How to visit Edinburgh Castle in Scotland: schedules, prices

Without a doubt, the great monument that will have great prominence in your Edinburgh visit, main stage in a trip to scotland, is the big castle with its impressive location at the top of the medieval city.

El Edinburgh castle It is located on the rocky summit of an ancient volcano that is now extinct, and from its viewpoints you have the best panoramic views of the city and the gulf where the Scottish capital is located.

On the contrary, from important tourist areas of Edinburgh, such as the princes street park, or from the Calton Hill, the castle becomes the great reference of the best views of the medieval city.

For visit Edinburgh Castle, you must climb the hill of the medieval city, where you will reach the Royal Mile.

This is the long street that goes up from the Palace of Holyroodhouse, historic official residence of the queen of scotland, to the top of the hill where the castle sits.

Curiosities history of Edinburgh Castle

Actually, the edinburgh castle It is a large complex of buildings and fortifications that began to be built in the 12th century, and that has been completed and remodeled until the 20th century.

Already in the year 1140 it was the seat of the Scottish Parliament.

Furthermore, this great fortification was the residence of the kings of scotland until 1603 when the kingdoms of England and Scotland, at which time the royal residence was moved to London.

Going up Royal Mile, once you have passed the large pointed tower of the building The hub, you arrive at the large esplanade that is in front of the access door to the castle.

For the visit you have the option of signing up for a Edinburgh Castle toura guide in spanish and two hours long, with the skip-the-line entrance Included.

But if you prefer to visit the monument on your own, below I am going to highlight the main corners that you should visit during the tour.

This is the experience of visiting Edinburgh Castle

Si vas a Visit Edinburgh in August, as I did during my last trip to Scotland, what you will find on that esplanade are the impressive stands that are set up to see the great Military Tattoo show.

This is a great event that takes place every night coinciding with the celebration of the Edinburgh International Festival.

Portcullis Gate in Edinburgh Castle

To enter the premises you will cross the Rake Gate (its name in English is Portcullis Gate), which has always been the main access to this great fortification, since the location on a cliff only offers an easy entrance from the east side.

La Rake Gate It has an enormous structure built in 1573 after the long siege that destroyed the tower that had served as access to the great fortification since the XNUMXth century.

You will see that, in reality, there are two doors, and between them you will find the lockers.

As soon as you pass the second door, when you have really entered the edinburgh castle, on the right is the office with the castle guide and audio guide service.

The Grand Staircase of Edinburgh Castle

On the left you will see the grand staircase, which, with its 70 steep steps, was historically the main access to the castle.

The inconvenience of the same for the transport of bulky objects, or the impossibility of the carts being able to climb, meant that a more comfortable access was enabled, going up the slopes that surround the fortification.

Argyle Battery Viewpoint at Edinburgh Castle

Already during your tour of the edinburgh castle, you will have the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful views of the city from its numerous viewpoints while walking through the different fortifications, with their cannon batteries.

The first viewpoint is that of the Argyle battery, a section of the wall in which six cannons manufactured in 1810, during the Napoleonic Wars, are located.

Obviously they are not the original cannons, since the Argyle battery It was built in the 1730s.

The Argyle battery you have, in the foreground, panoramic views of the park Princes street, with the Scott monument, and in the background you will see the hill of Calton Hill.

Also worth highlighting is the impressive building of the Balmoral Hotel, in the aforementioned Princes street.

One O'Clock Cannon at Edinburgh Castle

As you advance along the castle wall you will find the One O'Clock Canyon, the only piece in the so-called Mills Mount Battery.

This name of the cannon clearly describes the main function of this cannon: to be fired almost every day of the year at 13:XNUMX p.m. (except Sundays, Good Friday y Christmas).

The idea arose in 1861 in the image and likeness of a cannon that fulfilled the same functions in Paris.

Currently, the One O'Clock Canyon It is a modern 105mm piece that was assembled in 2001.

Next to this canyon is the old Car Shed, a building built in the 40th century with the capacity to house up to XNUMX cars.

We now find it occupied by the castle's cafe-restaurant.

St Margaret's Chapel in Edinburgh Castle

Other places that you can also see on your walk around the castle are National War Museum.

Once you have climbed the slope towards the inner fortification, after crossing the Foog Gate, at the top you will see a small stone building: it is the Chapel of Santa Margarita.

You will be before the oldest building from Edinburgh, since this chapel was built in the year 1130 to fulfill the functions of Royal chapel.

small Chapel of Santa Margarita On the outside it shows us an extremely austere image, but it is inside where you will discover a very simple but charming decoration.

We visitors crowded into the small interior of the chapel to contemplate the beautiful stained glass windows in the small windows inserted in the wide stone wall.

In front of the altar you can see a small arch with beautiful moldings.

La St Margaret's Chapel, Edinburgh Castle It was used during the 16th century as a gunpowder warehouse, for which the stone vaulted ceiling was built.

Today this small and historic chapel continues to be used as an exclusive venue for weddings and baptisms.

Mons Meg cannon at Edinburgh Castle

Also noteworthy is the Grand Canyon mons meg.

While the Argyle battery, right at the entrance to the castle grounds, and the One O'Clock Canyon, are among the most prominent, without a doubt the great “star” among the cannons of the fortification is the one known as mons meg.

El Grand Canyon Mons Meg It was manufactured in the Belgian city of Mons in 1449, and with his six tons of weight, with the latest weapons technology of the time, fired projectiles weighing 150 kilos.

In 1457, James II of Scotland He received it as a gift, and in subsequent years it was used for the siege of various castles in Scotland.

But due to its excessive weight and the difficulties in transporting it (it could travel only five kilometers a day dragged by a hundred men), it stopped being used as a siege weapon in 1550.

From then on, the Mons Meg cannon was used as salute cannon.

Perhaps its key moment was when in 1558 it was shot to celebrate the wedding of Maria stuart, and the bullet reached more than three kilometers, reaching where the Edinburgh Botanic Garden.

The last time it was fired was in 1681, but as the tube burst, the cannon was abandoned for years in the Car Shed.

After a trip to London in 1754, it finally returned in 1829 to its current location in the interior fortification of the castle.

When you have the chance to see the Mons Meg canyon, right in front of the Chapel of Santa Margarita, remember that it is the most important cannon in Scotland's military history.

Royal Palace in Edinburgh Castle

Finally, you will complete your tour with a visit to the buildings of the Crown Square, Royal Palace with the Crown Jewels of Scotland and National War Museum.

Edinburgh Castle schedules

The Edinburgh Castle visiting hours They are, from April to September, from 9,30:18 a.m. to 17 p.m., with last entry at XNUMX p.m.

From October to March you can visit the castle from 9,30:17 a.m. to XNUMX p.m., also with last access one hour before.

Edinburgh Castle ticket prices

The prices of the tickets to visit Edinburgh Castle are, adults, 18 pounds; children ages 5 to 15, 11 pounds; and seniors +60, 14,50 pounds.

La Admission is free for children under 5 years old, and the price of the audio guide in spanish It is 3,50 pounds.

How to visit Edinburgh Castle without the lines

Now, you have to keep in mind that the Edinburgh castle It is one of the increasing number of monuments in Europe whose visits produce long queues.

That happened when I went to visit the castle one day in August late in the morning, so I could estimate a very long delay in line of more than an hour.

We finally made the decision to visit late in the afternoon, when the queue was already a quarter of an hour long.

Therefore, if you plan to visit it during the high tourist season, it is best to make the online purchase of tickets in advance of your trip, plus a saving of two pounds on the general price.

Guided tour of Edinburgh Castle in Spanish

Or you also have a more complete and interesting option which is to sign up for this guided tour of Edinburgh Castle which already includes the skip-the-line entrance.

With the company of a guide in spanish, for two hours you will learn about historical curiosities of this monument and discover its main corners.

Finally you have a more complete option that is useful for your visit to the city, which is to buy the Ticket Royal Edinburgh tourist pass, which includes the skip the line tickets for visit Edinburgh Castle and Holyroodhouse Palace.

And also, you can use all three tourist buses who tour the Scottish capital and visit the HMY Britannia, a ship that was the naval residence of the Royal family for 44 years.