The Most Epic Way to Visit Edinburgh Castle
Summary: I’m sharing my recommendation for how exactly you should visit Edinburgh Castle to have the best experience possible.
Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links which just means I make a small commission if you purchase from them with no additional cost to you!
If you’re planning to visit Edinburgh for the first time, I’m sure Edinburgh Castle is on your list of things you’d like to see, as it should be. I’ve walked through the castle grounds a few times now, and I have a very specific way of seeing it that I always recommend.
Let’s start with the basics:
Where is Edinburgh Castle?
Edinburgh Castle sits at the very end of the Royal Mile or High Street, up on a hill. While you’re exploring the city, you’ll likely see the castle peeking out between buildings or from the window of a few cafes (this one’s my favorite!).
It’s a very prominent structure within the city and it’s located right in the heart of the Old Town.
What’s Inside Edinburgh Castle?
Despite what it might sound like, Edinburgh Castle isn’t just a single building. “Edinburgh Castle” refers to everything within the castle walls and there are several museums and historical sites to see within the space.
Here are the areas you can access inside Edinburgh Castle:
- The Royal Scots Museum
- The Royal Regiment of Scotland Museum
- The Royal Scots Dragoon Guard Museum
- The Scottish National War Museum
- The Scottish National War Memorial
- The Queen’s Embroideries
- The Prisons of War
- The Great Hall
- The Royal Palace
- The Honours of Scotland (the Crown Jewels)
- St. Margaret’s Chapel
- Fight for the Castle Exhibition
- The Half Moon Battery (cannons)
- Mons Meg (another cannon)
- The Western Defenses (stairs and raised walkways)
- One O’Clock Gun
As you can see, there’s a lot going on within the castle and you can easily spend an entire day or half day walking around to see it all.
My three favorite parts were the Honours of Scotland to see the crown jewels, the Great Hall that is lined with swords and armor, and the Prisons of War to see where they kept the prisoners.
should You Use a Guide or Audio Guide?
This is such a personal preference, so it’s completely up to you to decide, but know that both of these options are available.
You can buy an audio guide that will walk you through all the parts of Edinburgh Castle. You can add this to your tickets when you purchase online, or pick one up when you arrive. This is what I did on my first visit and it’s helpful, but after a while, it did get a little boring and I just started walking around and reading plaques myself.
Another option is to hire a human guide to show you around. This can be done directly through the Edinburgh Castle website, or through a third pary tour company.
This may be niche, but in my opinion, the most epic way to see Edinburgh Castle is to book the Afternoon Tea Experience, skip the audio guide, and listen to a playlist for whatever fantasy or romantasy book you’re reading at that moment.
Walking around Edinburgh Castle literally feels like you’re in a fantasy novel, so play that up! Imagine you’re protecting the grounds while you’re walking the Western Defenses, or going to see Jack Barlow (or some other equally evil character) when you’re exploring the prisons.
Epic Romantasy Playlists
When I get really into a good book, it tends to take over my life. My thoughts constantly stray back to it and I glance longingly at my reading corner while I’m working from home.
One of my favorite ways to lean into this is by finding playlists on Spotify that people have made with songs that sound like the book. Sometimes the lyrics sound like what the characters are going through, and sometimes it’s just an epic melody that reminds them of the book.
Either way, here are a few of my romantasy book playlists that I’ve found while reading that would make great soundtracks to walk around the castle:
- Fourth Wing – Rebecca’s Version (Rebecca Yarros makes her own playlists!)
- Iron Flame – Rebecca’s Version
- Onyx Storm – Rebecca’s Version
- manacled playlist because i am still not okay
- booktok songs that destroy me
- pov: you’re reading Powerless by Lauren Roberts
- throne of glass
- Best of Game of Thrones
Afternoon Tea at Edinburgh Castle
You’ll need to book your castle entry tickets ahead of time if you want to do the afternoon tea experience. Really, you should book your tickets ahead of time no matter what, but especially if you want to do this.
Obviously, this is a tourist spot, so I wasn’t sure if this experience would be cheesy or not, but it ended up being really nice!
The tea rooms are within the castle grounds which means you can explore the different areas of the castle before and after your reservation. The food was delicious and the tea was great. I always recommend this after we tried it on our most recent trip.
When you book your tickets, you’ll have to book a specific time. We did a 10am entrance into the castle with a 12pm reservation for afternoon tea. I found this was perfect because I was getting hungry after walking around for a couple of hours and it was nice to have a break between all the museums.
This also gives you enough time to eat and then head out to watch the 1pm gun firing that happens daily. Or you can enjoy your tea longer and just listen for it while you’re inside.
The cost for the afternoon tea tickets is £60 for adults with the option of adding on champagne, and this does include the castle entry tickets!
The Best Edinburgh Castle Itinerary
Putting all of the advice in this post together, here’s what I would recommend for your full Edinburgh Castle itinerary:
9:30am: Arrive to Edinburgh Castle and start that romantasy playlist (or your audio guide)
9:40am: Explore the Royal Scots Museums
10:45am: Walk through the Prisons of War
11:10am: See the crown jewels at the Honours of Scotland
11:30am: Take a quick walk through the Scottish War Museum and Memorial
12:00pm: Afternoon tea at the Castle Tea Room
1:00pm: Head back out to see the 1pm gun fire
1:10pm: Walk through the Great Hall and get a souvenir of your family’s coat of arms
There are honestly so may other things you can see and read while you’re here. If you’re short on time, these were my favorite parts, so hopefully you like them, too! However, the castle website also has recommended itineraries based on interests (war, royals, etc.), so check those out before your trip as well.
What To Do After You Visit the Castle
Depending on what time you finish exploring the castle, you may have time for one more larger activity in your day. If so, I highly recommend the Scotch Whisky Experience. It’s right outside the castle gates, so very closeby, and it’s an excellent tour and whisky tasting.
Just like the afternoon tea experience, I wasn’t sure if this would be good or not since it is right next to the castle and very touristy, but it was excellent!
You’ll learn about how and where Scotch whisky is made, and then you’ll get to try a few different kinds. Even someone who does not like the taste of whisky (guilty) will love it.
If you’re with kids or you just don’t care about whisky, Camera Obscura is a good alternative. This is also right by the castle and it’s a fun walk through filled with illusions that both kids and adults will enjoy.
