Celebrate Halloween at Scotland’s historic sites!
A range of family friendly events are happening across Historic Scotland sites across the country
Halloween shenanigans will sweep across Historic Scotland sites this week with a range of spooktacular and family friendly events taking place at some of the country’s eeriest and most atmospheric castles and places.
This Saturday 31 October, the Halloween Hijinks event at Stirling Castle will be filled with fang-tastic activities for all ages, including dooking for apples, creating personalised ‘spookmarks’ (bookmarks) and trying a hand at archery in the castle gardens. Guisers are also encouraged to come along in their costume and have a finishing touch added by SFX facepainting specialists. The Great Hall will be transformed into a Monster Mash, where visitors can show off their costumes, try their best jokes and poems on royalty, and dance and play among the castle’s ghouls and goblins. But beware: the Pink Lady and the Executioner will be wandering the castle's walls - speak to them, if you dare!
Edinburgh Castle will become Edin-boo! Castle on Saturday 31 October with historic characters haunting the nooks and crannies of the castle. Look out for Mary Queen of Scots and James IV waiting to tell their grisly stories and secrets to any visitor brave enough to face them.
Urquhart Castle will monstrously transform into Urrrr-quhart Castle on Halloween for a truly unforgettable experience. Visitors will encounter a wonderful variety of animals from the Scottish Exotic Animal Rescue and learn more about the remarkable creatures and their histories.
Step into a truly enchanting Halloween experience at Craigmillar Castle as it becomes Craig-thriller Castle on Saturday 31 October, giving Edinburgh residents and visitors the chance to meet the Master of Owls, who will introduce a captivating collection of owls set against the castle’s wonderfully eerie backdrop. Along the way, encounter Ravina, ready to share chilling tales that will spark your imagination. Discover the story behind the legendary jack o’ lantern, and join in with Halloween riddles and songs that are sure to delight all ages. Keep your eyes open… there might even be a touch of magic in the air!
For a frightfully fun way to stretch your legs, visitors can also enjoy a selection of spine-tingling walking tours.
On Friday 30 October, visitors to Melrose Abbey can join The Abbey After Dark: Lanterns and Legends tour, which will explore the abbey and churchyard while uncovering grisly tales from the historic building's chequered past.
There really is no better place to spend Halloween than at one of our wonderful historic sites, which provide the perfect setting for a frightfully fun day out for all the family.
Kit Reid, Head of Experience at Historic Environment Scotland (HES), said:
“There really is no better place to spend Halloween than at one of our wonderful historic sites, which provide the perfect setting for a frightfully fun day out for all the family.
“Halloween is a fantastic opportunity to explore the darker stories behind some of our most beloved historic places, and visitors can do everything from joining a spooky tour to taking part in age-old Scottish traditions such as dooking for apples.
“We're very excited to welcome people to our amazing sites this Halloween, where they can enjoy a ghoulishly good time!”
Halloween Shenanigans at Edin-boo! Castle is taking place from 11am to 3pm on Saturday 31 October at Edinburgh Castle
Halloween Shenanigans at Craig-thriller Castle is taking place from 11.30am to 3pm on Saturday 31 October at Craigmillar Castle
Halloween Shenanigans at Urrrr-quhart Castle is taking place from 10am to 4pm on Saturday 31 October at Urquhart Castle
Halloween Hijinks is taking place from 11am to 4pm on Saturday 31 October at Stirling Castle
The Abbey after Dark: Lanterns and Legends is taking place at 6.45pm and 7.30pm on Friday 30 October at Melrose Abbey
For further information and to plan your visit, head to historicenvironment.scot/halloween. Entry to daytime events is free for Historic Scotland members.
The Historic Scotland Explorer Pass also allows visitors to explore 5,000 years of history over 14 days. Entry to Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle, Craigmillar Castle, Urquhart Castle and Melrose Abbey, as well as other sites across Scotland, is free for Explorer Pass holders. Advance booking is required.
About Historic Environment Scotland (HES)
We're the lead body for Scotland’s historic environment, a charity dedicated to the advancement of heritage, culture, education and environmental protection. We are at the forefront of researching and understanding the historic environment and addressing the impacts of climate change on its future. Across Scotland, we investigate and record architectural and archaeological sites and landscapes and care for more than 300 properties of national importance. HES is also working with sector partners to deliver Scotland's strategy for the historic environment, Our Past, Our Future.
Historic Scotland, trove.scot, The National Collection of Aerial Photography (NCAP), The Engine Shed, Stirling Castle, and Edinburgh Castle are sub-brands of HES.
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Historic Environment Scotland Communications Office
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