Travel Trade FAQs

We have a variety of different properties in our care, so visit length very much depends on what property you are visiting! With most of our properties, your groups can stay on site until closing unless otherwise specified. Entry is managed by a timed ticketing system with capacity limits for all time slots.            

We offer audio guides at a number of our properties. Audio guides cannot be booked in advance through the B2B portal due to limited availability, but can be invoiced to credit account clients via voucher redemption if there are headsets available on site. Find out more about audio guides at our sites.

We do not offer private guided tours for group visits, but you are welcome to bring your own guide with you on your visit.

We offer bookable coach parking at Urquhart Castle, Doune Castle and Skara Brae through our B2B booking portal. If there are no coach parking spaces available at your preferred slot, please choose another timeslot for your visit. Entry cannot be guaranteed without a coach space booking, even if you have admission tickets reserved.

If you do not have a credit account and require coach parking, please book your entrance tickets through the website and send your order number to trade@hes.scot, we will book a coach parking space for you if there is one available.

All bookings made through the B2B portal are eligible for commission, regardless of numbers. There is no minimum group size! Please note we do not offer group rates through our website.         

Credit account holders are entitled to two free tour leader tickets per booking. This can be booked alongside admission tickets through the B2B portal.

STGA or SITOA accredited guides are also entitled to free entrance to any of our sites.            

Yes, we look at each request on a case-by-case basis. Unfortunately, due to high demand we cannot offer familiarisation trips at Edinburgh, Stirling and Urquhart Castles during June, July & August. Requests should be emailed to trade@hes.scot

Our B2B portal is available 24/7. New logins can be requested by emailing trade@hes.scot. Please see our user guides on how to use the portal:

Our recommended delivery method, “Collect on Arrival” bookings are invoiced the month following the visit. You can amend these bookings right up until the date of your visit. We ask that you provide 72 hours notice for cancellations. This can be done by emailing trade@hes.scot and quoting your order number.      

If you choose “Print Tickets” or "Print on Web" you will be invoiced for these bookings the month after the booking was made. These tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable. If you would like to be able to print tickets to give to customers straight away, we can accommodate this with our “Print on Web” delivery method.     

Bookings can be cancelled on request by sending your order number to trade@hes.scot at least 72 hours in advance of the visit. Once the booking has been cancelled you will receive a note of confirmation from us. If you have not received this, your booking has not been cancelled. Please note that "Print Tickets" orders cannot be cancelled.

Yes - "Collect on Arrival" bookings can be amended up to the date of your visit. We cannot guarantee additional pax can be added to any bookings as this is dependent on availability. Any amendment requests or notice of final numbers should be emailed to trade@hes.scot. Please note "Print Tickets" orders cannot be amended.

Yes - applicable to "Collect on Arrival" bookings only, and subject to availability. Please make a new booking through the B2B portal then email the details of the order to be cancelled to trade@hes.scot at least 72 hours in advance of the visit. Please note "Print Tickets" orders cannot be amended.

If you believe that you have made a mistake when booking, send the order number and details of the mistake to trade@hes.scot. No matter how small it is, the team are here to help and the sooner it is caught the easier it will be to fix!

Absolutely! We encourage you to send your final numbers and pax breakdowns to trade@hes.scot as soon as you know them. If there are changes, theses can always be actioned when they happen. Not only does this release tickets for other customers, but it helps to speed up the collection process upon arrival.

Our Explorer Pass is ideal for your FIT or groups who are planning to visit many of our properties. The Explorer Pass can be booked through the B2B portal. You will then need to book your entrance slots to guarantee your visits on your chosen dates and times.

The Edinburgh Castle Flexi ticket can be booked through the B2B portal and allows one visit at any point within your chosen month. Please note this product is not suitable for groups, up to 6 flexi tickets can be booked per transaction.

All bookings made through the B2B portal will be invoiced using the information provided during the account application process. Unfortunately, we cannot accept credit card payments or payment on arrival for any credit account bookings. 

If you believe something is incorrect on your invoice, please get in touch with as soon as possible by emailing trade@hes.scot. Please include the invoice number you are querying and details that need investigating. If you are querying an invoice, please do not pay this until the matter has been resolved. You have 14 days from the date of invoicing to raise any queries with us. Any queries raised outside this period will not be investigated.

To avoid confusion and to help minimise delays, we do not accept partial payment of any invoices. If you believe something is wrong with your invoice and are raising an invoice query with us, please do not pay this invoice until we have investigated this issue.