Edinburgh Castle and Royal Mile Walking Tour with Entry Ticket

The Royal Mile and St Giles' Cathedral

The tour starts on the High Street, the busiest section of the Royal Mile, the historic street that runs about one Scots mile from Edinburgh Castle down to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Its stone tenements, narrow closes and church spires make it the best introduction to the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with the New Town since 1995. Your guide explains how the medieval town grew along this volcanic ridge and why its buildings rose so high.

The longest stop is at St Giles' Cathedral, the High Kirk of Edinburgh, with its crown spire of around 1495. Inside are fine stained-glass windows and the carved Thistle Chapel; entry is free with a donation, and your guide covers its story during the walk. A Royal Mile walking tour like this one is the easiest way to understand the street before you return later for its museums and shops.

The Mercat Cross and the Writers' Museum

Just outside St Giles' stands the Mercat Cross, the octagonal platform with a unicorn on top where royal proclamations are still read aloud on great occasions. In past centuries this was the town's meeting place for merchants, announcements and public punishments, and your guide brings those scenes to life in a short stop.

Further up, a close leads into the courtyard of Lady Stair's House, built in 1622, which now holds the Writers' Museum, dedicated to three of Scotland's best-loved writers. Beside it lies Makars' Court, where flagstones are carved with lines by Scottish poets; makar is the old Scots word for poet. The museum is free and makes a calm place to return to after the castle if you enjoy literature and old interiors. Here your guide talks about Edinburgh as a city of books, printing and ideas.

Victoria Street and the Grassmarket

From the Royal Mile the walk curves down Victoria Street, the sloping street of brightly painted shopfronts built in the 1830s to link the upper town with the Grassmarket. Victoria Terrace runs along its upper side, giving a raised view of the street, and the shops sell tartan, books, sweets and crafts. It is one of the most photographed corners of Edinburgh, so have your camera ready.

At the bottom lies the Grassmarket, a wide square below the castle cliffs that was a market from 1477 and a place of public executions until 1784; a round memorial in the paving marks the old gallows. Today it is lively with cafes and restaurants. Your guide shares its stories in about 10 minutes, and from here you see the castle towering above, which is exactly where the tour goes next.

Edinburgh Castle and Castle Rock

Edinburgh Castle stands on Castle Rock, the plug of an extinct volcano formed about 350 million years ago, and people have used this natural fortress since the Iron Age. The castle you see was built and rebuilt over nine centuries of sieges, and it is still a working military site. Your guide leads you through the gatehouse and up the cobbled road past the Argyle Battery, where the cannons look over the New Town towards the Firth of Forth.

The guided part lasts about 45 minutes in the castle's outdoor areas, because castle rules do not allow tour guides inside the roofed buildings. You hear about the One O'Clock Gun, fired every day except Sunday since 1861 so ships could set their clocks, and see Mons Meg, a giant fifteenth-century siege gun. Is Edinburgh Castle worth visiting? For history and views, it is the city's top sight.

Inside the Castle at Your Own Pace

After the guided tour your ticket lets you keep exploring for as long as you wish. The highlight is the Crown Room in the Royal Palace, where the Honours of Scotland are displayed: the crown, sceptre and sword of state, the oldest crown jewels in the British Isles. Nearby are the royal apartments and the Great Hall, completed in 1511, with its hammer-beam roof and walls of arms and armour.

At the summit stands St Margaret's Chapel, built around 1130 and the oldest building in Edinburgh, and close by is the Scottish National War Memorial. The vaulted prisons of war show where captured sailors were held in the eighteenth century. Plan at least 1.5 to 2 hours inside. Edinburgh Castle opening hours are usually 9:30 to 18:00 from April to September and 9:30 to 17:00 in winter, with last entry an hour before closing.