The 14 Castle Tours in Edinburgh That Earn Their Price

1.Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5,540 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $51Our pick

Walk Edinburgh Castle’s grounds with a guide such as Joe, Raj, Sonia, or Valeria, hearing sharp stories about Mary Queen of Scots, royal life, and Scotland’s past. The guided portion stays outdoors, but your ticket lets you explore the palace, museums, prisons, and other buildings on your own afterward. Plan for about 90 minutes, plus extra castle time.

“Our guide is a man with immense passion and knowledge of Scottish history. Ask any questions you like. Use your mobile phone to learn more. An informative and exciting experience. After the guide leaves, wonder around, explore photos and cafes.”

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2.Edinburgh Castle Guided Walking Tour in English

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5,214 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $52

Meet your English-speaking guide by the Adam Smith statue on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, walk uphill to Edinburgh Castle, and enter with admission included. Guides such as Koffe, Steph, Greg, Graeme, and Euan bring Scottish stories to life during the 90-minute outdoor tour. Afterward, explore the castle buildings at your own pace.

“We booked the Old Town Walking Tour on our last visit to Edinburgh through the same company, Little Fish. It was such a good tour that this time we booked the Castle Walking Tour. Not only was the tour as good as the last but we also had the same excellent guide Euan. He was very informative and delivered his guide with a humorous twist. We would recommend both tours if you are visiting the city. They are really good value for money and a great way to find out about the history of Edinburgh. If you’re lucky you may get Euan as your guide as well!”

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3.Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle – Small Group Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,523 reviews · 2 hours 15 minutes (approx.) · from $70

Walk Edinburgh’s Old Town from Mercat Cross to Edinburgh Castle with a guide such as Linda, Craig, Nicola, or Marina. Expect stories about Jenny Geddes, John Knox House, medieval closes, and Scotland’s royal past, followed by a 45-minute castle introduction and free time inside when the castle option is selected.

“We learned so much history and saw so much of Edinburgh without even noticing the walk! Marina was a knowledgeable and funny tour guide! What a great experience!”

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4.Holy Island, Alnwick Castle & Northumbria

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,313 reviews · 9 hours · from $85

Travel from Edinburgh into Northumberland for a full day of island history, castles, gardens, and countryside. You’ll cross to Lindisfarne when tides allow, taste local mead, explore Alnwick Castle and its Poison Garden, and hear lively commentary from guides such as Adam, Linda, Ewan, or Paul Santa. The day lasts about nine hours and costs $85 per person.

“We had a great tour with Alistair — we had enough time to explore each stop, and his recommendations were helpful! Lindisfarne is beautiful and we had time to visit Alnwick Castle, market and Barter Books too. Alistair’s commentary was really interesting and he was such a friendly driver. A lovely way to explore Northumbria! Thank you!”

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5.Loch Lomond, Kelpies & Stirling Castle Tour Including Admission

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,305 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $72

Travel from Edinburgh in a 16-seat Mercedes mini-coach to the 30-meter Kelpies, Loch Lomond, and Stirling Castle. Your English-speaking driver-guide handles the roads and stories, with guides such as Craig, Martin, Mia, and Kieran praised for humor and historical insight. Lunch is at your own cost, and walking shoes and weatherproof layers are essential.

“Excellent experience with our tour guide Kieran. His knowledge and fun vibe made this tour very good even with our teenagers.”

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6.Edinburgh Skip-the-Ticket-Line Castle Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,283 reviews · from $51

Meet your guide on the Royal Mile at 2pm, bypass the main entry queue, and spend about 90 minutes hearing Edinburgh Castle stories, seeing Crown Square, St. Margaret’s Chapel, the dog cemetery, and key sights. Guides such as Alasdair add local humor and detail. Your ticket lets you keep exploring until closing.

“Alasdair was awesome! Not only knowledgeable but funny! Very courteous to make sure everyone could hear, answer questions and make sure we were going too fast for older people on the hills.”

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7.Edinburgh Castle Guided Tour – Tickets Included

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,211 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $51

Join guides such as James, David, or Laura for a 90-minute English tour from the Royal Mile into Edinburgh Castle. See St. Margaret’s Chapel, Mons Meg, the Great Hall, the Scottish crown jewels, and the dog cemetery. Your guide explains the castle outdoors, then you explore the interior buildings at your own pace.

“Our guide james was extremely knowledgeable and funny. Learned a lot of stuff about not just the castle but Edinburgh in general.”

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8.Loch Lomond, Stirling Castle and the Kelpies Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,198 reviews · 9 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $63

Travel from Edinburgh to the 30-meter Kelpies, Loch Lomond, the Trossachs, Stirling Castle, and South Queensferry. Your driver-guide handles the roads and commentary, with options for a Loch Lomond cruise and Stirling Castle entry. Guides may include Sam, Ash, John, Adam, Morag, or Graham.

“This tour was amazing, the Loch Lomond and seeing Highland Cows were the highlight of our trip. Graham was our tour guide and he was Hilarious and very knowledgeable. We loved this tour.”

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9.West Highlands, Lochs and Castles Day Tour Including Admission

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,122 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $68

Travel from Edinburgh through the West Highlands in a 16-seat Mercedes mini-coach with an English-speaking driver-guide. Visit Doune Castle, pause at Luss, Rest and Be Thankful, Kilchurn Castle, and Inveraray. Guides such as Rose, Kieran, Stuart, and Ali are known for lively stories, Scottish music, and flexible help when plans change.

“We had a memorable time on this day tour. Sterling Castle was very interesting, and stopping by a couple of the lochs was beautiful. The highlands are really breathtaking. Highland cows are not really plentiful to see, but our driver made sure we had that opportunity - and she shared a lot of interesting facts along the drive! The tour took a little longer than advertised, but it was definitely worth the day trip. We would recommend it!”

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10.Loch Lomond, Kelpies & Stirling Castle Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,043 reviews · 9 hours · from $57

Spend nine hours with a small group of up to 16, traveling from Edinburgh to the Kelpies, Loch Lomond, the Trossachs, and Stirling Castle. Expect a careful driver-guide, Scottish stories and music, a lochside walk, lunch in Aberfoyle, and castle admission included. Guides such as Jim Scott, David, Martin, and Stephen are praised for warmth and humor.

“It was allover a great Experience. Kim is a lovely Guide with very good knowledge. She bringst history to Live.”

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11.Stirling Castle, Kelpies and Loch Lomond

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 895 reviews · from $74

Leave Edinburgh with an English-speaking driver-guide for a full day of castles, lochs, sculptures, and Highland roads. Visit the Kelpies, explore Loch Lomond, pass through Aberfoyle and Callander, then choose Stirling Castle or city time. Guides such as Pete, Brian, Colin, and Fraser are known for adding music, jokes, and Scottish stories.

“Peter was an excellent tour guide! So sweet and funny!”

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12.Edinburgh Castle & Royal Mile Walking Tour – Ticket Included

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 894 reviews · 2 hours 15 minutes (approx.) · from $65

Walk Edinburgh’s Old Town from the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle in a small group of up to 20. Guides such as Paul, James, Mark, and Zenon explain Scotland’s past with humor, then lead you through the castle grounds before you explore its museums and indoor rooms at your own pace.

“It was a great experience… whether solo or with a group. I learned a ton and thoroughly enjoyed myself. James had a wealth of knowledge and a great wit to boot!”

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13.1 Day Castles, West Highlands and Loch Lomond Tour from Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 850 reviews · 10 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $88

Travel from Edinburgh into the West Highlands with an English-speaking guide such as Steve, Cara, Charlie, or Dusty. Visit Doune Castle, see Kilchurn Castle beside Loch Awe, stop in Inveraray, Rest and Be Thankful, and Luss. The 10.5-hour trip uses an air-conditioned vehicle and allows up to 16 people.

“Noah was our tour guide and he was great! We really liked the small group. We would have preferred to have more time to explore Inveraray Castle but we ran out of time because none of the places to eat opened until noon and later. We lost time waiting for that because we got there about 1130am. If you don’t pay to go inside Linlithgow Palace, there really isn’t any shops in the town while you wait for everyone else. You can go to the grocery store or Greggs for a quick bite. But, the palace grounds are gorgeous!”

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14.Edinburgh Full Day Walking Tour with Castle Included -Small Group

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 676 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $112

Start at Charlotte Square and walk through New Town, Princes Street Gardens, the Royal Mile, Greyfriars, Grassmarket, and Victoria Street before entering Edinburgh Castle. Guides such as Ben, James, and Mark bring Scottish history to life with stories, humor, and useful local context. Lunch is independent, and the group is limited to 15 people.

“This is the perfect way to ensure you make your way around to all the places you might otherwise have missed in the downtown area. Every corner there is something interesting so having this local guide tour really helps clarify things. Our guide Ben was great. He added so much color to all the stops on the tour and made great suggestions on things to do the whole way.”

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