Historic Environment Scotland ( HES ) have made the announcement we have all been waiting for – the Scottish castle drawbridges will be opening on 30 April . Edinburgh Castle , Striling Castle and Linlithgow Palace are among the most popular castles ready to re-open . WhatsApp +447305294773 for Scottish castle tours or be book online .
Following the First Minister’s welcome announcement that COVID-19 restrictions are expected to relax with the arrival of spring, HES can now announce that 26 of staffed sites and hundreds of open air, free-to-access sites will be ready for you to visit again from Friday 30 April.
All visits must be booked in advance .
Castle reopening plans
HES are opening over 250 sites in phases over the coming months.Read our press release
Plan a spring visit
Between now and the end of April, HES teams are working hard behind the scenes to get everything ready for your visits to Scotland’s iconic sites.
On Friday 30 April, you can book tickets to visit:
| Aberdour Castle | Fort George |
| Arbroath Abbey | Glasgow Cathedral |
| Blackness Castle | Huntly Castle |
| Caerlaverock Castle | Inchcolm Abbey |
| Craigmillar Castle | Jedburgh Abbey |
| Dirleton Castle | Linlithgow Palace |
| Doune Castle | Melrose Abbey |
| Dryburgh Abbey | Skara Brae |
| Dunblane Cathedral | St Andrews Castle |
| Dundonald Castle | St Andrews Cathedral |
| Dunfermline Abbey | Stirling Castle |
| Edinburgh Castle | Tantallon Castle |
| Elgin Cathedral | Urquhart Castle |
Tickets must be booked in advance.
HES are closely monitoring Scottish Government plans and considering the circumstances in each local area. If anything changes after you’ve booked tickets, we’ll automatically cancel and refund bookings within 30 days – there’s no need to contact us.
Please always check the Scottish Government’s latest advice before you travel.