Scotland Edinburgh

The gatehouse / William Wallace


The castle on the volcanic stone hill offered protection with steep rock walls and the Nor' Loch. The gatehouse opposite the sloping Royal Mile was the most vulnerable point.

The gatehouse, with its imposing main entrance to the castle, was not built for defence but for aesthetic reasons. It replaced a simple 17th century gate.

Two bronze statues of two Scottish freedom fighters, William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, flank the gate.