Visited July 2024

Location	Edinburgh
Entrance Fee	Yes
Railway Station Nearby	Edinburgh
Parking	City Car Parks
Facilities	Cafe, Gift Shop, Toilets
Map

As it is the no.1 tourist attraction in Edinburgh- prepare for a trip to Edinburgh Castle to be busy at any time of the year! Our only advice on that is to get your tickets in advance as they often sell out completely on the day. We booked for 11am which in hindsight is probably peak time- I don't know what the numbers are like for earlier or later visits though.

Review

Although today it is one of the most beloved sights of the Edinburgh skyline, the castle wasn't always popular wth the Scots. There were tmes in its history when it was occupied by the English to facilitate English rule in Scotland. Even so, the original castle was a royal residence for the Scottish monarchs in around 1130, and the chapel of St Margaret inside the castle precinct dates back to this time. It was the only building left standing in 1314 when Robert the Bruce slighted the castle so it couldn't be used by the English. The chapel still exists and can be visited- but expect queues as it is quite small inside so cannot accommodate a large volume of visitors all at once.

Other places of interest to visit inside the castle walls are:  Mons Meg which is the largest canon ever to be fired in anger  in Britain. A cannon ball could be fired a distance of almost two miles. Always popular, many people want a photo of the gun, so again- form an orderly queue. There is also the Scottish National War Memorial which is close to St. Margaret's Chapel, this was built in the 1920s to honour the dead of WW1. Right in front of the chapel is the building housing the Scottish Crown Jewels- again there is a queue but it moved much faster then the queue for the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London. The jewels are stunning , but unfortunately no photography is allowed so we can't show you!

We also enjoyed the Argyle Tower, which houses an exhibition called 'Fight for the Castle' which illustrates the number of times that the castle has switched hands between the English and Scottish crown. On the subject of military history, there is the very good Regimental Museum, which can be found in the New Barracks. Here are all sorts of items from Scotland's military past. We found it fascinating, and so it seems did the many kids looking around it too. 

Also be aware of the One o' Clock Gun- this, as the name suggests, is fired everyday at 1 (except Sundays) This is a reminder that Edinburgh Catle still has a military function, albeit mainly ceremonial. The gun is loud, so just be beware if your children are sensitive to noise.

Despite all the crowds, one place we found wasn't crowded at all was the Redcoat Cafe. It was certainly a welcome retreat from the hustle and bustle of outside, and somewhere to put our feet up for a while. We found the food to be good at a good price. There is a gift shop at the castle which we found pricey, but that is to be expected at a major tourist attraction. The one thing that you can get for free at the castle though is views- wherever you are within the castle walls you will have fantastic views over Edinburgh; that is probably the best thing about the castle.

More info:  Edinburgh Castle