Touristy as hell. Book a morning appointment it's so much calmer and nicer…read more Get a guided tour. The stories are worth it. I couldn't quit figure out all the battles, there are so many, and the guide broke it all down as I stood on some of the oldest stone work in the world. The view alone. I believe my ticket was 20 plus. It included admission and a tour. There is a cafe shop inside with lovely lunch and coffee. Tips--read your tour info well. Many different tours with identifying umbrellas. Leave a bit early, the street is beautiful to make sure you've got the right group and wait it out if you have to. ANY mobility issues go easy on yourself . You don't have to keep up worth your tour, you'll run onto them again. Take care of yourself and ask for assistance if needed.

This castle entry needs reservations minimum 1 month ahead. I reserve the ticket 2 months ahead and…read moreget the time zone and date we want. If you try to buy the ticket at the same day, there is higher chance you will not get the ticket. The entrance is a up hill walk. But they do have handicap transportation. The castle has over 20 point of interest. There are several point of interest should not miss. The most important is the king gallery, the great hall and the prison of war. The king gallery is where the treasure and crown jewel located. The visit needs half days to complete. That includes one o'clock gun. Usually that time the courtyard fill of audience. You need to be hurrying to get a spot. The great hall back like a church. Good spot for photo.

Thankfully, I've only ever been in here twice, and both of those times I was there out of choice…read moreand not anything mischief-related. If the lady who served me the first time I was in here is reading this, I'm sorry. More specifically I'm sorry for being a stupid drunken fresher and wasting half an hour of your time reporting a handbag stolen, only to go home and find it was exactly where I'd left it the night before after one too many cheap vodka and diet cokes. Although I didn't appreciate your lecture on binge drinking at the time, you were right. The second time was just the other day when Alex C and I found a purse that had clearly been stolen and relieved of any cash, before being flung out of the window of the bus that was passing us. Although I'm fairly sure the people designing the foyer of this station went out of their way to find the least obvious place to put the bell you need to ring for attention, when we eventually found it we were seen straight away, and the woman was really nice. Especially when she asked me if I'd "be willing to accept a reward if one were to be offered". Er, yes. Yes I would.

I'd like to say I haven't been here often, but I'm foreign, from a "black-listed" country. It…read moredoesn't sound as bad as it is, but it just means that I have to keep people pretty much informed of everything I do. I take this warning very seriously, going to St Leonard's Police Station everytime I move flat, change my degree, get a job, etc. Once, however, a woman who probably didn't mean any harm at all, decided that what I was doing was hilarious and was generally very discouraging. Which is always kinda shit when you find yourself in the position to be mocked because you're following rules they applied to your life, with the threat of spending 6 months in jail and paying them 5000 pounds if you don't. Apart from that one situation, I find they've generally been helpful and polite. I've been there to hand in found wallets and to get documents for visa applications and the such. If only I hadn't been mocked that once, I'd probably be much more willing to speak highly and positively of this police station. But, let's face it, it's a police station, and we all fear it a bit.

Visiting the kirkyard at nighttime is such a creepy experience. We decided to do it on our own,…read morewhich meant that we were completely unaware of the ghosts that are said to haunt this place. I didn't know about "Bloody MacKenzie" until our tour guide told us how brave we were for going at night. Did you know that this poltergeist attacks people at night? I had no idea. I think we even passed by his crypt when we were lost trying to find Tom Riddell's grave. It's super dark in there. Here's a little hint when trying to find the grave that is said to be JK Rowling's inspiration for the dark wizard in Harry Potter. Your GPS will take you to the part of the wall facing the church. Apparently, it happens to everyone because there is a sign at that point telling you that Tom Riddell is actually on the other side of the wall. Trying to find the pathway at night that leads you to that side of the kirkyard is the tricky part. There are many walking ghost tours that will take you here, but it was quite the experience discovering it on our own. Don't miss seeing the Greyfriars Bobby grave & memorial. It's at the main entrance to the kirkyard in front of the church. We didn't see it right away since we entered from a side entrance. I love that people are placing broken tree limbs in front of this famous Skye Terrier's grave. Doggies love to play with sticks. It's said that the doggie ghost is still seen around his master's grave (John Gray). There's a sign with the names of notable people of Edinburgh that are buried there. I'm speculating that the poltergeist may have taken his anger out on it. The sign has a few chunks of wood missing. There just happens to be a deep scratch mark by his real name, Sir George MacKenzie. How creepy is that? We didn't get to visit the church due to an evening service. I believe the museum and gift shop is open to visitors as well. It was great just to explore around it. It was a fun evening in a kirkyard!

Come for the Tom Riddell grave but stay for the beauty. A wonderfully gothic church and graveyard…read morehide in plain sight in the heart of Edinburgh. Don't miss it!

A must-see in Scotland. Cut off to vehicles, a great place to walk to see Edinburgh at its…read morefunniest. There at the same time as the Fringe, not sure if that amplified the fest, but it was very entertaining with the party atmosphere. Street performers, hawkers and vendors add colorful flair to the street scene.

Let this review slip through the cracks but brought it back to life after scrolling through my pics…read moreof Scotland on my phone. Traveling through Scotland it is mandatory to take a stroll in the Royal Mile to see all the historic landmarks and whiskey stores. #1 See the iconic retro red British phone booths with the cool stickers. #2 Take a few pics with the Scottish guy in his kilt playing the bag pipes. #3 walk to the top of the Edinburgh Castle for a 360 degree view of the area. #4 Find the hidden Devil's Advocate Bar and have a cold craft beer. Great experience at the Royal Mile and cant wait to visit here again.

Scottish Heritage ruined stronghold with neatly trimmed gardens! It's definitely nicer to visit…read moreduring the summer months when you can see the gardens coming to life with all the flowers blossoming. The ruins of Dirleton Castle are surrounded by a wall and enclose a lovely garden where you can enjoy a nice walk (when the wind is not blowing as much and the snow storms actually let you walk around peacefully). In its hey days the castle might have been a mighty stronghold with thick walls, mounted high on a rock and with wonderful views over the surrounding valley. Nowadays you can watch the "wind fans" and small country roads with cars passing by. Somehow the castle's spirit has been removed and all that remains are pieces of history nicely laid out for the occasional visitor. Still, I was amazed by all the passages and "rooms" which survived the degradation of time. Find your imagination and you can feel how the de Vaux family lived in the 13th century. Later on the castle fell into the hands of the Haliburtons and Ruthvens. After the civil wars the castle was neglected and fell into ruin. Tip: Go and see the beehive-shaped doocot where they kept masses of pigeons. It looks amazing.

Dirleton Castle is my absolute favourite castle of those I've visited in Scotland…read more When I visited it was a gorgeous day which perfectly highlighted the lovely grounds, and here were hardly any other people there, which was an absolute blessing. Dirleton, like many other castles around Edinburgh, is very under-appreciated. Everyone seems to go to THE castle, or Stirling as a second choice, which leaves castles like Dirleton blissfully quiet, and means that you have free rein to roam wherever you like. Literally. We were actually able to clamber all over the ruins which, while I'm sure was absolutely not allowed, was extremely cool. The views are gorgeous and there is plenty to explore. This would be fantastic for a family day out, but is an equally fun to visit for adults who like a bit of history which is uninterrupted by crowds, and also enjoy a proper bit of ruin and not the overly made up attraction which more major castles have become.

One of the many beautiful castles you can explore in beautiful Scotland. We loved the beautiful…read moreviews from the upper walls, the green grass all around, and all the different places to explore. Some of the rooms have little description plaques on the walls. We walked the stairways, and explored every room in the castle. It was very peaceful and serene. We definitely recommend Craigmillar Castle for any travelers in the Edinburgh area.

Wow!!! This place was so much more than what I expected it to be and so much fun for all the…read morefamily.. My neice and nephew who are 8 and 3 loved exploring and there are lots of areas to explore, from the gallery, to the bedrooms, to the cellar and the underground prison as well as the tower. The views from the tower are spectacular and you can see Edinburgh castle in the distance. i recommend wearing sensible shoes as there is a spiral staircase and uneven stone floors. there are low doorways too so be careful you don't bump your head which at '4, 11 I still managed to do but such an enjoyable visit for us all. There are toilets available and a great gift shop and all the staff are friendly and welcoming and all wore face coverings and ensured social distancing guidelines. Brilliant day out!

Very busy bar. Indoor & outdoor seating. Hostess will seat you inside to the left or first come,…read morefirst serve seating to the right and outside. The staff was friendly. Full bar to include local gin and beer offerings. Good menu. The pie was great as was the beer and gin we had. Traditional decor inside. It's definitely worth coming in for just a pint or staying for a meal.

Greyfriars Bobby is one of Edinburgh's most popular tourist attractions. Located just in front of…read morethe entrance to the Greyfriars Kirk can be found the bronze statue of Bobby. Hundreds of fans flock here every day to pay their respects, all eager to get a closer look at their doggy hero. History and why it is famous- and trust me guys, he is inthe same league as Hachi- Bobby, born in 1856, was a Terrier who spent over 14 years guarding the grave of his beloved owner. John - a dedicated nightwatchman for the Edinburgh City Police Force - carried out his duties with his trusty companion night after night. After John's untimely death in 1858, Bobby refused to leave his master's grave until the day he died himself. The rumours about this little dog began to spread far and wide, and Bobby soon had quite the fan base. In 1867, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh presented him with his very own collar. This gesture signified that Bobby was a licensed dog, meaning that he was protected against the new law that had recently been enforced, which stated that all unlicensed dogs would be destroyed. Bobby passed away in January 1872, and as a final token of his loyalty, was buried close to his master in the Kirkyard. A granite fountain with a statue can be found opposite Greyfriars Kirkyard - a permanent memorial to this faithful pup. Bobby's grave can be found immediately inside the gate of Greyfriars Kirkyard. He was buried close to his much-loved John, ensuring that the pair's astonishing bond would never be broken. It is not uncommon for doting visitors to leave sticks, dog toys, and flowers on his grave.

Awesome destination for checking out the local atmosphere. It's a castle after all. The attached…read moregardens are a joy in the summer! A must visit when you are headed to Scotland.

A Beautiful Castle Outlander Fans Will Love. Another…read morebeautiful castle. The grounds are breathtaking. The castle stands in as the monastery in Outlander Season 1. And the scene in Season 1 where Claire is in Wentworth Prison and she yells in through a cell full of prisoners looking for Jamie. Come see the castle, learn about its history, and soak in the beautiful surroundings.