Edinburgh Castle is one of the most evocative castles in the whole of Britain. It has has dominated the Edinburgh skyline for centuries. Built on top of an extinct volcano, its geographical location made it one of the best-defended castles in Scottish history. Explore it all on our Edinburgh Castle Private Tour.
Your guide will meet you at your hotel
In this private tour we will meet you at your hotel. Then we will walk you through the city streets into the castle with pre-timed tickets to hopefully avoid any delays.
The Royal castle has stood in this spot since the 12th century. Edinburgh Castle remained the Scottish Royal residence until the Union of the Crowns in 1603. However one way or the other people have lived on the site for almost 3,000 years. In fact the oldest building in all of Scotland is right here in the shape of St. Margarets Chapel.
Our tour will begin at the imposing Portcullis Gate before visiting the Argyle Battery with it’s fantastic views over the city towards Fife.
We will take the Lang Stairs up to the summit of Castle Rock and then visit some of the fabulous towers, prisons, museums and exhibitions that lay around this huge fortress including those dedicated to some of the oldest and finest military units in the British Army and the National War Museum.
Just before lunch we will see the famous daily 1pm firing on the battlements. Here a 105mm field gun is fired every day at 1pm, except Sundays, Good Friday and Christmas Day. A gun has been fired here since 1861 as a time signal to shipping in the Firth of Forth.
See Mons Meg and admire the views
After a well earned lunch or drink, we will visit Mons Meg, an ancient siege gun that could send shells over 2 miles before visiting St. Margaret’s Chapel, dating from 1130, making it the oldest known surviving building in Scotland.
As we meander our way past several more prominent artillery batteries, we will visit the Royal Apartments and the magnificent crown jewels and legendary Stone of Destiny which for centuries has been used in the inauguration of new monarchs.
Finally the tour will end with a visit to The Great Hall which was completed in 1511 for the state ceremonies of King James IV. You can still see the original hammerbeam roof and a vast array of weapons and armour around the walls.
After the tour, your guide will return you to your hotel or if you prefer, leave you at one of the many fabulous pubs or restaurants on the Royal Mile.
How to book the Edinburgh Castle Private Tour
Standard Adult Prices per person excluding entry fees (child prices available upon request). You might also like our Edinburgh City Walking Tour
1 Adult = £160
2 Adults = £155
3 Adults = £150
4 Adults = £145
5 – 10 Adults = £100
Departure Time:9.15am
City Location: Edinburgh
Duration of Tour: 3 hours
(Approximate times as all tours are bespoke)
For more information or to make a booking, please email yeoldeenglandtours@gmail.com
Alternatively you can book by using the automated booking process with Viator below.
