Lauriston Castle — Attraction in City of Edinburgh

Visited this place with my wife and daughter on Saturday 30/11/24. Found a place in the very small car park to park our car and walked to the castle. We had booked the guided tour of the castle for 1.30pm, so as we had arrived early we decided to have a wander round the gardens. What a disappointment they were!. Very neglected and overgrown. There was some work ongoing to dredge the pond, though obviously no workers on a Saturday, just their excavators lying around and the silt that had been dug out dumped on the pathway for people to walk through!. We avoided this because of the smell. Also because the car park was free it seemed like all the dog walkers in Edinburgh came here to walk their dogs, the majority of which were allowed to roam free. We then went to the house and along with other people were met by Neve, the tour guide. She was excellent, telling us about the history of the house and giving us an insight on how it was used by the various owners over the years. I don't think I've met a more enthusiastic guide!. After the tour was finished we wanted to go into the little cafe for coffee and cake but discovered there was only a serving counter and if you wanted to sit, it would be outside on the few tables they had. In November, no thanks. Edinburgh council, who run this place, could take some inspiration from privately owned castles and stately homes in the Lake District. They have managed car parks, some of which you need to pay a small fee, no dogs allowed within the castle grounds, immaculate gardens and always a decent cafe for lunches or snacks. I only gave three stars because of Neve's professionalism and friendliness otherwise it would have...

The park around the castle is free entry, I recommend visiting the Japanese style garden during the Sakura season, the garden is not as beautiful as the ones in Japan and the balance feels wrong in some regions (as someone coming from Japan) but it does give that Japanese Daymio vibe you cannot get anywhere else in the area. I booked tickets for the castle, they are available only for 1:30 and 3:00 PM entry times because they are a guided visit. The experience is very private, the guide takes her time to explain about the history of the place and the owners she knows her stuff and you can ask her anything you want. The inside feels private like if you were visiting your grandmother’s house full of old stuff but not so old that you cannot recognize it. The last owners of the castle were very into tech at their time, just to mention something their phone number was 10, just 10. They were that early into phones, they also installed electricity, a shower, a bathtub a heated towel drier and so much more way before anyone else has them in the region.

I recommend the visit, it is a completely different feeling compared to other castles, this is personal and feels more like a chateau or personal residence of not that much ago. Also the feeling of privacy is enhanced by the friendly tour guide and bar opportunities for both photos and questions about the place.

The only way to visit the interior of the castle is by reserving the guided tour, the tour is 1 hour long but if there are many questions the guide will extend the tour for as long as it is necessary. At the time of my visit 2025 the entry was 10 pounds for the...

What a gem! You do need to book yourself onto a tour which lasts an hour. It’s a bargain of an entrance fee (in my opinion…under charging!). Our tour guide, Eric, furnished us with interesting, engaging information about the castle’s history, owners and its many rooms filled with numerous exhibits, artworks, photographs, textiles, the list goes on. Loads of fascinating and impressive furniture, furnishings. Many intriguing items which will keep you captivated. Children will enjoy the ‘find the cuddly toy’ in the rooms. Eric was very receptive to questions. The tour does have three external entrance steps, fourteen internal staircase steps and a further seven down to the library. Mobility, once steps addressed is eased with seats available. My hubby carried a castle chair around to enable me to sit once in rooms listening to the commentary. Once the tour is over, there are gardens to enjoy with a picnic or have a drink and a bite to eat at the lovely tearoom.This was a highlight of our trip to the...