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Guided tours to Thirlestane Castle open in May 2025
Book your Thirlestane Castle guided tour for one of the best historic days out in Scotland today
Join one of Thirlestane Castle's exceptional guided tours where the site is brought to life through incredible stories about the Castle’s history and the key role the Maitland family have held in Scotland over four centuries.
Small groups of guests are taken on a journey by our experienced guides who share their vast knowledge in an engaging and entertaining style. They take the upmost pride in ensuring each tour has a personal touch and invite guests to join them for a complimentary hot refreshment and a Scottish treat to complete the memorable experience.
Get your tickets today for a memorable tour of Thirlestane Castle for the very best prices online!
How to find us
By car:
Driving south from Edinburgh:
- Take the A68 south towards Jedburgh. Drive through the centre of Lauder and look out for the 30mph signs as you leave the town. Directly after these signs, take the first left onto the B6362 following the brown tourist signs for the castle. Approximately 200m further on you will see the castle’s Eagle Gates on the left. Turn into these gates and follow the drive to the front of the castle.
Driving from the south:
- Take the A68 north towards Edinburgh. Right before you reach the town of Lauder turn right onto the B6362 following the brown tourist signs for the castle. Approximately 200m further on you will see the castle’s Eagle Gates on the left. Turn into these gates and follow the drive to the wooden gate. If staying at the castle press the buzzer by the wooden gate, if visiting for the day please make use of the car park by the ticket kiosk.
By train:
Train services run from Edinburgh Waverley to the Scottish Borders, run seven days a week and take just under an hour. Option to get off at Stow or Tweedbank. Visitors can transfer to local buses at Tweedbank Station, or hop in a taxi from either train station. Thirlestane Castle is a 20-minute drive from Tweedbank and 10 minutes from Stow.
By bus:
Bus services run from Edinburgh to Lauder every hour on most days, and take around 1 hour and 10 minutes. Look for the No.51.
- Gift shop
- Tea room
- Toilets
The tour normally takes around one hour and 15 minutes.
The lower ground floor and the ground floor both have step-free level access as the castle is built on a hill.
The visitor tour takes in the upper two floors, the ground floor and the first floor, but there is no lift to the first floor.
The gift shop and tea room on the lower ground floor have step-free access.
The guides at Thirlestane Castle are always willing to offer assistance should you require it.
Dogs are not permitted on guided tours of the castle, with the exception of assistance dogs.