You can tackle Scotland's most visited attraction in several ways. There are official guided tours, which are entertaining and informative. A self-guiding audio tour is a good option that helps focus the mind amid inevitable crowds. Brace yourself for the One O'Clock Gun, a 25-pounder that blasts off a single blank charge from the Half Moon battery at I p.m. daily, except Sunday. Castle highlights are the 12thcentury St. Margaret's Chapel; the Stone of Scone; the Vaults, where the mighty 500-year-old siege gun, Mons Meg, stands in grim splendor like some huge black beast; and the Great Hall, with its glorious hammer beam roof and masses of weaponry. The Honours of the Kingdom exhibition is an evocative journey through history that culminates with a display of Scotland's luminous Crown Jewels in the Crown Room.
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