n this episode of SECRETS OF GREAT BRITISH CASTLES, Dan Jones is in Scotland, at the most besieged castle in the country: Edinburgh Castle. Edinburgh's iconic stronghold has shaped this nation's history. Over the centuries, this ancient fortress, originally defended by Iron Age warriors, has seen battles and sieges. Royalty were born, lived and died here and many were tortured here. Edinburgh was, and still is, a military base. The castle served as a secure jail for prisoners of war and was a target for the world's first aerial bombing. Today, it is Scotland's most-visited, paid tourist attraction. Jones learns about the horrific incident that inspired the shocking 'Red Wedding' in Game of Thrones. In 1440, the teenage Earl of Douglas and his brother were murdered in cold blood at a dinner with nine-year-old James II, in David's Tower. This grotesque double murder is now known as 'The Black Dinner.' It's one of the most notorious events in all of Scottish history. Jones also meets a cannon expert who tells him about James II love of canons, in particular Mons Meg. Dan fires a cannonball at a disused van to see how much damage a cannon can really do.
