St Margaret's Chapel stands within Edinburgh Castle and is the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh. It was built in the twelfth century, during the reign of David I of Scotland, who ruled from 1124 to 1153. The style is Romanesque, with some similarity to earlier Scottish and Irish Celtic chapels.
It is a small rectangular structure, about 3 meters wide inside, with a round chancel arch with chevron moldings and an apsed sanctuary. Five small round-headed windows light it. Five stained-glass windows installed in 1922 are by Douglas Strachan, and show St Margaret, St Andrew, St Columba, St Ninian and William Wallace.
Robert the Bruce captured the castle in 1314, spared the chapel and ordered its repair in 1329. After the Reformation it was later used as a gunpowder store. It was restored in 1851 and 1852 with support from Queen Victoria.
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