Edinburgh Castle is one of the defining sights in Edinburgh, Scotland. Sitting on top of a large hill, it can be seen from almost everywhere in the city. It also is the starting point of the Royal Mile. Edinburgh Castle is quite large and you could spend a lot of time there. But if you’re short on time (or you want to make sure you see the best things first) this blog post will share our 4 favorite things to see at Edinburgh Castle.
How to Get to Edinburgh Castle:
We got to the castle via walking. When we were in Scotland, we were there on a cruise. So we tendered into South Queensferry, then took a charter bus into Edinburgh. They dropped us off in sort of the middle of the city and we walked from there to the castle. It is definitely easy to see and pretty much everyone knows where it is, so it isn’t that hard to find if you get lost.
The lines can be long at Edinburgh Castle to try to get there early if you can. If you have an Explorer Pass (it gets you into Stirling Castle as well), you can reserve your tickets online and pick them up at a kiosk. If you do this though, make sure you stop at the visitor’s center before getting your tickets checked at the gate so you can get a map and some information before entering.
4 Things You Can’t Miss at Edinburgh Castle:
1: Guided Tours
The first thing we did when we got to the castle was go on a guided tour. These happen every 15 minutes and last for about 30. It is a great way to get an overview of Edinburgh Castle and see where the main things are to look at. It gave us a good idea of things we wanted to come back and look at more closely. We also got some great information about the history of the castle and it gave us some better context for our exploring later that day.
The guided tours are free. When you first enter the castle, look for the red clock by the portcullis. It will display the time for the next tour. A tour guide will meet you there shortly before the tour is to begin.
2: The Crown Jewels and Royal Apartments
The Crown Jewels exhibit is really neat. It is also one of the most popular parts of the castle. So make sure you get there early before the lines get too long. We did this after our tour (it is right where the tour ends so it was perfect). There are two lines to get into the exhibit. One is inside the courtyard area and the other is outside the courtyard near the sign for the toilets. When we were there, the line outside the courtyard was much, much shorter. But later in the day when we passed by, that line was longer than the other one. So just check both to see which one is shorter. After viewing the Crown Jewels, you can go to the royal apartments. The cool thing about these is that you can see the room where James the Sixth and First was born.
3: Scottish War Memorial
The Scottish War Memorial is also located in the same courtyard area where the Crown Jewels and Royal Apartments are. It is also in the courtyard where your guided tour will end. It was a nice memorial where you could have a few moments of silence and time to ponder. If you have Scottish family that has been in a war, you can also look them up in the many, many books there.
4: Prisoner of War Exhibit:
This was probably my favorite thing we did at Edinburgh Castle. You are able to go into the dungeons and see how prisoners from America’s Revolutionary War lived. It was interesting as an American to see the Scott’s take on our revolution. You can see an original door that has carvings from the prisoners which was fascinating to look at.
Other Things To See:
If you still have time (and energy!) after seeing the 4 things above, here are a few other things we enjoyed while at Edinburgh Castle.
- The Great Hall: a large room with lots of swords and armor; doesn’t take too long to see
- St. Margaret’s Church: oldest part of the castle dating back to medieval times
- Giant Guns: they’re just cool
- Battlements: you can go up and walk around them and get amazing views of Edinburgh
Sum Up:
Edinburgh Castle should be at the top of your list to see while in Edinburgh. An audio guide is available, although we didn’t get one because the lines were so long for them. We spent 2 hours there without an audio guide, but could have spent much longer there with one. Don’t forget to get a map on your way in and start out with a guided tour to get a good overview of what you’ll be seeing throughout the day. Get there early because lines will get very long. There are free toilets inside. And there is food availbe as well. Although the kiosks only take cash; the restaurants and cafes indoors will take cards.
