Attraction · City of Edinburgh · Updated on 1 November 2026.

Edinburgh Castle in City of Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle is an attraction in City of Edinburgh. This place has an audio tour of 2:18, in English or Dutch. 42 of the 50 well-known points of interest nearby are within 1 km. Within 130 m you find a public toilet and a bench.

Directions in Google Maps

Edinburgh Castle in City of Edinburgh, photo 2

Edinburgh Castle in City of Edinburgh, photo 3

The story

Wikipedia ↗Official website ↗

Audio tour · Edinburgh Castle

2:18

You're standing at Edinburgh Castle, the fortress that towers high above Scotland's capital. Look at the rock beneath it. Castle Rock is the plug of an extinct volcano, made of incredibly hard stone. On three sides it drops away in steep cliffs. Only on the east side does the slope rise gently, and that's exactly why the entrance is there.

Read and hear the whole story in the Outdoor Pitstop app: check in at this place and it is yours (with Pro; new users are Pro for the first 4 weeks).

Opening hours and admission

Opening hours: Apr 01-Sep 30 09:30-18:00; Oct 01-Dec 23,Dec 27-31,Jan 02-Mar 31 09:30-17:00; Dec 24 09:30-16:00; Jan 01 11:00-17:00; Dec 25-26 off
Admission: Paid
Wheelchair: Partly accessible

Source: OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.

Photos

10 photos from Wikimedia Commons. In the app you add your own photo when you are there.

1 / 10

Photo: Stephencdickson · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

Facilities near Edinburgh Castle

The nearest pitstop of each kind within 1 km, as the crow flies.

Well-known points of interest nearby

50 well-known points of interest nearby, those with an audio tour first. 42 of the 50 well-known points of interest nearby are within 1 km.

MuseumAudio story · 2 min

National Museum of Scotland · 720 m

Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Maccoinnich~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

AttractionAudio story · 2 min

Rosslyn Chapel · 10.7 km

Photo: Syrio · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

AttractionAudio story · 2 min

Holyrood Abbey · 1.9 km

Photo: LASZLO ILYES from Cleveland, Ohio, USA · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

AttractionStory

Scott Monument · 620 m

AttractionStory

National Monument of Scotland · 1.4 km

Photo: Colin · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

Hear the story of National Museum of Scotland on the spot with the app

All 145 points of interest in City of Edinburgh →

Also within walking distance

The 3 nearest points of interest with a story, within 2 km.

All 145 points of interest in City of Edinburgh →

Explore further

More points of interest

Frequently asked questions

When is Edinburgh Castle open?

Apr 01-Sep 30 09:30-18:00; Oct 01-Dec 23,Dec 27-31,Jan 02-Mar 31 09:30-17:00; Dec 24 09:30-16:00; Jan 01 11:00-17:00; Dec 25-26 off (according to OpenStreetMap). Check the official website for public holidays.

Is Edinburgh Castle wheelchair accessible?

Partly: according to OpenStreetMap it is only partly wheelchair accessible.

Is there a toilet or drinking water nearby?

Yes: a public toilet at 60 m.

How does the audio tour work?

When you stand at Edinburgh Castle, the Outdoor Pitstop app tells the story of the place in 2:18, in English or Dutch.