We recommend booking online for the best price and to guarantee entry.
Save with an Explorer Pass
An Explorer Pass, valid for 14 consecutive days, is a great way to explore our iconic sites.
Our sites sometimes need to close at short notice due to adverse weather, essential maintenance work, and other reasons outwith our control. Check for short notice closures. We advise checking ahead if the forecast is poor or you are making a long journey. If you have an urgent enquiry related to a site closure and your booking over the weekend or a bank holiday please get in touch with ticketing@hes.scot
A mighty fortress, the defender of the nation and a world-famous visitor attraction – Edinburgh Castle has dominated the skyline for centuries.
This most famous of Scottish castles has a complex building history. The oldest part, St Margaret's Chapel, dates from the 12th century; the Great Hall was erected by James IV around 1510; the Half Moon Battery by the Regent Morton in the late 16th century; and the Scottish National War Memorial after the First World War.
The castle houses the Honours (Crown Jewels) of Scotland, the famous 15th century gun Mons Meg, the One o' Clock Gun and the National War Museum of Scotland.
In addition to guided tours provided by the castle stewards, there is an audio guide tour available in eight languages. The audio tour takes the visitor on a tour around the castle, explains its architecture, and tells its dramatic history. This guide is available in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Spanish and Ukrainian.
A courtesy vehicle can take visitors with a disability to the top of the castle. Ramps and a lift give access to the Crown Jewels, and ramps provide access to the war memorial. For those with impaired vision, there is a free Braille guide and hands-on models of the Crown Jewels with Braille texts.
Please be aware that we are currently implementing some new measures with the MOD in relation to the viewing of the One O’clock Gun. As part of this, visitors are asked to please arrive at the new marked areas at least 10 minutes before, as we will limit access in the surrounding areas until after the gun has been fired.
Explore this attraction with the ScotlandVR app.
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