinburgh.

1356 The castle is rebuilt as a palace as well as a fortress.

1456 The Scots build a wall around Edinburgh. The problem is, no one wants to live outside the wall. So they crowd into this part they now call the Old Town. Soon the only way to go is up. Edinburgh has some pretty tall and rickety buildings.

1513 James IV attacks Henry VIIIs English troops and loses at Flodden. The Scots worry that Henry will come up to Edinburgh and punish them. They quickly build the Flodden Wall around the city and bits of their ruins remain today.

1544 Henrys armies get in anyway and burn bits of the town. The Scots invite a French army to protect them.

1559 John Knox becomes minister at the Kirk (Church) of St Giles. He is trouble. His religion is Calvinism where even good people can burn in hell when they die! He makes enemies with the Catholics, so the Catholic French soldiers are thrown out even though they were there to help against the English.

1568 Mary Queen of Scots (Catholic) argues with half of the nation John Knox and his friends. The keeper of Edinburgh Castle, Sir William Kirkcaldy, is on her side and shuts her enemies out. They cant break in because he has all the best guns inside.

1573 The English lend the attackers some cannon. Kirkcaldy is blasted out and executed. The castle is restored the way it looks today.