Local Guides World
An 11th-century castle and barracks housing the Crown Jewels and National War Museum of Scotland.
Photos — 100
Reviews — 8
A sight to behold, it was my first time here and I enjoyed learning the history of this castle while visiting. I loved that they had audio guides which were very helpful while getting around. The cafe had great food selection, it was so crowded there for lunch, I had to wait a long while before I could get food and a table.
It was a great experience! Regardless of the rain we walked all over the grounds listening to our guide telling stories. After the tour we looked at all the buildings again, cannons, chapel, even little graveyard for dogs. Overall happy we visited it.
Stunning views an insightful audio guide. Beautiful castle grounds highly recommend to anyone visiting. Be sure to book ahead as it's fully booked today and seems like it is everyday. My parents were on a British isles cruise few months ago and came the day of hoping to visit but were turned away due to being booked to capacity.
This is an absolutely beautiful castle! It has so much history behind it so I suggest getting a tour guide or getting one of the headphone ones. There was no wait getting in and the crowds were manageable. The castle will give you a beautiful view of Edinburgh so if you are wanting some rich history and great views, this is definitely the spot!
One of the best castles I've ever visited. It's like a labyrinth with hidden secrets around every corner. It's easy to spend several hours here in order to see everything on offer.
Halls, museums, an excellent guided tour, dungeons, prison cell reconstructions, the list goes on.
I would strongly advise booking up in advance as it was sold out when I visited and there were long queues with hundreds of visitors.
Halls, museums, an excellent guided tour, dungeons, prison cell reconstructions, the list goes on.
I would strongly advise booking up in advance as it was sold out when I visited and there were long queues with hundreds of visitors.
Book tickets in advance as you're not guaranteed entry if you just turn up. The website is easy to use, there are many time slots to choose from and you get a long window to arrive within. This place is truly spectacular and there is so much to see on site that you could spend much longer here than you'll plan for. St Margarets Chapel is small but the stained glass is beautiful. The Crown Jewels are well worth the queue and were the highlight for me until I entered the Scottish National War Memorial building. Absolutely amazing! The Regimental museums and National War museum are glorious, so much information and memorabilia. Be sure to be on time for the one o'clock gun! The Great Hall is fabulous, the ceiling alone! The replicas of Mary Queen of Scots embroideries are exquisite so don't miss those. You'll really appreciate the amount of work that's went into them. There are plenty of toilets around and cafes to stop for coffee and a snack. We spent a good 3 hours here and probably still missed things
An absolutely great day out. You can easily spend the whole day here. You definitely need to book in advance to avoid disappointment. We signed up for Historic Scotland Memberships and it's made visiting the Castle, so much more worthwhile. The value for money with the membership is great, as you get discounts on food and gift shops.
