English: "At the western extremity of the city rises a hill and a steep rock, and on the rock a fortress, with a deep valley on all sides except towards the city. Except from the east side, therefore the fortress is impregnable. It cannot even be scaled with ladders, so steep and hard is the rock, in which vultures are in the habit of building. Enterprising youths are let down from the castle in baskets to rob their nests. This fortress is known as the 'Maidens' Castle'*, and forms the western limit of the city. At the eastern extremity is the splendid monastery of the Holy Rood, adjoining the royal palace, and delightful gardens, enclosed by a lake at the base of Arthur's Seat. (…) Two great ways lead from the Maidens' Castle to the monastery and the royal palace, paved with square stones, King's Street (Regia Via) being the more notable." -- Sebastian Münster, Cosmographia 1544 [translated by Hume Brown]

• reason for name unknown; the site is shown on Ptolemy's 2ndC map of Britain as Myned Agned [Old Welsh 'winged rock']