Edinburgh Castle Tickets with Guided Tour

Edinburgh Castle and Castle Rock

Edinburgh Castle stands on Castle Rock, an extinct volcano that has been fortified for over a thousand years. It has been a royal residence, a military base and a prison, and its dramatic position above the Old Town gives it the best-known silhouette in Scotland. Anyone who asks whether Edinburgh Castle is worth visiting will find that a guided tour gives context to the walls, gates and views.

Your Edinburgh Castle tour begins outside, on the Royal Mile and the esplanade, the wide parade ground in front of the gatehouse where the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo takes place each August. Your guide explains the origins of the castle and how it was besieged and rebuilt over the centuries.

The guided walk in the castle grounds

Inside the walls, your guide takes you through the outdoor parts of the fortress and tells the stories of the kings and queens who lived here, from Mary Queen of Scots to James VI. Specific stops are set by the castle authorities, and the tour itself stays outdoors: the buildings are not visited during the guided part.

After the guided walk, you are free to enter every building until the castle closes. This is the best of both worlds: a clear overview first, and your own time to explore afterwards without feeling rushed.

The Great Hall, the Crown Jewels and the museums

When the tour ends, use your ticket to visit the Great Hall, with its 16th-century hammerbeam roof, and the Royal Palace, where the Honours of Scotland, the country's crown jewels, are displayed alongside the Stone of Destiny. St Margaret's Chapel, dating from the 12th century, is the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh.

The complex also holds the National War Museum, the prisons, and the Scottish National War Memorial. Look out for Mons Meg, the huge medieval cannon, and the One O'Clock Gun, fired daily except Sundays, which many visitors enjoy hearing.

Meeting point, getting there and planning your visit

The tour starts on the Royal Mile, at a meeting point on the High Street, a five-minute walk from the esplanade. From Edinburgh Waverley station, walk uphill through the Old Town in about 15 minutes. The walk is on cobbles and slopes, so wear comfortable shoes.

The tour is not suitable for people with mobility impairments because of the steep, uneven terrain. The roof and viewing areas may close in poor weather. Check the start time on the booking panel, and plan to spend about three hours in total if you want to see the buildings afterwards.