Covid outbreak closes Edinburgh Castle as Christmas events cancelled

Edinburgh Castle’s doors have shut after an outbreak of coronavirus.

Christmas events on Sunday and Monday were cancelled to allow for a deep clean to take place.

All members of staff who tested positive have been identified and are self-isolating.

The Historic Environment Scotland landmark announced its temporary closure at 2pm on Sunday.

The Castle of Light: Hidden Treasures scheduled for Sunday night was unable to go ahead with ticketholders receiving refunds.

Those going for Christmas afternoon teas on Monday were notified by email that their bookings had also been cancelled.

The castle hopes to reopen on Tuesday, December 21.

A spokesperson for the venue said: “We would like to reassure visitors that robust physical distancing and hygiene measures have been in place on site. We understand how disappointing this closure will be for many, but we always put the safety of our staff and visitors first.

“Any visitors with pre-booked tickets for the castle or either event will be refunded and will receive an email in due course. We will provide an update when we are able to reopen the Castle.”

Performances of White Christmas at Edinburgh Playhouse were cancelled last minute “due to coronavirus”, on Saturday.

A sell-out rave that was due to take place in Edinburgh on Saturday was axed to allow a vaccination centre at the same venue to carry on its work.