Edinburgh Castle stands on Castle Rock, the plug of a volcano that went quiet roughly 340 million years ago. People have lived on this crag since at least the Iron Age, and for most of Scotland’s recorded history whoever held the rock held the country: it has been a royal residence, a treasury, a prison and a garrison, and it has been besieged more often than almost any fortress in Britain.
Today it is the most visited paid attraction in Scotland. Allow at least two hours, and three if you want to see the museums. Tickets are sold for timed entry and regularly sell out in summer and during the August festivals, so book online before you travel — or take a guided tour that includes the ticket, which is often the easiest way to get a slot.
What to see and do: Edinburgh Castle
The Honours of Scotland
The crown, sceptre and sword of state are the oldest crown jewels in Britain; the crown in its present form dates from 1540. They are displayed in the Crown Room of the Royal Palace, next to the small chamber where Mary, Queen of Scots gave birth to the future James VI in 1566. The queue here is the longest in the castle — go first thing or late in the day.
St Margaret’s Chapel
A tiny Romanesque chapel built around 1130 by David I in memory of his mother, Queen Margaret. It is the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh and is still used for small weddings and christenings.
Mons Meg and the One o’Clock Gun
Mons Meg, a six-tonne siege gun made in 1449, sits outside the chapel. Below it, on Mills Mount Battery, a modern field gun is fired at 1 pm every day except Sundays, Good Friday and Christmas Day — a time signal for ships that has continued since 1861. Arrive ten minutes early for a place at the railings.
The Great Hall and the prisons
James IV’s Great Hall of 1511 has one of the finest medieval timber roofs in Scotland. Beneath it, the vaults have been restored to look as they did when they held prisoners of war in the 18th and early 19th centuries, including sailors from the American War of Independence.
The National War Memorial and museums
The Scottish National War Memorial on Crown Square is a solemn, beautiful building; photography is not allowed inside. The National War Museum and the regimental museums are included in the ticket and are far less crowded than the Crown Room.
How to get to Edinburgh Castle
- The entrance is at the top of the Royal Mile, across the Esplanade. From Waverley station it is a 10–15 minute uphill walk via Cockburn Street or the Mound.
- From Princes Street, climb the Mound or the path and steps through Princes Street Gardens. From the Grassmarket, the Castle Wynd steps are short but steep.
- There is no public parking at the castle. Hop-on hop-off buses stop on the Lawnmarket, a couple of minutes below the Esplanade. A mobility vehicle is available inside for visitors who cannot manage the steep cobbles — ask at the entrance.
Insider tips
- Book the earliest slot you can and go straight to the Crown Room; then work your way back down.
- The castle is exposed and windy even in summer. Bring a layer, and shoes that grip on wet cobbles.
- Audio guides are available in several languages for a small extra charge; staff also run short introductory tours from inside the gate.
- In August the Esplanade is filled with the grandstands of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, and the castle may close earlier in the afternoon.
Best tours & tickets for Edinburgh Castle
These top-rated experiences pair well with a visit to Edinburgh Castle:
Guided tour + ticket from €41 Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket
The city’s best-selling castle tour, with more than 14,000 reviews. Your ticket is included, and a guide walks you through 900 years of sieges, kings and prisoners before leaving you free to explore. Castle tickets regularly sell out in summer, so this is also a reliable way to secure a slot.
- Castle entry ticket included
- The Honours of Scotland and St Margaret’s Chapel
- Stay on inside after the tour
Guided tour + ticket from €49 Edinburgh Castle: Guided History Tour with Tickets
A slightly longer alternative that sets the scene on the Royal Mile before going through the castle gate. Guides are known for their storytelling, and the rating is among the highest of any castle tour. Afterwards you can stay inside as long as you like.
- Entry ticket included
- Starts with the story of the Royal Mile
- Rated 4.8 by over 12,000 guests
Tour + tasting from €29 Edinburgh: The Scotch Whisky Experience Tour and Tasting
Beside the castle gate, this long-established attraction explains how Scotch whisky is made and how the regions differ, shows you a vault holding thousands of bottles, and finishes with a guided tasting. Several tour lengths are offered.
- How Scotch is made, region by region
- One of the world’s largest whisky collections
- Guided tasting included
Entry ticket from €29 Edinburgh: Camera Obscura and World of Illusions Ticket
Edinburgh’s oldest purpose-built visitor attraction: a rooftop chamber where a live image of the city is projected on to a table, above several floors of hands-on illusions, a mirror maze and a vortex tunnel. A reliable hit with children.
- Victorian camera obscura show
- Five floors of optical illusions
- Rooftop terrace by the castle
