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 Stone of Destiny, 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, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Mandarin.
While some areas may be closed, we will have additional interpretation available on-site so you don't miss out. This may include QR codes so make sure your mobile can read these when visiting.
A courtesy vehicle (provided by the Bank of Scotland) can take visitors with a disability to the top of the castle. Ramps and a lift give access to the Crown Jewels, Stone of Destiny and associated exhibition; 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.
Very occasionally the property has to close at short notice due to adverse weather conditions or other reasons out with our control. Please check the Historic Scotland closures page for any unexpected site closures https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/check-for-closures/. You can also follow closure tweets from @welovehistory using #hsclosure. Alternatively please call the site before setting off to check they are open.
Explore this attraction with the ScotlandVR app.
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