Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Gary Armstrong

Edinburgh Castle hits back after tourist complains they never saw the kitchen

If you asked anyone from around the world to picture an image of Edinburgh, the castle is most probably what they'd think of first.

Before the pandemic hit, the capital's greatest landmark attracted 2.2million visitors throughout 2019. According to Visit Scotland, it is the country's second most popular attraction, just being pipped by our city's very own National Museum of Scotland.

And unsurprisingly, the majority of people who have paid a visit to the castle tend to love it.

Take TripAdvisor reviews by way of example - from over 50,000 reviews, the attraction has been given an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 - not too bad.

READ MORE: Edinburgh Zoo hits back on TripAdvisor after tourist creeped out by 'staff in dark glasses'

But not everyone has been too complimentary.

A review following a recent visit gave the castle just 1 out of 5 stars, rating it as 'terrible', prompting a response from Historic Scotland staff on the travel review site.

Branding the experience as 'such a disappointment', the tourist said their visit had been a 'waste of money' and they felt they had been at the different castle to the one described in the majority of positive reviews.

The visitor also recounted previous trips to other castles and said they expected more from Edinburgh. Furthermore, they claimed they still wouldn't have been happy even if they were paid the £15 entry fee to visit the landmark.

Staff hit back to say: "We believe there are a wealth of things to see and do at the Castle."

The tourist's scathing review said: "Waste of money!

"After having read some of the other reviews, I feel like I have visited a different castle to all of these people because I was significantly disappointed, me and my friends organised a number of hours in our itinerary for the castle because of all the reviews speaking so highly however, we spent 30 minutes maximum in the castle.

"From castles I had previously visited I was expecting to see bedrooms, kitchens and libraries set up in their original form but I was significantly disappointed to be met by a number of small rooms where you were forced through without the chance to read any of the information given as you felt you were holding up the queue.

"If I had been paid £15 to visit, I still would have felt it was a waste of time, the only highlight was the views you were met by from the Castle!"

A response from Historic Scotland defended the Castle and what's on offer to see there, and said: "Thank you for your feedback regarding your recent visit to Edinburgh Castle. We are disappointed to hear you did not enjoy your visit.

"We believe there are a wealth of things to see and do at the castle. From the Crown Jewels, The One o'clock gun and the Prisons of War to the National War Museum of Scotland, unrivalled views of the city, the Royal Palace and St Margaret’s Chapel.

"We have also introduced scannable interpretation for areas of the castle we haven't been able to re-open yet.

"Thank you again for your review."

Have you visited Edinburgh Castle recently and how did you rate your experience? Let us know in the comments!

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.