Let’s face it, castles are not cheap to get into. The smaller, less popular castles may boast a cheaper entrance fee, but if you’re planning on visiting numerous ones it’ll quickly add up. And there are a lot of castles in Scotland to choose from. Luckily, Scotland’s Explorer Pass can save you a lot of time, and most importantly – money!
Historic Scotland offers 7 or 14 day passes which will give you access to all of their open sites during your selected period. The 7 day pass costs up to £44.00 but they are launching a 14 day pass for £44.00 starting March 2024 to replace the 7 day one. If you’re planning on visiting in the off season some sites may be closed so always check beforehand.
To ensure the Explorer Pass is worth it, you should always check the entry fees for the individual sites beforehand and add up the potential cost overall. If you’re only planning on visiting a few sites in Scotland then it may not be worth it, but for those of you wanting to see as much as possible then I couldn’t recommend this pass enough.
Here’s a look at some of the most popular sites on the Explorer Pass as well as what an individual entry ticket for each one costs without the pass.
Top sites to visit using Scotland’s Explorer Pass
Urquhart Castle
Urquhart Castle sits along the shore of Loch Ness, and was once one of Scotland’s largest castles. Today it sits as a ruin but it’s in a very picturesque spot, and after your visit you can go on a boat tour to try and spot the Loch Ness monster. This is a great place to visit in Scotland by car, because the drive to it is just as beautiful as the castle’s location.
Entry fee without Scotland’s Explorer Pass: £13 online or £14.50 at the ticket office
Stirling Castle
Despite visiting a lot of Scottish castles, Stirling Castle is still my favourite. It has been an important castle throughout Scottish history, and was a key residence of the Stewart kings and queens. There has been extensive restorations done in the interior, so it looks how it would have done hundreds of years ago.
Entry fee without Scotland’s Explorer Pass: £17.50 online or £19.50 at the ticket office
Castle Campbell
Situated in the town of Dollar, just outside of Stirling, sits Castle Campbell. It’s quite a trek through the woods and up an enormous hill to get to the castle but the views from the top are worth it. It dates back to the 15th century, and was home to the powerful Campbell earls. It also has connections to Mary Queen of Scots and John Knox.
Entry fee without Scotland’s Explorer Pass: £7.50
Doune Castle
Doune Castle is also in the Stirling area, and was famously used in Outlander as Castle Leoch as well as in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. You may also recognize it from the pilot episode of Game of Thrones, where it was used as Winterfell. The castle dates back to the 14th century, and has one of the best preserved great halls in Scotland.
Entry fee without Scotland’s Explorer Pass: £10.00
Lochleven Castle
Lochleven Castle sits on its own island in Perthshire and you need to go on a short boat ride to get to it. It takes about 10 minutes to get to on the boat, but make sure you check the weather beforehand. We managed to get the last boat over to the island because there was a storm on its way so we were very lucky.
Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned at Lochleven Castle for a year towards the end of her reign. This is where she was forced to abdicate before making a daring escape to the mainland. The early 15th century tower still stands mostly intact, and offers stunning views across the loch.
Entry fee without Scotland’s Explorer Pass: £10.00
Huntingtower Castle
You’ll find Huntingtower Castle in the Perth area. It has a strange layout inside and if you look closely you can see paintwork dating back to the 16th century on the ceiling. This castle is very easy to add to your Scotland road trip itinerary, and takes almost no time at all to explore.
Entry fee without Scotland’s Explorer Pass: £7.50
Stanley Mills
Although it’s not a castle, admission to Stanley Mills is still on the Explorer Pass. It’s quite an interesting stop if you’re in the Perth area. These water-powered mills were used to produce cotton at the height of the Industrial Revolution, and eventually closed in 1989. It’s now a museum which gives great insight into an important part of Scottish history.
Entry fee without Scotland’s Explorer Pass: £7.50
Threave Castle
One of the more interesting castles included in Scotland’s Explorer Pass is Threave Castle. It’s not a big castle by any means but in order to get to it you need to ring a bell, and a ferryman will appear to take you across the water to it – pretty cool!
Threave Castle dates back to the late 14th century, and became the stronghold of the Black Douglas’s. Before reaching the dock, you will need to walk for 10 minutes, which is nice if the weather cooperates.
Some of the castles on the Explorer Pass take a bit of walking to get to, so I find that the best time of the year to visit Scotland is in the summer months when the weather tends to be a little better.
Entry fee without Scotland’s Explorer Pass: £7.50
Caerlaverock Castle
Located in the Dumfries and Galloway area of Scotland, Caerlaverock Castle is one historic site that should be near the top end of your list. I won’t bore you with historic facts or its architectural genius, because there’s a lot to talk about, except to say that it still has a moat around it and it dates back to the 13th century. It’s considered one of Scotland’s greatest medieval castles, and should definitely be on any Scottish road trip.
Entry fee without Scotland’s Explorer Pass: £7.50
St Andrews Castle
This is a personal favourite of mine, since I went to university in St Andrews, but I promise I’m not being too biased. St Andrews Castle sits on top of a cliff overlooking the sea, and was once the main residence of the bishops and archbishops of the town. It dates back to the 13th century, and you can go underground and crawl through a 16th century siege mine too, which I would recommend doing as long as you don’t mind confined spaces.
Entry fee without Scotland’s Explorer Pass: £8.00
St Andrews Cathedral
Located in the stunning ruins of St Andrews Cathedral, St Rule’s Tower provides incredible views of the town and the Kingdom of Fife. It was once part of the 12th century Augustinian church that was first built on this site. Only a few people can fit at the top, and you need to climb up a lot of steps to get to it, but the view is definitely worth it! The cathedral grounds themselves are free to walk around.
Entry fee without Scotland’s Explorer Pass: £3.75
Linlithgow Palace
A lot of trips to Scotland include Edinburgh for obvious reasons, but there are a large number of historic locations to visit in the surrounding area too. Linlithgow Palace for example, is quite a short drive from Edinburgh and should definitely be added to any itinerary. It’s a very famous royal Scottish palace, and was the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots.
Entry fee without Scotland’s Explorer Pass: £10.00
Craigmillar Castle
If you’re planning on visiting Edinburgh but are wondering what other castles the city has to offer, Craigmillar Castle is one of them. It’s one of the most perfectly preserved castles in Scotland and well worth stopping at, especially if you’ve rented a car. This 14th century castle is where Mary Queen of Scots fled to after the murder of her close friend Rizzio. It was also where the plot to murder her husband, Lord Darnley, was hatched.
Entry fee without Scotland’s Explorer Pass: £7.50
Blackness Castle
There are a lot of castles near Edinburgh to explore, but Blackness Castle has to be one of the most unique ones. This boat-shaped 15th century castle was used in Outlander as Fort William and in the movie Mary Queen of Scots as the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Throughout history it was mainly used as a garrison or state prison, and it provides gorgeous views of the Firth of Forth and Fife. If you’re looking for day trips in Scotland and are leaving from Edinburgh, you can easily see Blackness Castle and Linlithgow Palace in one trip.
Entry fee without Scotland’s Explorer Pass: £7.50
Edinburgh Castle
You didn’t think I was going to miss Edinburgh Castle did you? I was actually very surprised that it was included in Scotland’s Explorer Pass because of its pricey entrance fee. This castle is one of the most famous castles in the world, and a key part of Edinburgh’s World Heritage old town.
It has been beautifully preserved, and its oldest part dates back to the 12th century. No tour of Scotland is complete without a stop here. Even if you’ve been in it before, you should still put your Explorer Pass to good use and visit it again.
Entry fee without Scotland’s Explorer Pass: £19.50 online or £22.00 at the ticket office
Is Scotland’s Explorer Pass worth it?
There are many more historic sites to visit with Scotland’s Explorer Pass not mentioned here. It’s certainly worth making a list of the ones you want to visit beforehand so you don’t miss out. But, the big question is how much did I save with the Explorer Pass?
I spent just £38 for the pass, and had I paid for each individual ticket at the sites, I would have ended up spending over £100! So, is the Explorer Pass really worth it? Definitely.
Scotland is full of beautiful places to discover, but my ultimate favourite spot is St Andrews. There is so much more to this coastal town than its golf courses and if you’re wondering where to stay, I would recommend treating yourself to the Rufflets Hotel.
Scotland is also very well known for its stunning landscapes, so if you’re a fan of walking, you’ll love the Fife Coastal Path. Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram to keep up to date with my travels!
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