The monastery of Holyrood was founded by King David I of Scotland. Tradition has it that the king was hunting in one of the royal forests around the city of Edinburgh when he came across an enraged stag which would have killed him and his horse. The king was some distance in front of his attendants who were unable to help. The king was saved when a cross of brilliant light appeared bewteen himself and animal which turned and fled. Later that night David vowed to build an abbey on the site of the event in thanks for his escape.

Alexander III of Scotland died leaving no male heir. The King died because he ignored advice from his men to not travel in bad weather back from Edinburgh Castle back to see his wife across the Firth of Forth where she was living. The King managed to take the ferry across the river but at midnight disappeared into the dark and was found dead the next day. Margaret the 'Maid of Norway' was next in line for the Scottish throne because her mother was the only one of Alexander's children that had any offspring.

A Scottish army of around 8,000 men, led by John Comyn and Simon Fraser, defeated an English army of 30,000 men. Roslin is located just to the south of Edinburgh.

Using stealth and surprise tactics Robert Bruce's army recaptured Perth, Dundee, Edinburgh and Roxburgh from English occupation. ^[1]

To prevent Scottish castles falling into English hands, Robert Bruce ordered that the castles at Roxburgh, Linlithgow and Edinburgh should be destroyed. ^[2]

The Scots took Edinburgh Castle back from English control.

After the fall of Edinburgh Castle and the liberation of the northern areas of Scotland it was safe for the Scottish King to return from exile in France.

Joan Beaufort, the wife of King James I of Scotland gave birth to twins, James and Alexander at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh. Alexander did not survive long.

The marriage of the 30 year old Scottish king James IV to Margaret the 14 year old daughter of Henry VI took place at Holyrood house in Edinburgh.

The first printing press in Scotland was set up by Walter Chepman and Andro Myllar in Edinburgh.

After the collapse of the Treaties of Greenwich, which were supposed to bring peace between England and Scotland and the marriage of Prince Edward to Mary, King Henry VIII tried to get agreement through force. The King sent the Earl of Hertford (Lord Hertford) with an army to Scotland and in May they attacked and destroyed Edinburgh. This was the first military action in a series of engagements between England and Scotland now known as the Rough Wooing.

Thousands of Scots gathered near the town of Musselburgh, just to the east of Edinburgh. They faced an English army led by the Duke of Somerset. The Scots had a good position on the battle field but wasted it when they attacked. The Scots were heavily defeated. The defeat at Pinkie Cleugh was a threat to Mary, Queen of Scots, and so she was secretly moved from Stirling Castle to the Augustinian Inchmahome Priory located on an island on lake Menteith. ^[3]

This treaty, signed by Scotland, England and France saw the French leave Scotland and the port of Leith near Edinburgh. Mary of Guise had been trying to make Scotland a French territory, but after her death and some limited fighting between English troops and French troops the French agreed to leave peacefully.

Mary Stuart hoped that she could return to Scotland through England but Queen Elizabeth denied her request. Instead Mary and her entourage left France from Calais in a small flotilla of ships and set sail for Scotland. The voyage was hazardous as the English fleet were looking for her. But thick fog aided her escape and five days later the ships arrived at the port of Leith, now part of Edinburgh. Mary was met by her half-brother James Stewart ^[4]

James the son of Mary Queen of Scots and Henry Stuart Lord Darnley was born at Edinburgh Castle.

Many Scottish nobles rallied against the Queen and Bothwell. The armies of both sides met at Carberry, a few miles to the east of Edinburgh. Mary gave herself up in return for Bothwell's safe exile and no bloodshed occurred. Mary was first taken to Edinburgh and then on to Lochleven where she was forced to abdicate.

James Stewart, the illegitimate son of King James V of Scotland, and half-brother of Mary Stewart, was escorted from France through England to Edinburgh where he was declared Regent of Scotland to the young King James VI.

Charles introduced a new English Prayer Book and demanded that it should be used in Scottish Churches. At St. Giles in Edinburgh a riot erupted when the book was first read from. the riots spread throughout Edinburgh itself.