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Sight Old Town, Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle

A sight in Old Town, Edinburgh, pricey ($$$) and worth about 2.5 hours. Best time to go: Opening time.

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Edinburgh Castle in Old Town, Edinburgh
Photo: Enric · CC BY-SA 4.0 · license

Why go

Clifftop fortress holding the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny.

It is one of 15 curated places we feature in Edinburgh, alongside 5 sights, 2 activities and 2 bars & cafés. 6 more of our picks sit within about half a mile in a straight line, so it pairs easily with The White Hart Inn and Edinburgh's Hogmanay.

Type
Sight · Culture
Neighborhood
Old Town
Price
$$$
Time needed
2.5 hr
Best time
Opening time

Nearby

The 6 closest curated picks in Edinburgh, measured as straight-line distance.

  1. 1
    The White Hart Inn

    One of Edinburgh's oldest pubs, on the Grassmarket below the castle, with regular live folk music.

    Drinks · 0.1 mi straight-line
  2. 2
    Edinburgh's Hogmanay

    The city's New Year festival; the 31 December street party on Princes Street ends with fireworks over the castle.

    Activity · 0.2 mi straight-line
  3. 3
    Oink

    Hog-roast rolls carved from a whole pig in the window.

    Food · 0.2 mi straight-line
  4. 4
    The Bow Bar

    Traditional pub on Victoria Street with cask ales and a deep whisky list.

    Drinks · 0.2 mi straight-line
  5. 5
    Victoria Street

    Curving street of colourful shopfronts that drops from George IV Bridge to the Grassmarket.

    Shopping · 0.2 mi straight-line
  6. 6
    Edinburgh's Christmas

    The city's Christmas market and fair, with stalls, rides and a big wheel in East Princes Street Gardens below the Scott Monument.

    Shopping · 0.3 mi straight-line

On these curated routes

Edinburgh Castle features on 2 of our curated routes, each with a day-by-day plan you can copy to your crew.

More sights to see in Edinburgh

5 more curated sights in Edinburgh. See the full Edinburgh guide.

When to go

Average daily highs in Edinburgh run from 42°F in January to 65°F in July; August is usually the wettest month. For Edinburgh Castle itself, we suggest: Opening time.

Modelled monthly averages for Edinburgh from NASA POWER, not a forecast. Full Edinburgh weather by month.

Getting there

Map links open a live search for Edinburgh Castle, so hours and directions come straight from the map app.

Address
Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NG, UK
Coordinates
55.94859, -3.19991
Destination
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Website
edinburghcastle.scot

Edinburgh Castle: quick answers

How much time do you need at Edinburgh Castle?

Plan on about 2.5 hours at Edinburgh Castle. That is our curated estimate for a typical visit; groups that linger will want more.

When is the best time to visit Edinburgh Castle?

Our pick: Opening time. Insider tip: Book a timed ticket online; the One O'Clock Gun fires daily except Sunday.

Where is Edinburgh Castle?

Edinburgh Castle is at Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NG, UK, in Old Town. The Google Maps and Apple Maps links on this page open it for directions.

Which TripsCircle routes include Edinburgh Castle?

Edinburgh Castle appears on Scotland’s Highland Rail Line and Edinburgh & the Cairngorms, curated routes you can open on TripsCircle and plan with your group.

Add Edinburgh Castle to your crew's plan

Save it to a shared TripsCircle itinerary, settle the timing with a quick poll, and split the costs with everyone going to Edinburgh.

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Also in Edinburgh

Curated recommendation, not live listing data. Confirm hours, prices, bookings and access before you go.