Scotland’s second-most-popular tourist attraction as you learn about the bloody history including stories of the kings and queens who lived in this castle.
There is evidence of a fort here for almost 3000 years, and it has been a royal castle since at least King David I’s reign in the 12th century. The Scottish monarchs continued to use it until 1633, and even saw the birth of King James VI within its walls.
Your tour will begin on the Royal Mile, then take you to the castle, where you will hear your guide talking about the origins of the castle and its sieges.
Once inside the castle walls, the guide will take you through the different parts of the fortress and tell you its fascinating history. Inside the complex, you will find three museums, two prisons, a canine cemetery, the Chapel of Saint Margaret, the National Monument to the fallen of Scotland, the Great Hall, and a Royal Palace.(ENTIRE TOUR WILL REMAIN OUTDOORS; buildings are not accessible during the tour.)
Explore one the most important fortresses in the history of Scotland. Walk inside the castle for 1 hour and 10 minutes to enjoy the wonderful royal palace, where Mary Queen of Scots once lived, and admire the Great Hall of the 16th century where parties and feast took place. After the exploration with a guide, you can spend a free time inside the castle until closing time
You will make your own way to the meeting points
Look for the BLACK UMBRELLA with our Yellow logo. Meet in front of the entrance to Advocates Close, opposite St. Giles’ Cathedral.. It is worth to note that we can not take you inside any of the Castle Buildings (no tour operator can) but we will give you the rich history of the Castle. Know before you go: Please note in poor weather conditions the tour will remain outdoors as access to the castle buildings is not available for tour groups. The castle is a complex of buildings, not a single building. On this tour you will be guided around Edinburgh castle, with specific stops assigned by the castle authorities. After the tour, you will have plenty of time to explore the castle and visit every building (Museums, Royal Palace, prisons, and much more). We can not access those buildings during the tour, but the tour will still be carried out within the castle grounds. Bags over 30L in volume are not allawed inside the castle.