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Scotland's Capital Castle

Edinburgh Castle is one of the most exciting historic sites in Western Europe. Set in the heart of Scotland's dynamic capital city, it is sure to capture your imagination.

Edinburgh Castle is alive with exciting tales of its time as a military fortress, royal residence and prison of war. When you climb Castle Hill, you will walk in the footsteps of soldiers, kings and queens – and even the odd pirate or two.

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Location
Closed
Open hours today: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Monday

    9:00 am - 5:00 pm

  • Tuesday

    9:00 am - 5:00 pm

  • Wednesday

    9:00 am - 5:00 pm

  • Thursday

    9:00 am - 5:00 pm

  • Friday

    9:00 am - 5:00 pm

  • Saturday

    9:00 am - 5:00 pm

  • Sunday

    9:00 am - 5:00 pm

  • March 28, 2023 6:17 am local time

    The information on Monty's Guide website is advisory and some places have restricted access during temporary closures or special event days. Please be sure to check the website of the place you intend to visit before travelling

Additional visitor information

Tickets often sell out far in advance, especially over the summer months. Book your tickets online in advance for the best price and to guarantee entry. Once tickets are sold out online, there will be no further tickets available at the castle.

  • 1 April to 30 September: 9.30am - 6.00pm (last entry 5.00pm)
  • 1 October to 31 March: 9.30am - 5.00pm (last entry 4.00pm)

You should set aside at least 2 hours to see the main attractions at Edinburgh Castle.

Opening times for the independent museums at the castle may vary.

The castle is closed on 25 and 26 December.

1 January - the castle will open at the later time of 11am.

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    • Monty's Guide
      December 20, 2022 at 7:28 pm
      Edinburgh Castle
      4.6
      Based on 79604 reviews
      powered by Google
      Northern WanderersNorthern Wanderers

      07:36 28 Dec 22
      Amazing place. It has lots of open areas and you visit the “rooms”, cathedral and others. It is like a little old town with lots of history. Very different to other traditional castles in the UK. I absolutely loved it.The view is stunning. It is worth a visit and even better if clear sky.We also visited the Royal military tattoo that was on. Great show! A must if you ask me! Castle costs around £20 and the show is around £60-70

      Elliott MitchellElliott Mitchell

      18:54 28 Sep 22
      Beautiful site, truly a jewel of Scotland. (Tourist review) my wife and I were traveling from the US, and ended up with Edinburgh as our itinerary for a Wednesday. I had heard about long lines and some unavailability, so I purchased the Scottish Historical society Explorer pass, and a reservation for 1:00 to view the castle. We arrived in time and were able to walk right in, showing the explorer pass. Very smooth! It was a bit rainy off and on, but there were plenty of buildings to step inside of and every shop had umbrellas for sale. The castle exhibits were a bit more modern than we expected, focusing mostly on 1600’s onwards but we loved the Scottish war museum and the individual regiment museums. A good variety of artifacts and information. We enjoyed the great hall and the views from the cannon battery’s immensely. I didn’t see too much content specifically for kids, but it was filled with such beautiful views of architecture and cool artifacts I think people of all ages could appreciate the castle!It took us 4 hours to see everything, stopping for lunch and taking photos, but not waiting in lines

      Daniele FleurDaniele Fleur

      14:55 05 Sep 22
      Amazing place. It has lots of open areas and you visit the “rooms”, cathedral and others. It is like a little old town with lots of history. Very different to other traditional castles in the UK. I absolutely loved it.The view is stunning. It is worth a visit and even better if clear sky.

      Mike BraccioMike Braccio

      16:52 26 Aug 22
      Great place. Some hints for your visit.1. Prepay ticket and arrive 10 minutes prior to time on ticket.2. Buy tickets before 1pm or 1300 so you can view the 1pm cannon firing. Make sure to find a spot to view the firingat least by 1245. Most. Good spots will be taken by then3.There are several museums/areas on the castle grounds. A few of them are the Prison, National war museum and Royal Scots Dragoon.I found them to be nice and worth the time to spend exploring.4. Bathrooms are available and first one as you enter on the left hand side.5. The Scottish jewels was the longest wait of all places.6. The have audio tours you can purchase to the right of the entrance if that is something you are interested in.7. I would give myself at least 2 hours for museums and touring the castle.8. Highly recommended

      Sarah SumsionSarah Sumsion

      00:04 27 Apr 22
      Loved this castle!! You are free to roam in the order you want and to see inside buildings as you desire. Not 100% accessible, but you could spend hours there! We liked going earlier cause it was less crowded. You can stay as long as you want, so later in the day the crowds just grow. Lots of military museum spaces. Enthusiasts will love it! No pics allowed when viewing the Crown Jewels, nor in one other memorial building for deceased servicemen. Everything else is fine for pics. Great picture ops everywhere! Incredible view! We went in April and the wind made it quite cold so dress warm!

      Rodney DassRodney Dass

      09:07 25 Mar 22
      Phenomenal castle with truly spectacular views. Most castle areas are accessible and there are many interesting artifacts and items of historical significance. It will take you a good 2-3 hrs to finish exploring the castle. A must visit is the national Scottish war museum.

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