A mighty fortress, Edinburgh Castle is at the end of the famous ‘Royal Mile’ and boasts superb views across the whole city and beyond. Walking up the cobbled streets with your tickets in your hand, you certainly can’t miss the entrance to Edinburgh Castle, as it's guarded by two sentries - and yes they do wear kilts!
Skipping the long queues, you can get straight down to the business of exploring this outstanding castle. Edinburgh Castle has seen its fair share of sieges and battles, births and deaths. The castle is now home to the celebrated Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and there is still a British Military presence at the castle. There’s an active garrison, along with several Regimental museums charting the military history of Scotland and the castle.
There are also sentries guarding the ‘Honours of Scotland’, the glittering Scottish Crown Jewels that were first worn by Queen Mary in 1543 and are a definitely ‘must-see’. Other highlights of your visit include watching the famous one o’clock gun fire and Mons Meg, the huge cannon, one of Europe’s largest siege guns.
After making the most of your Edinburgh Castle tickets, it’s time to visit the historic centre and head to your restaurant for your three course dinner. Merchant’s is in a hidden corner near Greyfriars Church and is much-loved for serving modern classics with a Scottish flavour that includes a taste of haggis, ‘neeps’, Angus beef and Scottish berries too. A tasty end to your day out in Edinburgh indeed!
