EDINBURGH Castle has been forced to close as visitors to the historic landmark have reportedly been turned away due to high winds amid Storm Floris.
Transport links and businesses across Scotland have had to bunker down after a yellow weather warning for strong winds was issued for the whole of the country for Monday and is due to last until 6am on Tuesday.
Central and northern Scotland are also covered by a more serious amber warning from 10am to 10pm on Monday with gusts of 50 to 70 mph expected for many parts of the country and some regions facing winds up to 90 mph.
Following the weather warning, visitors in the capital have been spotted being turned away from Edinburgh Castle by staff and police officers.
The popular tourist attraction has reportedly been closed until further notice amid safety concerns.
The news follows the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo being cancelled on Sunday evening amid warnings caused by Storm Floris.
It is the first weather-related cancellation in the event’s 75-year history. Performances were previously cancelled during the pandemic in both 2020 and 2021.
An emergency planning meeting had been called on Sunday afternoon to discuss the latest developments as the storm made its way across the Atlantic towards Scotland.
The team had told the public to keep an eye out for updates as “the safety and well-being of our audience members, performers, and staff remain our top priority”.
In a statement posted after the meeting, Edinburgh Tattoo organisers stated on social media: “We’re sorry to announce that due to adverse weather warnings, we have made the difficult decision to cancel tomorrow’s performance on 4 August at 9:30pm.
“We understand this will be disappointing, but the safety of our audience, performers and staff is our top priority.
“All tickets for the 4th August performance will be automatically cancelled and refunded. Those wishing to rebook will find up-to-date availability at edintattoo.co.uk.”
Elsewhere, the City of Edinburgh Council said they would be closing Princes Street Gardens on Monday and Tuesday “due to high winds”.
Network Rail has also said it will “shut down” routes north of Perth due to the “unprecedented challenges” Storm Floris has brought to Scotland.
