Edinburgh Castle Castles, Palaces & Historic Buildings

Historic Fortress with Breathtaking Views
Off Johnston Terrace
Lothian
Edinburgh,
EH1 2NG
United Kingdom
Phone No. +44 131 225 9846
Visit Websitehttp://www.edinburghcastle.gov..

Transport Options:

Bus Available: Old Town, Castle Esplanade (E-bound)
Cards Accepted:

Overview

Edinburgh Castle is Edinburgh's best known and most popular attraction and one of the most visited ancient monuments in Great Britain. It has breathtaking views of Edinburgh and tons to interest young and old alike - the Great Hall and Royal Apartments, the Crown Room, the Half Moon Battery, statues of Robert the Bruce and William Wallace, and the Esplanade to name but a few. The Esplanade is also the venue of the world-renowned Military Tattoo, with its music, marching and historical re-enactments. The castle is home to Scotland's most famous cannon - a 15th-century monstrosity called Mons Meg, which is fired every day except Sundays, be warned, it's deafening! In a more somber corner of the castle is the Witches' Well where over 300 women were burned between 1492-1722. Check the website for seasonal timings.

Open Hours

Mo to Su from 09:30 AM to 06:00 PM

Upcoming Events Near Edinburgh Castle

Tags

A Day In The City, Architecture & History

W0W!by Yahoo | 2008-11-23 19:27:17 |

I LOVED THIS TRIP. I WENT TO LONDON FOR 4 DAYS AND TO SCOTLAND FOR3 DAYS. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THE CASTLE. IT WAS AMAZING. I WOULD GO BAK ANYDAY! -ALEXIS

One of my favorite places I seenby Yahoo | 2008-09-05 14:34:14 |

I visited Edinburgh Castle in September 2004,as part of a 10 day tour of Scotland.Highly recommended especially if you're a history or architectural buff like I am.Just amazing,until recently it was the most popular paid admission tourist attraction in Scotland.The newly restored (reopened July 2006) Kelvingrove Art Museum in Glasgow is the most popular free attraction.I was hoping to visit that also,but it was closed because of restoration at the time.

Fantastic!by Yahoo | 2008-05-09 10:47:57 |

As an International Flight Attendant, I have the privilege of seeing incredible sights all around the world. Edinburgh remains one of my favorite places to visit and the Castle is well worth the money! The history is remarkable and the view? Breathtaking! And lastly? The people of Edinburgh are some of the warmest and friendliest that you'll find anywhere! Enjoy!

GREAT!by Yahoo | 2007-11-11 22:29:40 |

The castle was easy to get around because of the easy to follow maps and it had an awesome view from the top! It was wonderful! We visited in August and the weather was pretty good. It did rain a little bit but it was fun anyway! What was also great was the fringe festival was going on the same time.

Definite Must Experience!by Yahoo | 2007-08-03 02:42:01 |

I loved it! Looking up at the castle at night with all the lights is breathtaking! If you are planning on visiting Scotland, DO NOT MISS IT!

Bonnie Scotlandby Yahoo | 2007-05-23 17:57:34 |

On a wind swept spring day that held a bit of drizzle in the air we made our way to the incline of Edinburgh castle perched on a cliff. The gentle slope ascent is quite easy and eagerly we arrived at the large esplanade area where the tatoo rituals are performed,the view is grand and vast as well. At the inner entrance of the castle two statues are in alcoves at either side of the entry.One is of Rbt the Bruce the other of Wallace,important in Scottish lore. The oldest Edinburgh building inside is dedicated to the mother of one of the builders.It is St.Margaret chapel (15x10 ft)nestled on a tiny crevice.A wedding ceremony was going on as we arrived,the bride was a bit battered by the weather,her beehive do wind-tossed,but the groom was ever so dashing in short green jacket,plaid kilt and knee socks.A Scottish wedding ceremony is the one place the groom is gauranteed to out shine the bride.Other buildings in the castle are Honors of Scotland jewels,royal scepture,crown and sword behind a massive glass vitine in Crwon room;Royal apartments where a king was born;other Scottish memorials to war effort,one of three Scotts died in WWI.At 1PM each week day a canon salute is fired above the city here.Its best to observe the ritual from the front door of the tiny chapel,and remember to cover your ears!For the best post card selection in town the gift shop here is tops.On the way back from the castle at the end of the esplanade a costumed William Wallace dressed in blue and brown tartan performed sword gestures and posed for photos in front of an ancient wall where witches were routinely burned at the stake!Below,the Royal Mile leading straight to Holyrood Palace was like a medieval ribbon of time at our feet.

This was my second visit!!by Yahoo | 2007-04-27 14:32:32 |

The tour of the castle was great. I loved that the tour started with a tour guide but when the tour was over you were then allowed to tour the castle on your own. This is one of those places that no matter how many times you visit you see something that you missed the previous visit. My husband and I are already planning another trip to Scotland. It is a wonderful place to visit.

edinburgh castle -bigby Yahoo | 2007-03-29 00:49:33 |

I enjoyed going through Edinburgh Castle. It was very big. the castle had very good descriptions on what life was like inside it. The castle gave you great views of the city below. The castle was fun to walk around in and made me very thankful that I am live today and not when Kings and Queens were in charge of the country.

Edinburgh Castleby Yahoo | 2007-02-19 03:40:20 |

This is a great place to see. Edinburgh is a fun city, cold, but with plenty of places to warm up. This is one of the magical cities of the world.

Edinburgh Castle: Beauty Rich in Historyby Yahoo | 2007-01-25 10:03:33 |

Edinburgh Castle is Scotland's most famous and visited landmark. The castle's beauty and history begins with the location. The majestic castle stands at the heart of the city of Edinburgh atop Castle Rock, which is an extinct volcano lending the castle sheer cliffs to the south, west, and north, leaving the only readily accessible route to the castle to the gently sloping east side, which is the top of the famous Royal Mile. The history, medieval atmosphere, museums, shops, eatery, beauty and spectacular view of lovely Edinburgh lying below this massive jewel is well worth the small entrance fee to this, at least half day adventure. Don't miss Crown Square, The Stone of Destiny, St. Mary's Chapel, the gardens, and the One O'Clock Gun. Touch the ancient stone walls, climb the castle stairs, look up at the gargoyle's gazing down at you from their perches outside the historic walls, sit at the throne, and admire the staues of Braveheart and Robert the Bruce at the gate entrance. Don't miss this beauty rich in history!