- The One o'clock Gun fires daily, except Sundays, Good Friday and Christmas Day
- 1pm
- Year Sir Walter Scott found the Honours of Scotland in a sealed room in the castle
- 1818
- Visitors in 2025, according to Wikipedia: Scotland's second most visited attraction
- 2,044,963
Is Edinburgh Castle worth your time?
For most first-time visitors, yes. The castle stands on the plug of an extinct volcano, so the setting does half the work before you reach the gate. Wikipedia reports 2,044,963 visitors in 2025, so expect company.
If all you want is a skyline, Calton Hill gives you one for free. Pay for the castle if you want the Honours of Scotland, the Great Hall and the stories attached to them.
What to see and how long to allow
The main draw is the Honours of Scotland: the crown, sceptre and sword of state. Historic Environment Scotland, the heritage body that runs the castle, calls them the oldest Crown jewels in Britain. You find them in the Crown Room, on the first floor of the Royal Palace on the east side of Crown Square. They were hidden from Cromwell’s army in the 1650s, sealed away after the 1707 Union and found again by Sir Walter Scott in 1818.
Other stops on the castle’s own list include St Margaret’s Chapel (Wikipedia describes it as the oldest building in Edinburgh), Mons Meg, the Great Hall, the Prisons of War vaults, the Scottish National War Memorial and the National War Museum.
The Stone of Destiny is no longer here. It has been at Perth Museum since March 2024.
For timing, the castle’s “Just an hour” route lists nine stops, from the Portcullis Gate to the One o’clock Gun exhibition. Its morning itinerary is listed at 2 to 3 hours. An audio guide cost £4.00 at our check, and the castle suggests downloading it before you arrive because signal on site can vary.
Tickets and opening hours
Check the castle’s ticket page and opening times, checked October 2026.
- Hours: open from 9:30am daily. From 1 April to 30 September it closes at 6pm, with last entry at 5pm. From 1 October to 31 March it closes at 5pm, with last entry at 4pm. It is closed on 25 and 26 December, and Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day run to different hours.
- Prices: an adult ticket was £23.50 online and £26.00 at the gate. A child’s ticket (ages 7 to 15) was £11.50 online. The concession (65 and over, or unemployed) was £19.00 online. Children under 16 must be with an adult.
- Flexi tickets: online only, for one entry on any day in a seven-day window, with no timeslot. The adult price was £38.00.
- Guided visits: the castle sells a pre-bookable guided tour. The tour cards on this page bundle entry with a guide for 1.5 to 2 hours.
The castle can close at short notice in high winds, as its site showed when we checked. Look at the status banner on the day.
Getting there from Holyrood
Walk the Royal Mile. It runs from the palace up to the castle Esplanade, through Abbey Strand, the Canongate, High Street, Lawnmarket and Castlehill. Wikipedia gives its length as about 1.4 km and says it rises from 42 m above sea level at the palace to 109 m at the castle, an average gradient of 4.1%.
That is a steady climb rather than a hard one. The last stretch is steeper. The castle’s access guide describes about 350 m of curved cobbled climb from the gate to Crown Square, reaching 15 degrees at its steepest. If that is a problem, staff can arrange a mobility vehicle to Crown Square at the entrance.
For buses, use the Lothian Buses journey planner, because the castle does not name specific routes.
One practical tip
Travel light. Suitcases and rucksacks of 30 litres or more are not allowed, and the castle cannot store luggage, prams or pushchairs. Wear shoes with grip, as there are cobbles around St Margaret’s Chapel and Mons Meg. Only assistance dogs are allowed.
If you want to be there for the gun, plan to arrive before 1pm on any day except Sunday.
How it fits with a Holyrood visit
The Royal Mile joins Scotland’s two best-known royal sites: the castle at the top, Holyrood Palace at the bottom. Starting at the castle and drifting downhill makes the easier day. Our Royal Mile guide covers the stops between them.
Both together are a lot for one day. Check the palace’s opening days in the visiting guide first, and see tickets and tours for booking options. For a free museum alongside the castle, add the National Museum of Scotland.
