Visit Edinburgh castle with your ticket and enjoy entrance to all attractions within the castle’s walls. Discover the Edinburgh’s most iconic monument as you learn about the battles and sieges fought at the castle and about the royals who lived and died within its walls. With free guided tours (in English) available once you're inside the castle, you will experience history like never before.

Edinburgh Castle dominates Scotland's capital city from its great volcanic summit, and its story has helped shape the nation's story: battles and sieges were fought over it, royalty lived and died within its walls, and countless generations have been inspired by it.

In your visit, you will learn about the many Scottish monarchs the castle has sheltered, including Queen Margaret (later St Margaret), who died here in 1093, and Mary Queen of Scots, who gave birth to James VI in the Royal Palace in 1566.

In the 1600s, the castle became a military base. Some buildings were rebuilt, while new ones were raised to house a huge garrison and provide a secure jail for prisoners of war. The military presence remains unbroken, but over the last 200 years the castle has become a national icon and is now Scotland's leading tourist attraction.

Additional Information

• Admission is free for children under 5 years old, all children 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult
• Bags larger than 30 litres are not permitted into the Castle
• Free guided tours are available on a first come first served basis
• Kindly approach a member of staff at the castle to join a guided tour
• Tour availability may vary depending on staffing and weather conditions
• Visitors to Edinburgh Castle should be aware that random bag searches many be conducted at random at the Castle, resulting in longer waiting times for entry

Operating Hours

The castle opens daily at 9.30am. Closing time varies seasonally. Winter and summer hours are detailed below:

Click here for detailed information regarding opening hours.

What You Get

Includes

• Entrance to all attractions within Edinbugh Castle, including the National War Museum
• Short introductory guided tour (English only and first-come first-served basis)

Excludes

• Audio guide