The Best Castles to See In or Near Edinburgh

Description:

Information from Historic Scotland.

No trip to Scotland would be complete without a stop at the magnificent Edinburgh Castle on Castle Rock. First erected in the 12th century, the fortress sits on top of an extinct volcano and is the most breathtaking part of the city's skyline. Within the castle walls you see impressive views of most of the New Town, including the Princes Street Gardens, Arthur's Seat and the Salisbury Crags, the famous Balmoral Hotel and more. You can also explore the various rooms, chapels and compartments of the fortress and through interactive displays discover what living and working there might have been like during the medieval era.

The highlight of any tour of the castle is the Honours of Scotland (the crown jewels), on display in the Crown Room of the castle's Royal Palace (built in 1617). These include the ancient crown, sword and scepter, which date back to the 15th and 16th centuries. Here you can also see Scotland's most prized treasure: The Stone of Destiny, otherwise known as the Coronation Stone. This has been used in the crowning of Scottish and English monarchs (much to dismay of many Scottish nationalists) for hundreds of years.

Be sure to arrive...

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Description:

Situated at the opposite end of the Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle, Holyroodhouse Palace is today the official residence of The Queen when visiting Scotland. Guests are welcome all year round to visit the gallery and take guided tours of the magnificent décor of Holyroodhouse Palace. The tapestries and ornate furniture still used to this day are highlights of the tour and offer the Edinburgh tourist a chance to wander around a modern day palace.

Ticket information:

Palace of Holyroodhouse
(includes an audio tour)

Adult £10.25
Over 60/Student (with valid ID) £9.30
Under 17 £6.20
Under 5 Free
Family (2 adults, 3 under 17s) £27.00

Joint Palace of Holyroodhouse and The Queen's Gallery

Adult £14.30
Over 60/Student (with valid ID) £13.00
Under 17 £8.30
Under 5 Free
Family (2 adults, 3 under 17s) £38.50

Description:

Craigmillar is one of Scotland's most perfectly preserved castles. It began as a simple tower-house residence. Gradually, over time, it developed into a complex of structures and spaces, as subsequent owners attempted to improve its comfort and amenity. As a result, there are many nooks and crannies to explore. Of equal importance were the surrounding gardens and parkland, and the present-day Craigmillar Castle Park has fascinating reminders of the castle's days as a rural retreat on the edge of Scotland's capital city.

At the core lies the original, late-14th-century tower house, among the first of this new form of castle built in Scotland. It stands 17m high to the battlements, has walls almost 3m thick, and holds a warren of rooms, including a fine great hall on the first floor, and the so-called 'Queen Mary's Room' beside it, where Mary is said to have slept when staying there as a guest of the Prestons. In all probability, Mary resided in a multi-roomed apartment elsewhere in the courtyard, probably in the east range.

Also here is a labyrinth of dark spaces, including a grim basement prison where an upright skeleton was found walled up in the early 19th century. The west range... read more

Our Local Expert Says:

This castle far exceeds Edinburgh Castle, so plan day trip to Stirling!

Description:

Information from Wikipedia and Historic Scotland.

Several Scottish Kings and Queens have been crowned at Stirling, including Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1543. There have been at least eight sieges of Stirling Castle, including several during the Wars of Scottish Independence, with the last being in 1746, when Bonnie Prince Charlie unsuccessfully tried to take the castle.

The castle rivals Edinburgh Castle in beauty and magnificence. It is is built high on a volcanic outcrop the castle offers a fascinating tour of the Gatehouse, Chapel Royal and Great Hall all built by the Stewart Kings.Visit the Medieval Kitchen and a special Castle exhibition. Relax after your exploration at the café or pick out a gift in the souvenir shop. Free guided tours run regularly.

Open from 9:30am - 6pm (April 1-September 30th). Check website for winter times.
Adult - £9.00 / £7.20
Child - £5.40 (under 5 - Free)

Description:

Information from Wikipedia and official Wallace Monument website.

The National Wallace Monument commemorates Sir William Wallace, the 13th century Scottish hero.

It stands on the Abbey Craig, a volcanic crag above Cambuskenneth Abbey, from which Wallace was said to have watched the gathering of the army of English king Edward I, just before the Battle of Stirling Bridge.

The monument is open to the general public. Visitors climb the 246 step spiral staircase to the viewing gallery inside the monument's crown, which provides expansive views of the Ochil Hills and the Forth Valley.

A number of artefacts believed to belong to Wallace are on display inside the monument, including the Wallace Sword, and a 1.68-metre (5 ft, 6 in) long claymore.

The tower was constructed following a fundraising campaign which accompanied a resurgence of Scottish national identity in the 19th century.

Description:

Information from Historic Scotland.

Situated by the sea, mighty Tantallon Castle was built in the 1350s by a nobleman at the height of his power. In 1354, William Douglas came into possession of all his father's lands, as well as those of his uncle, 'the Good Sir James of Douglas', a close friend of King Robert Bruce. The estates included the barony of North Berwick. In 1358 William was created Earl of Douglas, by which date the builders may already have begun to build his new stronghold. In the 1380s the dynastic house of Douglas split into two branches, known as the 'Black' and the 'Red'. Tantallon passed to the junior line, the 'Red Douglases', Earls of Angus. For the next 300 years, the earls of Angus held sway at the castle, acting out their role as one of the most powerful baronial families in Scotland. During that time it endured three great sieges, in 1491, 1528 and 1651. The last, by Oliver Cromwell's army, resulted in such devastating destruction that the mighty medieval fortress was abandoned to the birds.

Tantallon was the last truly great castle built in Scotland. Its architecture harked back to the mighty stone castles of enclosure of the 13th century, such as Bothwell...

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