Overview

Visiting Edinburgh Castle is one of those things that people visiting the city like to do. After all, it dominates the skyline and reminds people to come along and pay a visit. It is challenging for people with mobility impairments as it is built atop a big hill and when they laid the granite like cobbles people didn't know about tarmac or wheelchairs so we have to be a bit forgiving.

Transport & Parking

Getting to the Castle or up to the Esplanade is difficult as you have quite a hill to climb. It is possible to get a taxi to drop you off at the Esplanade or Blue Badge holders can park on the Esplanade and use the Castle's Mobility vehicle to enter the castle precincts.

Access

Disabled access for me and my pals, we're all wheelchair users, was a big challenge. The experience does depend upon an individual's ability to traverse cobbles whilst climbing or descending some fairly steep gradients. If you have a large and powerful powerchair you will probably manage to get up into the castle but you are restricted in what you will be able to see. The gradients and cobbles make moving between the sections of the castle difficult. A mobility vehicle is available to take people from the Esplanade up to Crown Square. There is some ambiguity as to whether you can get this vehicle to drop you off at any interim points such as the one o'clock gun or infirmary square. The best I can suggest is to contact the castle team to discuss your own circumstances and what may be possible.

Toilets

The accessible toilet near the main entrance was difficult to get to due to cobbles. Once in the toilet block you had to negotiate the queues for the other facilities. The disabled toilet was not clearly marked as such; it was guesswork to decipher the very worn sign on the door, There was no grab rail on the inside of the door so closing the door was a struggle. Once inside the space it was very limited in terms of turning. There are apparently other toilets on the site but these were not easily found or discovered.

Staff

Staff did not engage at all other than the first point of engagement by the castle entrance.

Photos