Edinburgh Castle, Scotland's crown jewels on volcanic rock

What's inside the walls

The castle sits on Castle Rock, the plug of an extinct volcano that towers over the centre. From here you can see the whole city: the Old Town running down to the east, the New Town to the north and the Firth of Forth in the distance. It is Scotland's most visited monument and is managed by Historic Environment Scotland.

• The Honours of Scotland. The crown, the sceptre and the sword of state, the Scottish Crown Jewels, the oldest in the British Isles. They are in the royal palace, inside the grounds. There's usually a queue: go as soon as it opens or in the last hour.
• St Margaret's Chapel. Built by David I around 1130 in memory of his mother. It is the oldest building in the castle and one of the oldest in the city. It's tiny: only a few people fit at a time.
• The one o'clock gun. Every day at 13:00, except Sundays, Good Friday and Christmas Day, a gunner fires the One o'Clock Gun from the Mills Mount battery. Arrive a quarter of an hour early to get a spot.
• The Great Hall and the gun batteries on the ramparts, with an open view towards Princes Street.
• The military museums. The National War Museum and those of two Scottish regiments are inside and included in the ticket. Their hours are somewhat shorter than the castle's.

If you're looking for the Stone of Destiny, it's no longer here: since March 2024 it has been on display at Perth Museum, an hour away by train.

Tickets and opening hours

• Adults (16 to 64): £23.50 online and £26 at the ticket office.
• Ages 7 to 15: £11.50 online. Under-16s must always be with an adult.
• Over-65s: £19 online. Students get no discount.
• Under-7s: free.
• Audio guide: £4, on your phone or on a device you hire inside. Bring headphones.

It opens every day at 9:30. From April to September it closes at 18:00, with last entry at 17:00; from October to March it closes at 17:00 and last entry is at 16:00. It's closed on 25 and 26 December, and on 1 January it opens at 11:00. Buy online and for a set date: in summer it sells out days in advance and, once online tickets run out, none are sold at the gate. Buy only at edinburghcastle.scot; the castle warns of websites imitating its own.

How to get up there

The castle stands at the top of the Royal Mile, at the end of Castlehill. From Waverley station it's about fifteen minutes on foot, uphill all the way. There's no public parking: the nearest is the NCP on Castle Terrace, and there are only a few spaces on the esplanade for people with reduced mobility, by reservation. If you're coming from the airport, the Airlink 100 drops you at Waverley Bridge.

Inside it's all cobbled ramps and steps. It's doable with a pushchair, but tiring; a baby-carrier backpack is more comfortable.