Palace / CastleEdinburgh Castle

Perched high on the top of an extinct volcanic outcrop Edinburgh Castle stands proudly, dominating the city skyline and offering fantastic views of Edinburgh and areas.

Over the years the castle has seen a lot of history unfold and each Royal resident who occupied it modified or added to the original structure, so todays castle is an architectural mixture of Palace, Fortress, Barracks, Chapel and War Memorial..There are so many thing to see that a free CD - based audio tour is full of fascinating
information but this is over four hours long and is available in six languages.For those who just like to wander about I suggest a minimum of two hours for your visit.

You will be able to enjoy seeing the Laich Hall restored to its former splendour evident at the time James V1 was in residence in 1617. The Castle is also home to the Scottish Crown Jewels , the oldest Royal Regalia in Britain. Displayed with the Crown Jewels is the Stone of Destiny returned to Scotland as recently as 1996 after 700 years
in England. It was the Coronation Stone of Scottish Kings such as MacBeth and John Baliol before its removal to England by Edward in 1296.

The Castle houses the new National War Museum of Scotland and the Royal Scots and the Scots Dragoon Guards regimental museums. It is also home to the Scottish National war Memorial and not forgetting the world famous One OClock Gun .
There is also another new exhibition about the Guns history this can be found at the
stairway leading to the Western defences. The One O Clock Gun is not fired on Sundays, Christmas Day and Good Friday but it booms out over Edinburgh every other day of the year.

With the many sights on offer a camera is essential to capture the stunning views .A picture of Mons Meg the giant medieval siege gun seems to be high on everybodys list.

I f you are ready for a refreshment break then relax at the Queen Anne and Redcoat Cafés and enjoy unique views of the City of Edinburgh the ideal place for a reviving cuppa.
There are also the usual souvenir shops the Castle Crown Jewel Shop, the Bookshop and the Main Castle Gift Shop offer a large range of must have tourist memorabilia.

Adult £10.30 Child £4.50 Concessions £8.50
Last tickets sold at 5.15pm (4.15pm in winter).
Child (ages 5 - 15); Concession (60 years and over and the unemployed).

Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Guided tours
Castle stewards provide guided tours and you can also hire an audio guide - available in six languages. Trails for children are also available.
Costs:
£3 adult £2 concession (for the over 60 and the unemployed) £1 child (for those aged between 5 and 15 years).


The Castle is open 7 days a week from 9.30am closing at either 5pm or 6pm depending on season and is closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.There is reasonable wheel chair access and disabled toilets are available.
There are no Car parking facilities at the castle.
Courtesy vehicle
A courtesy vehicle is available to take visitors with disabilities from the esplanade to Crown Square.
Please contact the castle in advance to discuss your requirements.


To sum up no visit to Edinburgh would be complete without a climb up the Royal Mile and a visit to the Castle. It really is well worth it. So if you find yourself in the Capital with a few hours to spare I highly recommend this excursion and I give it 10 out of 10