Heritage sites across central Scotland set to open their doors for free this winter

By Fiona Dobie
Published 13th Sep 2023, 06:00 BST
One of Stirling Castle’s past residents invites people across Scotland to visit for free. The castle is one of many iconic sites offering free entry on the first Sunday of the month, from October – March, with Historic Environment Scotland’s Historic Sundays. To pre book, and for participating sites visit HistoricSundays.scot. (Pic: Rob McDougall)One of Stirling Castle’s past residents invites people across Scotland to visit for free. The castle is one of many iconic sites offering free entry on the first Sunday of the month, from October – March, with Historic Environment Scotland’s Historic Sundays. To pre book, and for participating sites visit HistoricSundays.scot. (Pic: Rob McDougall)
One of Stirling Castle’s past residents invites people across Scotland to visit for free. The castle is one of many iconic sites offering free entry on the first Sunday of the month, from October – March, with Historic Environment Scotland’s Historic Sundays. To pre book, and for participating sites visit HistoricSundays.scot. (Pic: Rob McDougall)
Some of central Scotland’s most iconic heritage sites, including Blackness and Stirling Castles, will welcome visitors with free admission this winter.

Locals are invited to explore the area’s rich heritage with Historic Environment Scotland’s (HES) Historic Sundays between October and March.

For the six months HES will offer free admission to participating Historic Scotland visitor attractions on the first Sunday of the month. People living in Scotland can access these sites by simply pre-booking online and showing their proof of address on arrival.

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Among those heritage attractions taking part in the initiative are Blackness Castle, Linlithgow Palace, Stirling Castle, Doune Castle and Edinburgh Castle.

Alex Paterson, chief executive of HES, said: “With over 5000 years of history in our care, our historic buildings and monuments can tell us so much about the past, and how it continues to shape our world today, from being the backdrop to film locations to attracting millions of people from around the world and closer to home.

"We think it’s vital people living in Scotland feel history belongs to us all, and through our Historic Sundays initiative we hope more people will take the opportunity to discover the history on their doorstep, or explore further afield to sites they may not have seen until now. Engaging with heritage has lots of proven benefits, including well-being, and we very much hope people take the opportunity to explore these sites and be part of history.”

Advance booking is required. To book, and for a list of participating Historic Scotland sites, visit HistoricSundays.scot

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