The royal burgh of Edinburgh was founded by David I around 1130, although such a defensible and strategically important site had been occupied for many years previous to this date. Excavations at Edinburgh Castle in 1988-9 demonstrated that the site had been occupied since the Bronze Age,1 and it enters the historical record around AD 600 as Din Eidyn, “the stronghold of Eidyn.” The royal burgh was throughout the Middle Ages one of the most important towns in Scotland, and by the late-15th century had become the capital of the country. Its growth throughout the Middle Ages and beyond demonstrated its economic as well as its strategic importance. for more click here