Edinburgh Castle Esplanade, Edinburgh, Guia do visitante e o que fazer por perto

The Edinburgh Castle Esplanade is the sloping, cobbled forecourt in front of the castle gates, at the top of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. It gives you a close look at Castle Rock and wide views over the city. At its lower end stands the Witches' Well, a memorial to the people executed for witchcraft on this hill.

The story behind it

The esplanade sits at the foot of the castle, which is built on Castle Rock, the plug of a volcano that has been extinct for some 340 million years. The fortress above has been besieged many times, and 23 sieges is the figure often quoted. The last came in 1745, when Bonnie Prince Charlie's Jacobites failed to take it. A local legend tells of a young piper sent into secret tunnels beneath the castle and told to keep playing so that people above could follow his route. The music stopped, and he was never found.

The ground here has a darker history. Under the Witchcraft Act of 1563, thousands of people in Scotland were accused of witchcraft, and most of them were women. Those condemned were strangled and then burned, and an estimated 300 or more died on this hillside. King James VI took a keen interest in the subject and wrote Daemonologie, published in 1597. The Witches' Well was commissioned in 1894 by Patrick Geddes and designed by John Duncan. It has been criticised for implying that some of the accused really were wicked. In 2022 the Scottish Government formally apologised to those accused under the Act.

What to look for

• The Witches' Well is set into a wall at the lower end of the esplanade, and its bronze relief shows a foxglove and a serpent.
• Look closely at the two faces on the relief: the plaque describes one as wicked and the other as kindly.
• The sheer crag beneath the castle walls shows how the fortress grew out of the volcanic rock itself.
• From the edge of the esplanade you can look out over the New Town and, on a clear day, towards the Firth of Forth.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 15 to 30 minutes for the esplanade, the well and the views. Allow much longer if you go into the castle.
• You can walk the esplanade freely, but entering the castle needs a ticket, so check current opening hours before you go.
• Early morning and evening are usually quieter, and low light suits photographs of the castle walls.
• In summer, seating for the Tattoo may be set up on the esplanade, so check what is on if you want clear views.
• The Royal Mile runs downhill from here, so you can carry straight on into the Old Town on foot.

See it on a quest

Ghosts of Edinburgh: A Bloody Past Walking Tour & Escape Game suits a place with a past like this one. You reach the esplanade on foot as one stop on a longer route through the Old Town. The app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

Edinburgh: City of Wizards Walking Tour & Escape Game is a good pick if you like magic with your sightseeing. You walk between stops at your own pace, hear the story of each place when you get there and work out a puzzle in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.

The Edinburgh Enigma: A Gothic Tale of Crime takes a gothic, crime-flavoured look at the city, and you can start whenever you like with no guide and no group to join. The app tells you about the places you pass, and you solve puzzles on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.