This most famous of Scottish castles has a complex building history. The oldest part, St Margaret's Chapel, dates from the 12th century - the oldest building in Edinburgh, while the Great Hall was erected by James IV around 1510. The Half Moon Battery by the Regent Morton in the late 16th century and the Scottish National War Memorial after the First World War, present the Castle as one of Edinburgh's star attractions.
The famous Castle also houses the Honours (Crown Jewels) of Scotland, the Stone of Destiny and the famous 15th century gun Mons Meg, in addition to the National War Museum of Scotland. Edinburgh's iconic One O' Clock Gun is fired daily as a historical reminder of time - originally as a marker for ships in the Firth of Forth & the Port of Leith.
In addition to guided tours provided by the castle stewards, there is an audio guide tour available in eight languages. The audio tour takes the visitor on a tour around the castle, explains its architecture, and tells its dramatic history. This guide is available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Mandarin. The charge for Adults is £3.00, Concessions £2.00, Children £1.00
The Crown Jewel shop in the Royal Apartments offers exclusive lines of specially designed jewellery.
A courtesy vehicle (provided by the Bank of Scotland) can take visitors with a disability to the top of the castle. Ramps and a lift give access to the Crown Jewels, Stone of Destiny and associated exhibition; and ramps provide access to the war memorial. For those with impaired vision, there is a free Braille guide and hands-on models of the Crown Jewels with Braille texts.
Parking is restricted from June to October for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
Contact
The Steward
Castle Hill
Edinburgh
City of Edinburgh
EH1 2NG
Scotland
Tel: +44 (131) 2259846
E-Mail:
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WWW: http://www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk
