Is Edinburgh Castle Worth Visiting? Our Honest Review (2026)
Debbie and I admired Edinburgh Castle long before we walked through its gate. Our hotel was in the New Town, and the Castle towers above that section of town.
If you asked us, is Edinburgh Castle worth it? Short answer: yes.
It's the heart of the city, the history is real, and the view over Edinburgh is worth the climb on its own. We'll walk you through what to see, when to go, and how to dodge the worst of the crowds.
Between the two of us, we've been through a lot of castles in Europe. Some are gorgeous but a little underwhelming once you're past the gift shop. Edinburgh Castle is not one of those. It's big, it's solid, and it looks exactly like the castle you picture in your head when someone says the word. The difference is that this one is real, and you feel that the second you start the climb up to the gate.
Late afternoon light illuminates Edinburgh Castle. All photos by John O’Boyle / The Empty Nest Explorers
First Impressions: The Castle on the Cliff
From the New Town, the castle looks flat-out impenetrable. It's perched on top of a sheer rock face, and your eye keeps going up and up before it finds the walls. We tried to imagine anyone attempting to take the place by force. You quickly understand why it's still standing.
That view from below does something useful too. It builds the visit up in your mind before you've even bought a coffee. We had a few days in Edinburgh before our castle tickets, so we got to live with that anticipation for a while, and it paid off.
| 📍 Location | Top of the Royal Mile, Edinburgh. A steep cobbled climb to the upper castle. |
| 🎟️ Tickets | Around £23.50 adult online, cheaper than the gate. Concession 65+ around £19 online. Timed entry, book ahead. Sells out in peak season. |
| 🕐 Hours | Apr–Sep: 9:30am–6pm (last entry 5pm). Oct–Mar: 9:30am–5pm (last entry 4pm). Closed Dec 25–26. |
| ⏰ Best Time to Go | Right at 9:30am opening on a Tuesday to Thursday, before the tour buses arrive. |
| 💥 One O'Clock Gun | Fired daily at 1pm except Sundays, Good Friday and Christmas Day. |
| ⏳ Time Needed | 2 to 3 hours minimum. Half a day to do it justice. |
| 📷 Photography | Allowed for personal use in most areas. No flash, tripods, selfie sticks or drones. |
The Walk Up Is Part of the Experience
There is a long uphill walk to reach the castle entrance. By the time you reach the entrance, you understand why the castle is so well defended.
The reward for the climb is the view back down. From the upper batteries, you get a wonderful look out over Edinburgh, the New Town especially. We could spot our hotel, and we could even see out to the port where we visited the royal yacht Britannia. The views are one of the best parts of visiting the castle.
There is a long uphill walk to reach Edinburgh Castle.
A Castle That Looks Like the Movies, and It's Real
The first thing that hits you is the scale. The walls, the stone, the sheer mass of it. The next thing you realize is that "the castle" isn't one building at all. It's a whole collection of smaller buildings tucked inside one big surrounding wall, almost a little stone town of its own. You wander between them, in and out of doorways, up and down steps, and it takes a while to get your bearings. We liked that. It means there's always another corner to turn.
Here's what you'll pay to get in. Booking online saves you a few pounds and lets you skip the ticket queue.
When We Went and What the Crowds Were Like
Umbrella toting visitors at Edinburgh Castle.
Our tickets were for 10 a.m., which more or less guaranteed company. The tour groups were everywhere. If big crowds put you off, that's worth knowing before you go in.
The saving grace is the castle's size. It's so large that it just swallows the people. You're rarely shoulder to shoulder for long. The open batteries and courtyards give everyone room to spread out. We visited on a weekday in June, and it never felt too crowded. If you can book a slot mid-afternoon, you might thin things out a bit, but don't expect to have the place to yourself at any hour.
Here's what we'd change if we went again.
We had 10 a.m. tickets. That dropped us right into the thick of it. The tour buses tend to land around 10:30. Booking the first slot at 9:30 buys you a quiet head start before they show up.
One trick we wish we'd used. Walk straight uphill to the Crown Jewels and Crown Square the moment you get in. See those first. The lines inside get long by late morning.
If you're going in August, brace yourself. The Fringe and the Military Tattoo take over the whole city. The castle feels every bit of it.
We put the short version in the reel below. Save it for your Scotland trip.
What to Wear: Bring Proper Shoes
We got rain. This is Scotland, so plan for it. Good sturdy shoes earned their keep here every bit as much as they did when we were out on the Isle of Skye. The ground is stone, cobble, and slope, and much of it is exposed to the weather. Leave the nice sneakers at the hotel and wear something with grip.
Slippery, wet sidewalks at Edinburgh Castle.
The Crown Room and the Honors of Scotland
For us, this was the centerpiece. The newly reopened Crown Room holds the crown, the Sword of State, the scepter, and a ceremonial belt, all together inside one big glass case. The room itself is kept very dark. The only real light comes from small, carefully placed LED spots, and they do something lovely with it. The light catches the texture and detail of each piece so it almost glows out of the blackness.
What surprised us was how small the room and the display actually are. You walk in expecting grandeur on a huge scale, and instead you get something intimate and concentrated. The bling more than makes up for the size. The doors are also worth a mention. They're heavy and thick, reminding you how much the things behind them are worth.
No photography is allowed in the Crown Room. We expected that, since there is no photography at the London Crown Jewels. On reflection, it makes sense. If everyone started snapping away in a space that small, it would turn into chaos in about a minute.
You may be expecting the Stone of Destiny in here too. It moved out in 2024 and now lives at the new Perth Museum, about an hour and a half north, so don't go into the Crown Room looking for it.
The view from the top of Edinburgh Castle.
How It Compares to the Crown Jewels in London
We've seen the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London a few times, so the comparison was hard to resist. A couple of things stood out.
In London, they keep the crowd flowing with a moving walkway so nobody can stop and linger. Edinburgh takes a different approach. The display is considerably smaller, there's no walkway, and yet it works. Everyone we saw was respectful, took their time, and moved along without being pushed. On our weekday visit in June, we didn't wait long at all, but the crowd-control ropes set up outside the display told their own story. That line can clearly get long when the castle is busy, so don't assume a quick walk-in.
If you've done the Tower of London and you're wondering whether this is worth your time, our short answer is yes. It's a different feel. Quieter, darker, and more concentrated, and the lack of a conveyor belt lets you set your own pace.
The Scottish National War Memorial
The Scottish National War Memorial building.
This one caught us off guard. The Scottish National War Memorial is genuinely moving, and the detail that stayed with us most was the books. Set out on stone tables around the hall are the Rolls of Honor, books holding the names of the Scottish dead from the First World War onward. There were simply too many names to carve into stone, so they were written into these books instead, and you can stand there and turn that fact over in your head. The First World War roll alone runs to well over a hundred thousand names. Seeing the scale of it laid out as that lands differently than any statue could. We'd say give it a few quiet minutes rather than passing straight through.
One thing worth knowing: the memorial is included with your castle ticket, but if it's the only thing you want to see, you can apply for free entry at the ticket office.
If castles are your thing, then check out our Complete Guide to Visiting Glamis Castle.
Audio Guide or Signage? Our Take
An audio guide is offered, and we chose to skip it. We don't think we missed much. The signage throughout is genuinely informative. If you'd rather read at your own pace, you can skip the headset.
The castle as a whole leans away from flashy multimedia, which we appreciated. The one big exception is the room that walks you through the centuries of fighting for control of the castle. They use clever projections across the walls and ceiling to move you through time, and it works well.
View out a window in Edinburgh Castle.
So, Is Edinburgh Castle Worth It?
Yes, without much hesitation. It delivers on the thing castles are supposed to deliver and so often don't. Real scale, real history, and a setting over the city that you'll keep thinking about. The Crown Room alone is worth the ticket, the War Memorial will stay with you, and the views from the top are a bonus on a decent day.
Go in expecting crowds, wear shoes you can climb wet stone in, and don't rush the Crown Room or the War Memorial. Do that, and we think you'll walk back down the hill glad you made the trip up.
Don't miss tiny St. Margaret's Chapel near the top of the castle grounds. It is the oldest building in Edinburgh, dating to around 1130.
Planning Your Visit
A few practical things we wish we'd had in one place before we went.
Where it is and getting in: The castle sits right at the top of the Royal Mile, and once you're through the gate, it's a steep, cobbled climb of roughly 350 meters up to Crown Square at the very top. Factor that in if anyone in your group struggles with hills.
Tickets: You book online in advance and choose a timed entry slot. Be sure to purchase in advance. The castle regularly sells out in peak season. We bought directly from the Historic Environment Scotland website, rather than a reseller. As of 2026, an adult ticket is around £19.50 online, a couple of pounds cheaper than buying at the gate. Prices do change, so check the current rate when you book.
Opening hours: From April 1 to September 30, it's open daily from 9:30 am, with last entry at 5 pm and the gates closing at 6 pm. From October 1 to March 31, it's open daily from 9:30 am, last entry 4 pm, and closing at 5 pm. It's closed on December 25 and 26. Hours may change for events, so check the official page before you go.
Best time to go: The first hour after opening on a weekday is the calmest. By 10 am, the tour groups are in full swing, which is exactly what we walked into.
The One O'Clock Gun: A gun is fired from the castle at 1 pm every day except Sundays, Good Friday, and Christmas Day. If you can be up there around then, it's worth timing.
How long to allow: Give it at least half a day. We spent a good chunk of a morning and still felt we were moving along.
What to wear: Sturdy shoes with grip and a rain layer. Much of the castle is outdoors and exposed.
A Quick Word on the One O'Clock Gun
The One O'Clock Gun at Edinburgh Castle.
Since you'll probably hear it, here's the story, because the version most people repeat is wrong.
The gun has been fired since 1861, and it was never just for show. It started as a time signal for ships. Out in the Firth of Forth, captains needed to set their chronometers precisely so they could work out their longitude at sea, and the bang from the castle gave them a daily check. It worked alongside an older signal, a time ball that dropped from the Nelson Monument on Calton Hill. The ball was the original idea, but Edinburgh being Edinburgh, the fog rolled in often enough that ships couldn't see it, so the gun was added as a sound they could rely on even in the haar.
Now for the fun part. You'll often hear that it fires at one o'clock rather than noon, so the garrison only needs one shell a day instead of twelve, a thrifty Scottish way to save money. It's a great line, and it isn't true. The real reason is more interesting. The astronomers who ran these time signals were busy at noon doing the one job that made the whole thing possible: measuring the sun at its highest point to fix the exact time. They couldn't fire a signal and take the measurement at the same moment, so the signal went out an hour later, at one. Edinburgh was simply following the system already set at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, which published the official time at one o'clock each day.
If you want to see where that whole one o'clock tradition began, we wrote about standing on the meridian line ourselves in our visit to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. The Greenwich time ball still drops at one to this day, and it's a neat bookend to the gun you'll hear in Edinburgh.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Edinburgh Castle worth visiting?
Yes. It's the one Edinburgh sight we'd tell you not to skip. The Crown Jewels, the Great Hall, and the view across the rooftops all earn the ticket. Go in with a plan for the crowds and you'll have a great morning.
How long should you spend at Edinburgh Castle?
Give it two to three hours for the main sights. If you like to read every plaque and take your time, block out half a day.
What is the best time of day to visit Edinburgh Castle?
Right at 9:30am opening, or after 3pm. The tour buses tend to land around 10:30, and the middle of the day gets packed. Tuesday through Thursday are the calmest.
How much are Edinburgh Castle tickets?
Adult tickets start around £23.50 booked online, a little more at the gate. Over 65s pay around £19 online. Book ahead in summer, since slots sell out.
Is the Crown Room open in 2026?
Yes. It was closed through the start of 2026 for refurbishment of the vault and reopened in the spring, so the Honors of Scotland are back on display. One thing worth knowing if you've read older guides: the Stone of Destiny is no longer kept here. It moved to the new Perth Museum in 2024.
Can you take photographs inside Edinburgh Castle?
For the most part, yes. Personal photography is welcome across nearly all of the castle, and the views from the top alone are worth having the camera out. The two exceptions are the Crown Room and the Scottish National War Memorial, where photography isn't allowed. Flash, tripods, and selfie sticks are out everywhere, and drones aren't permitted on the grounds.
Is there any free or discounted entry?
A few routes in. Young children get in free, and a carer accompanying a disabled visitor is admitted free. Historic Environment Scotland members and Explorer Pass holders don't pay on the day. And if the War Memorial is the only thing you want to see, you can ask at the ticket office for free entry to the memorial on its own. Concessions do change, so check the current options when you book.
How accessible is it if you can't manage the steep climb?
A free mobility vehicle runs from the entrance up to Crown Square at the top, and staff at the gate will arrange it for you. A small number of manual wheelchairs are also available at the castle on a first-come basis. Two things to keep in mind: the vehicle pauses for about an hour around the 1pm gun, and the cobbles and steps still put a few corners out of reach. The castle runs a dedicated access phone line, so call ahead.
How long do you need at Edinburgh Castle?
Allow two to three hours at the very least, and a half day if you want to take in the Crown Room, the War Memorial, the museums, and the views. We spent a good part of a morning and still kept moving the whole time.
About the Authors
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John and Debbie O'Boyle are the team behind The Empty Nest Explorers. John is a professional photographer whose work has been published by The New York Times, NBC News, and Getty Images. He is a member of the American Society of Media Photographers, has been part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team, and has received two New York Emmy nominations. Debbie is a writer with 30+ years of professional photography experience, formerly with The Star-Ledger and NJ.com. Together, they create in-depth travel guides for couples and empty-nest travelers who want to make the most of every destination. |
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