Scottish Castles - History morphing into the 22nd Century – how to promote one’s heritage

Both India and Great Britain have their share of historic castles; the only difference being that in India, they are generally in ruins as politics and poverty have made them so - but attitudes are changing; whereas in Great Britain, castles, like most ancient monuments, are not only protected but aggressively marketed to be self maintained entities actively broadcasting their heritage and welcoming visitors who cherish forever their visit. I have chosen two castles, one in Scotland and one in Wales; each unique in its own right and both outstanding examples of their ilk.

Caernarfon Castle (Welsh: Castell Caernarfon; Anglicised: Caernarvon) at Caernarfon, N.W. Wales. Built in 1283 by King Edward I of England, a World Heritage site and is definitely the most famous of Welsh castles. Its sheer scale and commanding presence sets it apart and even today, boldly states the intentions of Edward I. The castle's imposing style is not an architectural accident. It was designed to echo the walls of Constantinople and the imperial power of Rome; to be a dream castle - 'the fairest that ever man saw' of Welsh myth and legend – the Welsh being big on both! Caernarfon's immense strength remains unchanged – one cannot avoid the dominance of this fortress with its unique polygonal towers, intimidating battlements and colour banded masonry.

History comes alive in many ways - along the lofty wall walks, beneath the twin towered gatehouse and imaginative exhibitions located within the towers. These exhibitions are brilliantly crafted and change regularly. When I went, they showed through multiple media, a brillaint presentation on the Investiture of the Prince of Wales in 1969. The castle also houses the Regimental Museum of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, Wales's oldest regiment.  The tradition of investing the heir of the British monarch with the title "Prince of Wales" began in 1301, when King Edward I having completed the conquest of Wales gave the title to his heir, Prince Edward (later King Edward II of England). According to a famous legend, the king had promised the Welsh that he would name "a prince born in Wales, who did not speak a word of English" and then produced his infant son. The story is questionable as it can only be traced to the 16th century. 

In 1911, the castle was used for the investiture of the then Prince of Wales, the future Edward VIII. This set a precedent, repeated again in 1969 with the investiture of Charles, the current Prince of Wales, a fellow undergrad faculty colleague. 

Caernarfon was constructed not only as a military stronghold but also as a seat of government and royal palace. It was never completed. Even today, one sees several places where further walls were never built. Contemporary records state the castle's construction cost as £22,000 – an enormous sum at the time, equivalent to a year's income for the royal treasury. The castle is unique due to its arrow loop design – a feature of medieval fortresses allowing maximum field of fire…. the embrasures were designed to allow upto three crossbowmen to discharge their bolts through a single external loop creating a deadly crossfire.

During Edward I's invasions of Wales, this was strategically an excellent place to build a castle; Anglesey was referred as the garden of Wales, providing very rich agricultural land close to the poorer land in north Wales. The castle dominates the Menai Straits which allowed speedy access between the north Welsh coast and the western coast; and was therefore important for Edward to control for supplying Harlech and Aberystwyth. 

As one enters and walks through the castle and climb its ramparts, you immediately notice its total dominance over the town and these Straits. The Eagle Tower, Queen's Tower, Chamberlain Tower and Black Tower were all accommodation towers built on several storeys. Each had self contained chapels on each storey which showed the high rank of the occupant. The Eagle Tower is ten sided and stands 128 ft high with walls over 15 ft thick. There are 4 floors, each with a great chamber surrounded by smaller rooms and passages in the thickness of the walls. This tower is traditionally the birthplace of Edward of Caernarvon. The eagle on the west Turret is the only one of the original three left standing. There were two halls - the Great Hall and King's Tower hall. The castle accommodated the household of Prince of Wales with his council, family and guests also in attendance. 

In direct contrast we have the famous Edinburgh castle – renowned worldwide for its famous Tattoo. It dominates the city like no other castle in Scotland or even Great Britain. When you visit, you realize why it gets over a million visitors annually. 

The volcanic rock formed over 70 million years ago is the base of the Castle. Bronze-Age man lived here in 850 BC. 2,000 years ago, in the Iron Age, the rock had a hill-fort settlement on its summit. The City grew outwards from the Castle rock and the first houses were built on the area in front of the Castle, known as the Lawn market. Then came High Street and The Cannongate towards Holyrood House Palace. These streets known as ‘The Royal Mile’ acquired its name as Scottish and English kings, queens and royalty in general, travelled to and fro between Holyrood House Palace and Edinburgh Castle. 

There are magnificent panoramas in every direction. From the lowest to the highest point, the view is awesome. To the north, in the distance you see the mountains of The Kingdom of Fife. Below is the famous Princes Street Gardens. Princes Street’s uniqueness lies in that the shops along its length are only on the north side, so from them you have an uninterrupted view of the Castle. This World Heritage Site city can boast of having the most intact Georgian city in Europe.

The oldest building in Edinburgh Castle is a tiny chapel built on the summit of the castle rock in the early 12^th century in memory of Queen Margaret, wife of Malcolm III. In 1296, Edward I of England invaded Scotland and besieged / captured the Castle. Everyone knows the story of Robert the Bruce and his famous attack on the castle – on the night of 14 March 1314, Sir Thomas Randolph, Bruce’s nephew, and his men climbed the precipitous north face of Edinburgh Castle rock, took the English garrison by surprise and won the castle back. Robert the Bruce ordered the castle be dismantled "lest the English ever afterwards might lord it over the land by holding the castles".

In 1449, a great siege gun made for the Duke of Burgundy was tested at Mons (Belgium). In 1457 the gun “Mons Meg” was sent as a present to the King and Queen of Scotland. Mons Meg was kept with the rest of the royal guns in the Castle. Used against the English and rebellious Scottish noblemen with devastating effect, her enormous bulk of over 6 tons made her obsolete as a siege gun but she was put to good use firing ceremonial salutes. In 1681, during James II, the last Stewart King’s, birthday salute, the barrel burst open. The restored Mons Meg is viewed on the upper levels of the Castle making an imposing sight. 

After the siege in March 1689, William and Mary accepted the Scottish Crown – this was the last real action at the castle. During the Jacobite Risings of 1715 and 1745, Edinburgh Castle was picketed by the supporters of the "Old Pretender" and "Bonnie Prince Charlie" but was never threatened. Peace has reigned ever since. March 1707 saw the Crown, Sword and Sceptre brought back to Edinburgh Castle and locked away. February 1818, Sir Walter Scott opened the room and found these items – they were immediately put on display in the room where they were discovered. Thus began the Castle's new role as Scotland's premier visitor attraction. 

But many visitors come to see the famed Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The first Military Tattoo took place in 1950 with only 8 items on the programme. It has now evolved to an international event seen by over 100 million people each year on TV and viewed in person by over 200,000 visitors annually. In its 59 year history, over 30 countries have participated. The Tattoo is proud that not a single performance has ever been cancelled - a tribute to the hardiness of both performers and audience given the unpredictable Scottish weather!  When I saw the Tattoo, what struck me was the ‘internationalness‘ of the event – the audience was from all over the world. The MC asked the members of the audience to identify with the countries announced!! The bands and the music were from a whole range of countries – not just British army bands. The Tattoo has the finest military bands, bagpipers and drummers and brass bands in the world performing nightly every August on Castle Esplanade against the spectacular and historic Castle backdrop. The Tattoo is also the centre piece of a month-long arts festival which includes The Fringe Festival, The Starbucks Jazz & Blues Festival, The International Festival, The Book Festival and The Film Festival. The whole city throbs with superb theatrical performances, ballets, concerts, jazz, stand-up comedians, street performers etc.

But very few know the origin of the word “Tattoo”. It originated in 17^{th /} 18^th C from the closing cry in the inns of the Low Countries (Netherlands) - Doe den tap toe ('turn off the taps'). The local military band with drums would parade announcing curfew time in garrison towns - beer taps had to be switched off and soldiers returned to barracks. Over centuries, it evolved in a dazzling display of military band precision, bagpipe glory and emotion, and drum.

The huge crowds wait patiently in line until the gates are open. Then we all enter through the specific gates to our stands. In the glowing twilight, the floodlit Castle draws all eyes, a hush falls and darkness deepens. The great oak gates of Edinburgh Castle sweep open, and the swelling sound of hundreds of pipes and drums cracks the night sky. Emotions run high: the Military Tattoo unfailingly thrills by its military spectacle and glory of the event. To see so many massed bands and drums and bagpipes – all marching in unison warms the cockles of your heart!

For nearly 90 minutes, there is a dazzling show spread out on Castle Esplanade, a whirling kaleidoscope of music, dance and display. One may see the precision of Swiss bandsmen, the Gurkha soldiers’ breathtaking enactment of a war scene, daredevil motorcycles at speed and always the best of Scottish Highland dancers wheeling and swirling to a fiddle orchestra.

The finale never fails to raise the hairs on your scalp – a multitude of massed bands and performers on the Castle Esplanade. The Tattoo audience joins in a great chorus of singing, cheering, and applause. Cries of 'Bravo!' before a hush falls for the singing of the Evening Hymn; the sounding of the Last Post and the lowering of the flags on the Castle. Finally, all eyes are on the Castle ramparts, where a single spotlight cues the Lone Piper to play his haunting lament. The high notes echo across the still night sky as the flames of the Castle torch lights and the piper's warming brazier flickers and slowly dies. Fireworks burst out and the crowd sings Auld Lang Syne and shake their neighbour's hand. Visitors are united in international friendship, the shared love of Scotland, its music and its traditions.

These two castles, so different yet so dominant over their own landscapes, have created history over decades and even today are a very valuable financial contributor to their city’s welfare. If you get the chance, go see Caernarvon and its bleak surrounds of Snowdonia or Edinburgh and the Scottish highlands, visiting various single malt distilleries along the way. You’ll ne’er regret it.

Slainte Mhath !

The text of this article was published in Citibank's CitiGold magazine in November 2009. 

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