Book reveals history of Castle swastika
A NEW guidebook explains why there is a swastika inside the Scottish National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle.
The guide was compiled by the Castle's historians to shed new light on the ancient fortress and features "quirky facts about Edinburgh Castle you probably didn't know".
A swastika can be seen within the decorated window panes of the memorial, designed by Douglas Strachan, which was built during the 1920s.
The guidebook states: "High up in a stained-glass window in the War Memorial is the horseman, Faithful and True, from the Bible's book of Revelation. On his cloak is a swastika. Even as the mortar was drying in the walls, this ancient symbol of fortune was appearing in the skies over Europe, the insignia of a man who, like the rider on the white horse, would 'smite the nations and rule over them with a rod of iron' – Adolf Hitler."
The guide also reveals the castle's role in an intriguing piece of Cold War history. A little barred window above the fireplace in the Great Hall, which was used to spy on guests, was bricked up prior to a planned visit by Mikhail Gorbachev to the castle in 1984, at the request of the KGB.
Email to a friend
Print this page- Alistair Darling leads ‘No to independence’ fight over tea and biscuits
- Scottish independence: SNP flip-flops over Nato
- Today’s youth not fit to be employed, says car firm Arnold Clark
- The Rumour Mill: Wednesday’s football news and gossip
- Scottish Independence: SNP ‘won’t be Yes campaign’s only voice’
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Edinburgh
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North east
