Medieval Edinburgh

Timeline

1. 1371–1375Edinburgh Castle · EdinburghAfter Robert II acceded in 1371, Edinburgh Castle became the principal seat of Stuart government. The king conducted state business, received envoys, and enfeoffed nobles within the castle, while the royal chancery drafted charters and diplomatic documents. Edinburgh's status as capital had been preliminarily established under David II, and Robert II further strengthened its political-center function.
2. 1372–1376Edinburgh Castle · EdinburghDavid II ordered the construction of David's Tower within the castle in 1368, with the 1370s as the main construction phase. This grand castle keep stood about 30 meters high and contained royal apartments, an armory, and a prison, forming the core of Edinburgh Castle's defense system. The project cost a great deal, showing the kingdom's high regard for the capital's defenses.
3. 1377–1380Edinburgh Old Town · EdinburghBetween 1377 and 1380 Edinburgh, as a port city, maintained trade links with continental Europe and England via the Firth of Forth, with wool, leather, and fish as main exports. Shops and guild workshops flourished along both sides of the Royal Mile below Castle Rock, and the Scottish Parliament (Three Estates) met from time to time in or near Edinburgh, the city serving as a commercial, administrative, and judicial center alike.
4. 1378–1380Holyrood Abbey · EdinburghThe Royal Mile between Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Abbey formed a ceremonial axis of royal ritual. Between 1378 and 1380 the king progressed between castle and abbey, with the abbey serving as a royal place of worship and banqueting hall, witnessing coronation celebrations and religious festivals. The city's spatial layout embodied the close bond of medieval Scottish royal power and the Church.