Edinburgh Castle is open on every day of the festive season except Christmas Day and Boxing Day. You can visit on Christmas Eve, on Hogmanay and on New Year's Day. For 2026 the big change is that there is no evening Castle of Light show, so the Christmas programme happens during the day: decorations, costumed performers and a festive afternoon tea in the Queen Anne Tea Rooms. Below are the confirmed dates, prices and practical tips, with anything still unannounced marked as such.
Edinburgh Castle at Christmas 2026: quick answers
- Open days: every day in December except Christmas Day (25 December) and Boxing Day (26 December).
- Hours: 9.30am–5pm, last entry 4pm. Christmas Eve closes early at 4pm (last entry 3pm), and New Year's Day opens late, 11am–5pm (last entry 4pm).
- Castle of Light: cancelled for 2026. Historic Environment Scotland (HES) confirmed on 1 October 2026 that the evening light show will not return.
- Festive highlights: Christmas decorations and festive food (advertised 18 November–31 December), Victorian Christmas living history on 5, 6, 12 and 13 December 2026, and Christmas Afternoon Tea (1 December 2026–3 January 2027, not 25–26 December).
Edinburgh Castle festive opening days (1 December 2026 – 3 January 2027)
| Date | Open? | Opens | Last entry | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–23 December | Yes | 9.30am | 4pm | 5pm |
| 24 December (Christmas Eve) | Yes, early close | 9.30am | 3pm | 4pm |
| 25 December (Christmas Day) | Closed | – | – | – |
| 26 December (Boxing Day) | Closed | – | – | – |
| 27–31 December (incl. Hogmanay) | Yes | 9.30am | 4pm | 5pm |
| 1 January 2027 (New Year's Day) | Yes, late opening | 11am | 4pm | 5pm |
| 2–3 January 2027 | Yes | 9.30am | 4pm | 5pm |
Source: the official Edinburgh Castle opening times. The castle says opening times can change and bad weather can force closures, so check on the day.
A few smaller festive exceptions inside the castle:
- National War Museum: 9.45am–4.45pm (last entry 4.30pm), closed 25–26 December.
- Royal Scots/Royal Regiment of Scotland Museum: closed 21 December – 5 January.
- Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Museum: closed 24–26 December and 1–2 January.
- Redcoat Café (9.30am–4pm) and The Tea Rooms (10.30am–4pm): both closed 25–26 December.
- One O'Clock Gun: fired daily at 1pm except Sundays, Good Friday and Christmas Day. In December 2026 that means no gun on 6, 13, 20 and 27 December (all Sundays), and none on the 25th, when the castle is shut anyway.
Hogmanay: the official timetable shows normal hours (9.30am–5pm) on 31 December 2026. The midnight fireworks are launched from the castle, though, so check the official site close to the date in case event preparations change access.
Other Experiences You Might Enjoy
December afternoons are short, so plan the evenings too: a ghost tour of the underground vaults beneath the Royal Mile, The Real Mary King's Close off the High Street, a tasting at the Scotch Whisky Experience by the castle esplanade, or a day trip to Stirling Castle and Loch Lomond while the light lasts.
Edinburgh Castle ticket prices for Christmas 2026
| Ticket | Online | At the gate |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (16–64) | £23.50 | £26 |
| Concession (65+ / unemployed) | £19 | £21 |
| Child (7–15) | £11.50 | £13 |
| Under 7 | Free | Free |
| Adult Flexi (any day within 7 days, no timeslot) | £38 | n/a |
| Concession / Child Flexi | £30.50 / £22.50 | n/a |
Prices from the official Edinburgh Castle tickets page, checked 21 October 2026. Some HES booking screens have shown a higher child price than the ticket page, so check the total at checkout. Children under 16 must be with an adult, and carers go free.
Online tickets are cheaper and come with a guaranteed timeslot. Once a day sells out online, the castle sells no more tickets at the gate. Book your Edinburgh Castle tickets as soon as your dates are fixed, especially for 27–31 December. If you want a guide and your entry in one booking, the Edinburgh Castle Guided History Tour with Tickets (from $52, 4.8/5 from 12,831 reviews on GetYourGuide) includes entry and a 1.5-hour guided walk. Our Edinburgh Castle in November guide covers winter tickets, the Explorer Pass and the Royal Edinburgh Ticket in more detail.
What's on at Edinburgh Castle this Christmas
Christmas at the Castle: decorations and festive food
The castle's homepage advertises "Christmas at the Castle" from 18 November to 31 December, with spectacular decorations in Crown Square, a festive atmosphere and seasonal food. HES has said it is putting the money from Castle of Light into a better daytime offer for 2026: "brand new decorations, family activities and our popular Christmas afternoon teas".
Not confirmed yet: as of mid-October 2026, HES has not published details of the new family activities (trails, crafts or Santa visits), a festive café menu or Christmas lunches. In past years the castle's big Christmas tree stood in the Great Hall; the castle's own blog describes it as a noble fir that "usually stands at around 17-feet tall". We'll update this page when the 2026 programme is announced.
Victorian Christmas: 5, 6, 12 and 13 December 2026
HES lists Victorian Christmas in the Great Hall on Saturday 5, Sunday 6, Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 December 2026. Living-history performers bring Christmas traditions and stories from the past to life. Performance times for 2026 haven't been published, and the event page doesn't yet say whether the performances are included with a standard ticket, so check it before you choose a timeslot. When the castle ran a similar Dickens-inspired show in previous years, there were several short performances each day. All four dates fall on a weekend, which suits families with children at school.
Christmas Afternoon Tea in the Queen Anne Tea Rooms
The Edinburgh Castle Christmas afternoon tea runs from 1 December 2026 to 3 January 2027. It is not served on 25–26 December, when the Tea Rooms are closed. Sittings are between 11am and 2.30pm in the Tea Rooms in Crown Square, the same courtyard as the Crown Jewels. Current prices on the official afternoon tea page, with castle entry included in the package:
- Adult: £70, or £80 with a glass of Champagne
- Child: £35
- Historic Scotland members: £45 adult (£54 with Champagne), £22.50 child
- Tea only (no castle entry), for Explorer Pass, Flexi, guided tour and partner-membership holders: £50 (child £25), or £60 with Champagne
Booking tips:
- Pick a castle arrival slot before your tea time. You'll need around 10–15 minutes to walk uphill to Crown Square.
- Your table is held for about 90 minutes.
- Tell the castle about dietary requirements at least 48 hours ahead.
- Alcohol can't be served before 1pm on Sundays, so pick a later sitting if you want the Champagne.
- December weekends and 27–31 December fill up first.
The 2026 festive menu hasn't been published yet. Last year's included pigs in blankets, a turkey and stuffing sandwich, mince pies and freshly baked scones. The tea is sold only through the castle, so book Christmas afternoon tea on the official site.
Castle of Light: cancelled for 2026
If you were planning an evening at Castle of Light, it isn't happening this year. On 1 October 2026 HES announced it would not extend the contract for the light show, which had run since 2019 (six editions, with no show in 2020 because of Covid) and, according to HES as reported by the BBC, drew more than 200,000 visitors. HES said the show required a "very substantial planning, operational and financial commitment" from its teams, was highly weather-dependent, and had suffered storm cancellations in previous years that led to refunds. The castle is still floodlit at night and looks great from Princes Street. Our Castle of Light update has the full story and the evening light trails to book instead.
Crowds and the best time to visit
- Quietest: weekday mornings from 1 to about 18 December. Arrive at 9.30am and go straight to the Crown Jewels before the queue builds.
- Busier: Saturdays in December, plus the Edinburgh school holidays from 21 December 2026 to 5 January 2027.
- Busiest: 27–31 December. With the castle shut for two days, demand piles up, and Hogmanay visitors arrive at the same time. Book these dates well ahead.
- Christmas Eve: a good morning visit, but last entry is 3pm.
- New Year's Day: doors open at 11am, so expect a later, slower start.
If you'd like some context while you explore, the castle's own 30-minute Official Guided Tour costs £6.50 per person and is sold as a ticket that includes your admission. For a longer walk with a guide, the Edinburgh Castle: Guided Walking Tour with Entry Ticket (from $55, 4.7/5 from 14,538 reviews on GetYourGuide) takes about 1.5 hours with entry included. Our Edinburgh Castle tours guide compares the guided options.
December weather and daylight in Edinburgh
| Early December | Mid-December | Late December | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunrise | ~8.20am | ~8.35am | ~8.43am |
| Sunset | ~3.43pm | ~3.40pm (earliest sunsets) | ~3.48pm |
| Daylight | ~7.5 hrs | ~7 hrs (solstice 21 Dec) | ~7 hrs |
| Average high / low (Met Office 1991–2020, Edinburgh Royal Botanic Garden) | ~7°C / ~1.5°C | ~7°C / ~1.5°C | ~7°C / ~1.5°C |
Typical averages; actual conditions vary from year to year.
The sun sets well before the castle closes, so a late-morning slot gives you the best light for photos from the ramparts. The esplanade and the Half Moon Battery are exposed to the wind, and the cobbles can be slippery, so wear layers and shoes with grip.
A suggested Christmas day out
- 9.30am, castle opening. Head to the Crown Jewels first, then the Royal Palace and the Great Hall.
- 11am–1pm, festive extras. Catch a Victorian Christmas performance (5, 6, 12 or 13 December), and stand on Mill's Mount for the One O'Clock Gun on any day except a Sunday.
- 12.30–2.30pm, Christmas afternoon tea in the Queen Anne Tea Rooms, or a quick lunch in the Redcoat Café.
- 3.30pm, sunset over the city. Walk down the Royal Mile while the street lights come on.
- Evening, Edinburgh's Christmas. Go to the market in East Princes Street Gardens, ride the Big Wheel, and look back up at the floodlit castle.
Edinburgh's Christmas, right below the castle
Edinburgh's Christmas runs from 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. It spreads across East Princes Street Gardens, West Princes Street Gardens and George Street.
- Traditional Christmas Market (East Princes Street Gardens): free to enter, normally 10am–10pm. It opens later on the first day (17 November), is closed on Christmas Day, and keeps shorter hours on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and Hogmanay. Published festive times have differed between listings, so check the official Edinburgh's Christmas website for those days.
- LNER Big Wheel and Around the World Star Flyer: 14 November–3 January, ticketed. The Star Flyer is 80m tall, which the Edinburgh Evening News calls the world's largest transportable Star Flyer.
- Santa's Stories (West Princes Street Gardens): 20 November–24 December, ticketed.
- George Street: the Polar Ice Bar with Icelandair (18+) runs 19 November–2 January, and the Family Ice Experience 21 November–3 January. Sources disagree on whether the ice rink returns in 2026, so check the official site before you plan around it.
- Light Night / tree switch-on: some listings give 14 November. The date isn't confirmed on official channels at the time of writing.
Boxing Day: the castle is closed on 26 December, but the market reopens at midday. Spend the morning on Calton Hill or Arthur's Seat for views of the castle, then head to the stalls.
Hogmanay 2026/27: Edinburgh's Hogmanay runs from 29 December to 1 January. All the main events are ticketed.
- 29 December: Torchlight Procession.
- 30 December: Night Afore Party with The Fratellis.
- 31 December: Street Party (from 8pm) and Underworld at Hogmanay in the Gardens. The Midnight Moment fireworks are launched from the castle.
Festive things on the Royal Mile:
- St Giles' Cathedral: Christmas concerts with the Cathedral Choir on Saturday 12 December 2026; the Service of Carols on Sunday 20 December at 6pm; a Christmas Eve service at 7pm and the Watchnight service at 11.30pm on 24 December; Christmas Day services at 9.30am and 11am.
- The Real Mary King's Close: a Victorian Christmas Experience on Fridays to Sundays, 4–27 December 2026. The year-round Real Mary King's Close Guided Tour (4.7/5 from 4,567 reviews on GetYourGuide) runs on the other days.
If you're staying for the festivities, a base in the Old Town or near Princes Street keeps the castle, the market and the Hogmanay events within walking distance.
Christmas gift ideas
- Edinburgh Castle tickets or a Flexi ticket (£38 adult): the Flexi ticket suits anyone whose travel dates aren't fixed. Buy castle tickets on the official site.
- Afternoon tea gift pack or voucher: it comes in a red-and-gold presentation pack with a personal message. Vouchers are valid for six months from purchase, and the recipient books at least 48 hours ahead. See the castle's afternoon tea page.
- Historic Scotland Explorer Pass: 14 consecutive days at all open Historic Scotland sites, including Edinburgh, Stirling and Urquhart castles. Winter prices (1 November–25 March): £38 adult, £31 concession, £23 child, £80 family. Get the Explorer Pass from Historic Environment Scotland.
- Royal Edinburgh Ticket: combines the castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Royal Yacht Britannia and hop-on hop-off buses. Operator Edinburgh Bus Tours lists it at £81 adult, £76 senior (60+) and £43 child (5–15), prices that apply from 29 March 2026. The Royal Edinburgh Ticket is rated 4.7/5 from 3,175 reviews on GetYourGuide.
Top tips for Edinburgh Castle at Christmas
- Book online. On busy December dates the gate can sell out completely.
- Don't plan a visit for 25 or 26 December. Go on Christmas Eve morning or on 27 December instead.
- On 24 December, arrive by 1pm so you have time before the 3pm last entry.
- Leave at least two hours for the castle, and three if you're having afternoon tea.
- Bring layers, gloves and grippy shoes.
- Check the official site the day before you go for weather closures.
Dates and prices were checked on 21 October 2026 and can change. Confirm with the official castle and event websites before you travel.