Edinburgh and Stirling Castles With a Baby: Under 7s Free, Timed Tickets, No Pram Storage and Cobbled Routes (Scotland)

Edinburgh Castle and Stirling Castle are among Scotland’s best-known days out, and both are run by Historic Environment Scotland (HES). They are hilltop fortresses with cobbled routes, so a visit with a baby takes some planning, especially because neither castle can store a pushchair. This guide summarises what HES’s visitor FAQs, its Stirling Castle page and the Edinburgh Castle access guide say about tickets, bags, routes and facilities, as published in September 2026. It applies to these two Scottish castles only, and details such as opening times and prices should be checked before booking. This is general information, not a guarantee of access. For the airport at the start of the trip, see the site’s guide to Edinburgh Airport with a baby.

Booking and free entry for under 7s

HES says entry to its sites is controlled through a timed ticketing system with strict capacity limits for each timeslot, and it strongly recommends booking online in advance to guarantee entry. Walk-up tickets may be available but are not guaranteed, and once online tickets sell out there are no further tickets at the site. For families, HES lists Family tickets for one adult and two children, two adults and two children, and two adults and three children. It says any children under 7 are free of charge but should also be added to the booking regardless of the ticket type bought. For members with children under 7, HES says under 7s visit free and do not affect the membership, but still need to be added to the online booking. HES adds that children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

No pushchair storage

Both castles say they are unable to store luggage, prams, pushchairs or other personal items for visitors. They also say suitcases and large rucksacks of 30 litres or more are not permitted in the castle, and that bag searches may take place at the entrance. A parent bringing a baby therefore has to carry or wheel everything needed for the visit, and a carrier or sling may be easier than a pushchair on the steep cobbles, particularly at Edinburgh. Anything that will not fit in a bag under 30 litres needs to be left elsewhere, for example at the hotel or in the car.

Edinburgh Castle: the approach and the route

The Edinburgh Castle access guide says the castle is reached across the esplanade, a wide area of smooth tarmac 110 m long with an uphill gradient of 5 degrees. Visitors then cross a wooden-slatted bridge and enter the castle by a steep curved route surfaced with cobbles that can be uneven. It is 15 degrees at its steepest point and averages 5 degrees over about 350 m to the top level at Crown Square. The guide adds that:

• a mobility vehicle to Crown Square is available on request and arranged by staff at the entrance, though it cannot run between 12.15pm and 1.15pm because of the firing of the One o’Clock Gun;
• Hospital Square is reached down a cobbled ramp of 12 degrees, and the steepest part of the route is through Foog’s Gate;
• Crown Square is a large, level, paved area, with ramped access to the Great Hall and the National War Memorial;
• there are several flights of steps in the Prisons of War vaults, on the Battlement Walk and in the Palace Apartments; and
• visitors leave the castle by 70 stone steps with a handrail, and staff can guide anyone for whom the exit is unsuitable back down through the castle.

The guide says the One o’Clock Gun is fired every day at 1pm except Sundays, Good Friday and Christmas Day, and that it makes a loud and sudden noise. Adult and children’s ear defenders are available to borrow from staff when a ticket is scanned, in limited numbers. The Redcoat Cafe has step-free access and the Portcullis Gift Shop has step-free access from the steep cobbled hill. HES says there is no public parking at the castle, with Castle Terrace NCP the nearest car park, and that Edinburgh Waverley station is 0.4 miles away.

Stirling Castle: routes and baby changing

HES describes Stirling Castle as on top of a hill in the heart of the Old Town, roughly a half-mile uphill walk from the train and bus station. It says the main route through the castle is 160 m long from the gate to the Inner Close, surfaced with cobbles and with a maximum gradient of 1:9. Its Plan Your Visit page lists baby changing facilities among the site’s facilities, and adapted toilets are in the first courtyard and in the Great Hall. The Great Hall and the Chapel Royal have level access from the cobbled courtyard, and the Unicorn Cafe has ramped access and is level throughout. The Great Kitchens are reached by several steps down, and a one-way system operates in the Royal Palace.

HES gives a notice that the castle car park is closed to all vehicles except coaches and those needing accessible parking, and lists Castleview Park and Ride and council car parks as alternatives. It also says a 25% discount on standard admission is available for online bookings when arriving car-free, using the code GOOD25 and showing a bus or train ticket or bike on arrival.

Frequently asked questions

Does a baby need a ticket? HES says children under 7 are free of charge but should be added to the booking.

Can I leave my pushchair at the ticket office? No. HES says it is unable to store prams or pushchairs at either castle.

Is there baby changing at Stirling Castle? HES lists baby changing facilities among the facilities on its Stirling Castle page.

The bottom line

Under 7s enter HES castles free but must be added to the booking, and neither Edinburgh nor Stirling Castle can store a pushchair or accept large rucksacks. Book a timed ticket in advance, expect steep cobbled routes and plan to carry what you need, using a baby carrier where the route allows.

Sources

• Historic Environment Scotland, "Visitor FAQs"
• Edinburgh Castle, "Access Guide"
• Historic Environment Scotland, "Plan your visit: Edinburgh Castle"
• Historic Environment Scotland, "Plan your visit: Stirling Castle"