The Castle on the Hill (Edinburgh)

[RNCheryl]

We will be on Regal Princess, date at Edinburgh 9/2, in port 7A to 7P.

Not interested in a Princess tour.  What I would really like is a quick and not complicated arrival into town, and some type of conveyance that would leave us at the TOP of the hill.  Not disabled, but get short of breath with that type of walk.

 

I want to have a prearranged time to tour the castle, and then walk as much of the Royal Mile as time allows.

 

Any suggestions about transport, and reaching TOP of the hill?

[John Bull]

No suggestions about transportation to the top of the hill - most of the Royal Mile is pedestrianised but there'll be side-roads that taxis use..

 

But "top of the hill" suggests that you might have a mistaken impression of the effort involved. We're not spring chickens, but the Royal Mile rises gradually and if you wander its sights, shops, cafes & pubs on the way UP you'll hardly notice the gradient.

 

JB 🙂

[Turtles06]

8 hours ago, John Bull said:

No suggestions about transportation to the top of the hill - most of the Royal Mile is pedestrianised but there'll be side-roads that taxis use..

 

But "top of the hill" suggests that you might have a mistaken impression of the effort involved. We're not spring chickens, but the Royal Mile rises gradually and if you wander its sights, shops, cafes & pubs on the way UP you'll hardly notice the gradient.

 

JB 🙂

 

I think the OP is wanting to start their day with their visit to the Castle (with booked tickets for a specific time slot), not walking up the Royal Mile, which they plan to walk down after the Castle.  So it may well be best for them to take a taxi to the Castle.

 

OP, I'm sure you've already found it, but the site for purchasing tickets to visit the Castle is here; you select the date and a time slot:

 

https://www.edinburghcastle.scot/

 

One suggestion for the OP, if time allows: the Palace of Holyroodhouse is at the other end of the Royal Mile.  We did the self-paced audio/video tour there this fall and it was fabulous, really well done, a highlight of our visit to Edinburgh. 

[AliWood]

I would get a taxi from the port to the Castle entrance for your timed visit and then walk down the Royal Mile, finishing at Holyroodhouse which is well worth a visit. Everywhere in Edinburgh involves up or down hill  - Princes Street Gardens for example are down  from the Royal Mile in a gorge. Edinburgh is built on the site of an extinct volcano so there are hills all round, such as Arthur’s Seat. The Royal Yacht Britannia moored at Leith (the port of Edinburgh) is also supposed to be a good thing to visit!