Edinburgh Castle to fall dark for first time in five years

Mains power will be switched off at the castle on Wednesday at 5pm to allow for repairs. The monument will fall dark for two to three hours, Historic Environment Scotland said. A spokesman for HES said: “It will be the first time in five years that this dramatic monument in Edinburgh’s skyline has gone dark, as the Castle is usually floodlit. The last time power was shut off to Edinburgh Castle was in 2019, when electrical LV feeder pillars were installed on-site.”

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This time, the power will be temporarily shut off to allow essential repairs to high voltage cable trays and brackets, which have corroded.

This was due to higher humidity experienced in Edinburgh, which is partly due to climate change, HES said.

A spokesman added: “Edinburgh Castle is one of 336 properties in care of Historic Environment Scotland (HES).

“Many other sites, particularly coastal properties like Skara Brae, Tantallon Castle and others, have experienced accelerated wear and tear on their fabric due to the increased moisture and extreme weather conditions brought about by climate change.

“HES is tackling this challenge through a systematic inspection and programme of conservation work of the masonry across all sites.”

Edinburgh Castle is due to re-open to the public as normal on Thursday at 9am.