Edinburgh Castle
Castle · West End
Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NG, United Kingdom
Highlights
Crown Jewels, Stone of Destiny, Great Hall, oldest chapel
Crown Jewels, Stone of Destiny, Great Hall, oldest chapel
"A dominant historic fortress visible from central vantage points and within walking distance of many attractions, offering a compact, walkable experience suitable for solo exploration." - Lydia Mansel Lydia Mansel Lydia Mansel is a writer with more than eight years of experience editing and writing for both brands and online publications—with a particular focus on travel, fashion, and lifestyle. She’s also the founder of the travel site justpacked.com. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"A dramatic, historic stronghold that becomes a focal point of the city’s holiday season through spectacular Castle of Light projections projected onto its exterior walls, drawing crowds for seasonal displays." - Elizabeth Rhodes Elizabeth Rhodes Elizabeth Rhodes is a senior editor at Travel + Leisure, covering everything from luxury hotels to theme parks to must-pack travel products. Originally from South Carolina, Elizabeth moved to New York City from London, where she started her career as a travel blogger and writer. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"This 12th-century fortress has seen a lot of action over the years. Many different eerie experiences have been reported, including unexplained music echoing through the halls. Many believe it comes from the ghost of a piper who died in the castle while investigating a series of tunnels that had been discovered — they were later resealed, but his tunes can still be heard on quiet nights. A ghostly drummer has also been spotted along the battlements and was known to appear prior to an attack." - Travel + Leisure Editors
"Perched on a great rock above Edinburgh’s New Town, this impressive castle dominates the city. Iron Age warriors understood the site’s military potential and built a fort here in the late first century C.E. It changed hands several times during the Wars of Independence, but was retaken from the English in 1314 and served for many years as the home of royalty, from Queen Margaret to Mary Queen of Scots. From the 1600s onward, the castle functioned as a military base with a large garrison and later held prisoners of war. Today, it’s a world-famous attraction, home to the Stone of Destiny on which kings were enthroned for centuries. Guests can tour the Great Hall and the Royal Palace, admire the Scottish crown jewels, and visit Edinburgh’s oldest building, St. Margaret’s Chapel. Also on-site is the National War Museum, which details 400 years of Scotland at war, and the Scottish National War Memorial, honoring those who gave their lives for the nation. For even more military history, check out the cavernous stone vaults beneath the Great Hall that once held war prisoners, or head to the Regimental Museum, which cover everything from the Covenanters to Napoléon and Waterloo. Visit in the early afternoon and you’ll witness the firing of the One O’Clock Gun—a beloved Edinburgh tradition."
"Edinburgh Castle is one of the most famous castles in the world; it towers above Scotland’s capital from its seat upon Castle Rock. Like the rest of Edinburgh, it is very, very old; the oldest building dates back to the 12th century, but there has been a fortress here since the Iron Age. Highlights include the grand and elaborate Great Hall, built for James IV in 1511; the Stone of Destiny, used to anoint Scottish kings since before the 1200s (famously stolen from Westminster Abbey in 1950 and brought back to Scotland in secret); and the Crown Jewels." - Freya Herring
