Edinburgh Castle reopens to visitors with reduced capacity

Edinburgh Castle has reopened to visitors with reduced capacity after closing for more than four months during lockdown.

The world-famous landmark will only be able to have 1000 visitors a day rather than the usual 10,000.

As it reopens for the first time since March, a one-way system has been put in place and visitors are restricted to viewing the castle’s external spaces.

Face coverings must be worn in the castle’s shops and tickets have to be booked in advance.

The Covid-19 lockdown caused the centuries-old fortress, and one of Scotland’s most popular tourist destinations, to shut for its longest period since the Second World War.

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) reopened the castle on Saturday along with other historic sites like Stirling Castle and Urquhart Castle.

Alex Paterson, chief executive of HES, said: “Edinburgh Castle is an internationally renowned symbol of Scotland, and its reopening is an important milestone not only for our organisation, but for the country as a whole.”

He added: “It has taken a significant amount of planning to reach this point, and I’m very proud of the efforts of all of our staff who have been instrumental in making these sites ready to safely welcome visitors once again.

“I’d also like to thank visitors for their patience throughout this period of uncertainty, and offer reassurance that the safety and quality of their visitor experience has been at the forefront of our preparations.”

Mr Paterson continued: “The tourism sector will be central to Scotland’s national recovery, and our historic attractions are a key part of that tourism offering.

“We’re also encouraging people across Scotland to visit historic sites in their local area and rediscover the rich history on their doorstep.”

HES has already enabled access to more than 200 of its unstaffed and key-keeper sites across the country.

Next it wants to reopen a further 23 tickets sites on a rolling basis throughout August and September.