Edinburgh Castle April reopening date announced

Edinburgh Castle and other top Scottish attractions will reopen next month after being closed to the public during Covid restrictions.

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) announced plans for a phased reopening of its sites from 30 April.

The National Museum of Scotland and other museums will also open their doors from 26 April.

The reopenings are part of the easing of lockdown, but safety measures will still be in place at all venues.

HES is the country's biggest operator of visitor attractions. Heritage sites, including Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle, Fort George and Caerlaverock Castle, will accept visitors in line with Scottish government guidelines.

Dryburgh Abbey, Dunblane Cathedral and Dunfermline Abbey will also be among locations reopening.

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A phased reopening will see 70% of its free to access and ticketed properties reopening on Friday 30 April.

HES said that further sites across Scotland would follow as part of a rolling programme of reopening.

Visitors can also return to Stirling Castle after 30 April

HES chief executive Alex Paterson said: "Scotland's heritage attractions are a key part of our tourism sector both nationally and at a community level, and contribute to our individual wellbeing, so we're delighted to once again be opening sites.

"This will see us reopen all of the sites we reopened last year on the 30 April, as well as further sites across the country on a phased based over the upcoming months.

"As always, the safety of our staff and visitors has been at the forefront of our planning, enabling safe access to properties in line with Scottish government guidance."

Museum return

Visitors will have to pre-book tickets online and use contactless payment where possible. Visitor numbers will also be limited for safety reasons.

The Scottish government's route map out of lockdown proposes the reopening of indoor hospitality on 26 April, and a return to the Covid protection levels system.

The lifting of travel restrictions at the same time will allow attractions to start operating again.

Scotland's best-loved museums have also announced their return.

Viking treasure and ancient Egyptian artefacts are among the exhibits at the National Museum of Scotland, the National Museum of Flight and the National Museum of Rural Life.

The National Museum of Scotland will welcome visitors with exhibitions on Vikings and Egyptian aretfacts

Those three will open their doors from 26 April, followed by the National War Museum at Edinburgh Castle from 1 May.

Pre-booked timed slots, face coverings and one-way routes will be among the Covid measures in place. Museum shops and cafes will take cashless payments only.

The National Museum of Scotland will unveil its summer exhibitions including the Galloway Hoard: Viking-age Treasure, which features rare Viking-age objects buried around the beginning of the 10th Century.

Other exhibits include the Discovering Ancient Egypt display at the John Gray Centre, Haddington, and the Typewriter Revolution at the National Museum of Scotland.

Chris Breward, director of National Museums Scotland, said: "We can't wait to welcome visitors back once again to all our museums. I know that our many visitors, just like me, will have missed visiting our museums and enjoying the wonderful collections on display.

"We are re-opening once more with our full range of safety measures in place to ensure everyone can have a safe and enjoyable visit."

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