Scotland · CASTLE TOURS IN EDINBURGH
Good castle tours in Edinburgh fill up weeks ahead; the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Guided walking tour inside Edinburgh Castle grounds with entry ticket, great photo time, and stories from local guides, plus free exploration time.
“I would recommend this tour as it covers Edinburgh Castle long and fabulous history. We went with Niamh who is an excellent tour guide, very passionate and knowledgeable with a great sense of humour.”
Skip-the-line Edinburgh Castle entry plus a guided walk up the Royal Mile. Learn the key stories, then explore the castle on your own.
“Great tour lead by Koffe! Very knowledgeable and engaging with all those in our group. Koffe is witty and friendly.”
Walk the Royal Mile with a small guide, learn the city’s closes and wynds, then get skip-the-line access to Edinburgh Castle.
“This was advertised as a “small group” walking tour but there can be up to 18 people. I think this is more than there should be for a small group however it wasn’t a problem as we were given headsets to hear our guide. Veni was a great guide, very informative and we thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a bitterly cold day but we had some lovely views from the castle. Thank you.”
A small-group day from Edinburgh to the Kelpies, Loch Lomond, and Stirling Castle, with included castle entry and scenic driving.
“Our Driver Mac was The Best!! He was a wealth of knowledge and made our day special! He explained so much of the Scottish history! The stops were just the right length of time for us.”
Guided skip-the-line walking tour of Edinburgh Castle grounds, with tickets included. See key sights, learn fast context, then explore freely.
“The brilliant guide James (historian) gave a really passionate entertaining and historically accurate tour of this brilliant castle. We loved it !”
Edinburgh day trip to The Kelpies, Loch Lomond, Stirling Castle, and South Queensferry views, with live coach commentary and easy planning.
“nice mixture of land and water. Sterling Castle was amazing! Well done. Guide was friendly and very knowledgeable! Recommend this tour.”
See West Highlands lochs and castles from Edinburgh in a small 16-seat Mercedes. Doune Castle entry included, with great photo stops.
“Excellent experience. Our guide, Bryan, very nice, knowledgeable and did an amazing job bringing history to life.”
Guided Royal Mile walk to Edinburgh Castle with included entry and tour, plus One O'Clock Gun views. About 2h15 in a small group.
“We had a great tour with Alisdair for the Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle. We expected some overlap with our Edinburgh Highlights walking tour 2 days prior but his knowledge and storytelling was different so it was a great competent to the prior tour. He had a great combination of strong historical details and a cheeky sense of humor about that history that was fun and informative. We really enjoyed our tour with him. And we went on to tour many of the museums and areas within the castle itself following the official tour, and really appreciated the curation of each area.”
A small-group day tour from Edinburgh to Doune, Loch Awe, Inveraray, Loch Lomond and Luss, with castle stops and great guiding.
“This tour was awesome. The West Highlands with the mountains and the lochs were amazing and Steve took us through many roads and showed us many sites. From the majestic Doune and Kilchurn castles to the quaint villages of Loch Lomond and Inveraray, it was a very memorable day. Steve was a great guide - with historical information and great stories and good music. He explained things very well. I would highly recommend this trip and Steve!”
A small-group 5-hour walk through Edinburgh’s West End and Royal Mile, with Scottish National Gallery highlights and Edinburgh Castle included.
“Ben was amazing tour guide. Thoughtful and personable. Hit all the main spots and then some. Highly recommend.”
One day from Edinburgh to see Rosslyn Chapel, Dunfermline Abbey, and Stirling Castle with a driver-guide, small group, and extra ticket options.
“The stops in this tour were all amazing and Chris was a great guide and storyteller. Rosslyn Chapel and Stirling Castle were my favourites. The chapel was stunning and I could have stared at the inside for hours! Wish we could have been there on a day a service was held. Stirling Castle was beautiful with my favourite being Queen Anne's Garden. Would do the tour again!”
Air-conditioned Edinburgh day trip to the Kelpies, Balmaha and Loch Lomond, plus optional Stirling Castle, with live commentary.
“The Kelpies and Sterling Castle were the highlights for me, as well as the driver’s delightful commentary.”
A guided day trip from Edinburgh through West Highland lochs, castles, and viewpoints, with live commentary and easy coach travel.
“Great way to experience the Highlands. Our guide, Linda, was great. She had many interesting stories revolving around the fascinating history is Scotland and the Scottish people. The scenery and the visits to historical sights and the natural beauty of the area resulted in an unforgettable day.”
Holy Island, Alnwick Castle, and Northumbrian history in one day from Edinburgh, with tide timing, big sights, and a well-run coach.
“Absolutely wonderful experience. Our driver/guide was extremely knowledgeable and took us on an extra trip to Bamburgh Castle. It should be on all the itineraries.”
Castle-hopping from Edinburgh to Bamburgh, Alnwick, and Coldstream, with film-locations, great guide stories, and time to explore.
“Nice day trip from Edinburgh. The tour guide, Emily, was fantastic. She provided us with just the right amount of information along our journey about the landscape and shared her road trip playlist with us. I loved Bamburgh Castle more than anything and would have liked to have had more time there though. Even so, this was a fun day.”
Every kind of day out, from an hour under the Old Town to a week in the islands.
