Scotland Guide
Edinburgh
Edinburgh Castle
Opening time: Daily: April– Oct 9.30am–6pm; Nov– March 9.30am–5pm, last entry 45min before closing
Price: £11
Website: www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
The history of Edinburgh, and indeed of Scotland, is indissolubly bound up with its castle, which dominates the city from its lofty seat atop an extinct volcanic rock. The disparate styles of the fortifications reflect the change in its role from defensive citadel to national monument, and today, as well as attracting more visitors than anywhere else in the country, the castle is still a military barracks and a home to Scotland's crown jewels. The oldest surviving part of the complex is from the twelfth century, while the most recent additions date back to the 1920s.
Though you can easily take in the views and wander round the castle yourself, you might like to join a guided tour (every 15min in high season; 25min; free), for stoical talk of war, boiling oil and cannon roar. Alternatively, audioguides (£3) are available from a booth just inside the gatehouse.
The castle is entered via the Esplanade, a parade ground laid out in the eighteenth century and enclosed a hundred years later by ornamental walls. Entry to the Esplanade is free, and if you don't want to pay the castle's pricey entry fee, it offers a taste of the precipitous location and eye-stretching views. Inside the castle, and included in the price, are assorted defences, the National War Museum, St Margaret's Chapel, the oldest surviving building in the castle and probably in the whole of Edinburgh itself, and the palace which houses the Honours of Scotland (or crown jewels) and the Stone of Destiny (also called the Stone of Scone).