Disabled Parking on Royal Mile in Edinburgh

[Maggiesgirl]

We are coming up to stay with Family in Stirling in October half term and want to come into Edinburgh for a couple of days.

We want to do the Castle on one of the days ( DS AND DDDIL want to do a Vaults tour as well, anyone know if they run at that time of year.) The other day we thought we would do the Children's Museum and the Royal Mile. DDIL and I are huge Outlander fans so we want to leave DS, DH and DGD to do the museum and we do the Mile.

I am disabled though and use a walker, or if need be a wheelchair, is there parking ? What about the cobbles, are the pavements flat?

Anything else you can think we would enjoy doing ? DGD will be just 7 btw.

TIA

As long as you aren't going when the seats are up for the tattoo, blue badge holders can park on the castle esplanade when visiting.

This interactive map shows the location of blue badge spaces, you can also park on street parking for free without time limit. (You don't need a clock with the blue badge in Scotland)

The cobbles and steep hills are hard work though!

https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/parking-spaces/find-parking-bays

Oh thank you. I would much rather use my walker ( it has a seat on it) as going into museums and such everything is too high to see much from a chair).

A relative who walks with a walker visited Edinburgh Castle last year. I can't recall where they parked the car (blue badge) but I know someone was able to drive him past the barrier at the bottom of the esplanade and close to the entrance. He walked from the car through the entrance. Much of that is on cobbles. We had phoned the Castle in advance and he attended at a pre-arranged time. There was a car provided by Historic Scotland/the Castle waiting for him and it took him up the fairly steep road to the Castle. He wanted to visit the War Memorial but I think they would have been happy to drop him at the entrance to the state rooms/ Scottish crown jewels too. When he had finished a member of staff contacted someone by radio and the car appeared to take him back down the hill to the entrance. He says they could not have been more helpful. He did visit at a very quiet time of year though which may have helped.

The road is cobbles but the pavements are flat (well, they're on a hill but the surface is flat!). At the top of the hill towards the castle some of the kerbs are pretty steep I think. Further down the pavements are quite narrow, obviously there is room for a wheelchair but it might be hard to get through the crowds if it's very busy.

It will be October so hopefully not to busy. I've been many times before but not for a few years and not since being disabled.

We are coming up then as it's inlaws 60th wedding anniversary but we thought we would show DGD where her grandparents come from.

I was born in Edinburgh but left as a child, DH come from.Stirling.

@TenOhSeven Thank you, I have been sat here and for the life of me could not remember if the pavements were flat or cobbled. 😄

Cobbles tend to be on the roads not the pavements. That said, there few pavements in Edinburgh which are smooth and in particularly good condition! Lots are flagstones rather than tarmac. If you’re going to the national museum there’s parking outside on chambers street.

Also, use google maps street view for an idea of undulations and surfaces!

@Coronationstation Thank you, we have always taken the train in before, but thought it woukd be easier now I can't walk far to take the car, but I have no idea how easy/ hard it will be for DDIL to push me. ( DH & DS are not allowed to. Bloody men drivers).

I once parked at the castle blue badge space (for a relative with a badge) and it turns out you can only park there if you are going to the castle. So it's fine for the day you will be visiting the castle but not for any other days.