Loading...
Name:Edinburgh Castle
Hill number:14289
Height:131m / 430ft
Parent (Ma):1816  Allermuir Hill
RHB Section:28A: Firth of Forth to the River Tweed
County/UA:Edinburgh
Catchment:Forth
Class:Tump (100-199m)
(Tu,1)
Grid ref:NT 25154 73507
Summit feature:rock outcrop outside St Margaret's Chapel
Drop:63m
Col:68m  NT256734  
OS map sheet(s):(1:50k) 66
(1:25k) 350
Observations:rock in garden 45m S at NT 25152 73465 is probably lower
Change log:show changes for this hill entry
GPS data:show GPS entries for this hill

Show Map

View on: Geograph  OS Maps  Streetmap  Magic  NLS  OTM

Full screen map

Show/hide GPS File for mountains/markers shown

Show/hide GPX File for mountains shown

Photos
Hill summit photo
(where available)
Hill portrait photo
(where available)

Click on a photo link to view photo on the hillsummits website

To contribute a summit or portrait photo for a hill
please contact the hillsummits website

N.B. Some hill summits are on private property or on land where there is no public right of way.  Permission should be sought from the landowner where access to a hill summit is through private land(*).
*For information about access rights in Scotland see the ScotWays website.
Please report via the contact page any logs you see below which describe or encourage acts of trespass.  Please quote the hill number and hill name.

Logged Descriptions  (logged by 248 users, only the latest 50 shown - Show all)ByDate of Ascent
Rock in front of St Margaret’s church in beautiful sunshine! Used the free visit to the war memorial route which we pre booked. We were given yellow lanyards and staff were very observant of them especially as it was just after it opened! After yo’re through the main brick arch turn left up some stone steps. The war memorial hall is ahead, entered from the opposite side from where you are, but the small stone st Margaret’s chapel is acute right , up a few more steps (with view point beyond ).Denise 04/03/2024
We go for the War Memorial option. Having booked over the internet we collect our tickets from machine on the Castle approach on The Royal Mile. Tickets are recognised as ‘War Memorial only’ and we are escorted to an office and given a visitors pass with bright yellow lanyard and directions. Once through the archway turn left up the stone steps which bring you out in yard with the War Memorial building to left and St Margaret’s chapel and high point rock on the right. First thing, on a bright and sunny morning, the attendants enthusiastically spot the yellow lanyards and direct us to the War Memorial. The memorial pass doesn’t permit access to the Chapel or rock. There’s a rock outcrop on the W side of the memorial building but I thought it lower than the Chapel which seemed most likely built on the natural high point. The Chapel has a rock outcrop supporting its W wall and there’s a truncated rock outcrop on the N side which the attendant allows us to briefly visit.RichardM04/03/2024
Enjoyable free visit to Edinburgh Castle courtesy of Historic Environment Scotland on their free Sundays scheme. A good 2 hours and pleasant walk from free Sunday parking at The MeadowsLynnebe07/01/2024
Corstorphine Hill, Edinburgh Castle, Calton Hill, Salisbury Crags, Arthur's Seat, Dunsapie, Blackford Hill, Braid Hills, Easter Craiglockhart Hill & Wester Craiglockhart Hill. 32km, 1200m ascent in total.JasonStark26/11/2022
Part of the 7 summitstomcr8805/03/2022
Day exploring Edinburgh bagging Trumps and Trigs on the wayAndrew Simmons01/12/2021
From a carpark in Cowgate, with my wife & daughter, and back after visiting the castle.Pampuco08/11/2021
With L & R.Chris Ellis21/08/2021
Revisit nearest accessible highest point during lockdownThearlaichdubh08/06/2020
Used RHW's War Meml method for free entry. (£1 each way to Edinburgh on the train from Cumbria made it a good value four-Tump day out.)mae10/03/2020
Visited the National Memorial. With Brian R.Play2End10/10/2019
Ouch - £50.50 to get in with Sarah, Seumas (just turned 5) and Keeva (just turned 2). Expensive summit trip.assynt_bob14/09/2019
£19pp to get in. Can get very crowded, would be best to visit off season and during the week.PeteF31/05/2019
From Edinburgh Waverley station, via Calton Hill and Arthur's Seat with Caden and Traceyderrymark18/05/2019
With Ingrid & Rachel, same day as Arthurs SeatRuth Mackay11/05/2019
With Sail.Dangerous Dave14/04/2019
Language class was cancelled so headed up to Castle. As others asked to visit National War Memorial and was directed to office to complete form and be given lanyard. Escorted to Lang Stains and then directed to Memorial. Examined relevant records then visited all highest spots I could find. All staff were extremely pleasant and helpfulJubilado19/02/2019
With Gill.ADT01/11/2018
Been up multiple times but on this occasion I had a job interview in Edinburgh and decided to climb the hill afterwards.JAdair9702/02/2018
With Uncle Luke,Aunty Freddie,Grandma and Ali.lilyrosieives06/01/2018
Been here a few times!Toby-and-Dion01/01/2018
final edinburgh tump as others no fee, visiting war memorial, visited both highpoints.robertphillips20/12/2017
Walk to Edinburgh Castle & the Royal MileJazDisney08/12/2017
Glorious visit to the castle with all the hoardes, though found out that if you request to visit the huge Scottish national war memorial building in centre of castle you can fill out a form and get escorted there free of charge.vegibagger02/09/2017
Well worth the visit but so, so busy. With American friends, otherwise we'd have chosen Januaryiangalbraith26/08/2017
Felt a bit of a pratt standing on this rock among the crowds of tourists but did it anyway.clivevilla25/06/2017
Revisit for digital photos on a lovely sunny day.Dugswell220/06/2017
From The Royal Mile. With PJB. We also spent time visiting the museums which are well worth seeing.trimarc213/05/2017
Visited the highest point with DTL during a visit to the Castle where we also enjoyed the excellent museums.r113/05/2017
up N Bridge and the Mile dodging the hordes to Esplanade where beginning to clear and view to Pentlands and Arthur's Seat!. Descent by zigzags to Ross fountain, Charlotte Sq, Belford Rd where stopped for a coffee, water and teacakes.niallp13/05/2017
Walked up from Waverley Bridge.amarillo-oro-como04/04/2017
My final Edinburgh tump. Bagged a free-on-Sunday parking spot on York Place, headed up to Visitor Info Office and asked to see the War Meml. Form to fill and you're really supposed to be a relative, I was told, but that's not what the website says. Given a lanyard and told to head straight up as they'd be expecting me. Outcrop at top of Lang Stairs NT 25165 73501 looked good to me, otherwise a spot in the gardens abutting Meml chapel? And the chapel itself well worth a look round.RHW29/01/2017
Walked up through Princes Street Gardens on grand sunny winter's day.catman04/12/2016
A visit to Edinburgh Castle with the family. Cold bright day.bgalon25/11/2016
And several times previously dating back to the 70s. This time included early evening Tattoo performance.JOHNS27/08/2016
With S & Csheila&chris07/06/2016
Private tour of castle at Historic Scotland ESA meeting. Previous visits but no dates HFB15/04/2015
Return visit - visited all parts of the Castle many years ago. Again returned on 28/11/2015 for pre- St. Andrews day visit. Outside St Margaret's Chapel GPS read 134m.NormanW12/04/2015
Zigzag path from Princess Street Gardens made it feel somewhat like a hill. Various natural rock outcrops inside walls. I reckon the highest is just outside St Margaret's Chapel. Good view north. It's about 20 metres higher than the ground at the castle entrance.alda04/02/2015
With GFEFionalevey22/12/2014
2nd visit to castle, went in to St Mary's Chapel so retrospective bag after finding out was a TuMP.mntainman16/10/2014
On a visit to Edinburgh Castle.Argentum6603/01/2013
With: hb sb; Visited here while playing in a concert in Great Hall of Edinburgh Castle!Ian Baines02/06/2012
With: ib sb; Helen Baines02/06/2012
From Princes Street Gardens, via Castle Hill and into and around the castle groundsMariana Trench18/12/2010
Not sure of date. Arcade Fire gig.jenx01/08/2010
With N (paying visitors).harristhedog01/07/2010
From Grassmarket and Royal Mileafoster29/11/2008
With in-laws.campagvelocet11/08/2008
Estimate date - multiple castle visits incl. Tattoonix_snilloc09/08/2008