New entrance for Edingburgh Castle

Planning permission and scheduled monument clearance has been given for a £2.7 million plan to create a new ticket office and terrace area at the entrance to Edinburgh Castle - Scotland's most popular visitor attraction charging an entrance fee. It will mean an end - at last - for the notorious eyesore of the present caravan used to issue tickets to the castle. The new arrangements will also speed up the time spent by tourists buying entrance tickets and these will also be available for purchase online for the first time. The new facilities will produce a better "first impression" for visitors as they approach the castle across the esplanade. Work will start at the end of the year and the new arrangements should be in place by the start of the 2008 visitor season.