Planning a trip to Edinburgh Castle and Windsor Castle? This comprehensive travel guide covers the historic coronation chair connection, tips for touring St. George’s Chapel, and how to seamlessly bridge Scotland and England on a royal itinerary.
We live in an era captivated by royal drama. Millions of us have binged our way through the lavish sets of Netflix’s The Crown (so good) or sat spellbound watching movies like Mary Queen of Scots. There is a magic to those sweeping aerial shots of ancient fortresses and stone ramparts that have stood there since before time began it seems.
But long before these specific productions took over our screens, I set out to explore the true heart of British royal power firsthand.
On an unforgettable EF Educational Tour, I embarked solo on a journey to Scotland and England to explore the two historic bookends of the monarchy: Edinburgh Castle and Windsor Castle. Along the way, I walked the exact stone halls where history was made, traced a fascinating coronation puzzle, and even caught a fleeting glimpse of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II herself, no joke!
Here is what it is truly like to step off the couch and into the real history of Britain’s most iconic castles.
Edinburgh Castle: The Tiny Room and the Stone of Destiny
Perched high on the rugged volcanic rock of Castle Rock, Edinburgh Castle completely dominates the skyline of Scotland’s capital. When you watch modern films depicting the life of Mary, Queen of Scots, Hollywood often presents an illusion of grand, sprawling luxury, with endless marble corridors and cavernous chambers.
The reality is far more raw, intimate, and human.
During our tour, I walked into the Royal Palace apartments to stand inside the actual room where Mary gave birth to her son, James VI (the future King of England and Scotland). I remember pulling out my camera, completely stunned by the scale.
The room is tiny. Standing within those cramped walls brings an immediate sense of the intense paranoia and claustrophobic isolation Mary must have felt during one of the most high-stakes moments in Scottish history. It is a profound reminder that world-altering history often happens in the smallest of spaces. I can picture her there with no privacy and horrible conditions, even in a castle. An omen of what was to come.
Just outside the royal apartments, we encountered another legendary piece of the historic puzzle: the Stone of Destiny. This ancient, unassuming block of red sandstone has served as the sacred seat for crowning Scottish monarchs for centuries. Seeing it resting in its homeland inside the Crown Room after spending 700 years in Westminster Abbey felt incredibly powerful.
Westminster Abbey to Windsor: Connecting the Royal Dots
What makes a structured itinerary like an EF Tour so brilliant is how it seamlessly connects the historical dots across geographic distances. After leaving Scotland, our journey brought us down into London, where the story of the Stone of Destiny came full circle.
Inside Westminster Abbey, I stood before the magnificent Coronation Chair (also known as St. Edward’s Chair). For centuries, the Stone of Destiny was actually kept enclosed inside a special compartment built right beneath the seat of the throne here. In 1996 it was returned to Scotland and kept where you see it above, along the Honours of Scotland. It now resides in the Perth Museum.
Note – photos are not permitted inside Westminster Abbey, so this is all I can show you.
Seeing the throne in London after just viewing the stone in Edinburgh felt like unlocking a secret historical code. It bridged the gap between the two nations perfectly, setting the stage for our arrival at the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world: Windsor Castle.
A Royal Sighting at Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle was famously known to be the late Queen Elizabeth II’s absolute favorite sanctuary; the place she considered her true home far above the official fortress of Buckingham Palace, which was also a part of this guided tour.
As our tour group approached the gates to enter the magnificent grounds, a sudden stir rippled through the air. A sleek car, a Range Rover, was quietly driving down the approach, heading straight into the royal private quarters. Then her official flag of residence went up. She was there.
We crowded forward just in time to catch a brief, unforgettable glimpse through the glass. To this day, we are entirely certain we saw Queen Elizabeth II herself sitting inside, returning to her favorite estate.
That single, fleeting moment completely transformed how we viewed the castle. It wasn’t just a cold museum dedicated to dead monarchs or a beautiful backdrop for a future Netflix script. It was a living, breathing royal home. Walking through the opulent State Apartments and standing inside the gothic beauty of St. George’s Chapel felt infinitely more vibrant knowing the Monarch was right there on the property.
The Summer of the Royal Wedding
The castle was still practically buzzing from a major modern milestone when we arrived. Just a few months earlier, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had tied the knot right inside St. George’s Chapel on the castle grounds. The entire town of Windsor was enveloped in royal wedding fever. Every single gift shop we walked into was packed to the rafters with beautiful, commemorative royal china featuring their names and wedding date. I still regret not buying a stuffed corgi.
Standing in the very chapel where the world had just watched them exchange vows, surrounded by all that fresh, celebratory energy. made the modern history of the monarchy feel completely electric.
Final Thoughts: Leaving the Screen Behind
There is nothing quite like the feeling of standing in the exact spaces where history was written. Binging period dramas on our screens is a wonderful escape, but running your hands along the cold stones of Edinburgh Castle or walking the lively estate grounds of Windsor bridges the centuries in a way Hollywood simply cannot replicate.
Whether you want to marvel at the tiny room that held Mary Queen of Scots or soak up the royal energy of St. George’s Chapel, these iconic landmarks deserve a spot on your travel bucket list.
The Route: If you want a seamless transition from the volcanic rocks of Scotland to the royal estates of England, booking a structured itinerary like an EF Educational Tour handles the trains, entry tickets, and transfers effortlessly. Plus you’ll have tour guides, hotels and everything you need with zero planning.
In-Depth Castle Tours: If you are exploring independently, make sure to book your entry slots for each castle well in advance. You can secure guaranteed, skip-the-line passes for both Edinburgh Castle tickets via Viator and Windsor Castle half-day trips on Viator to keep your travel days completely stress-free.
I’ll see you on my next Off Duty Travel adventure.