a child dressed in a bunny costume laughing at the camera

In a scramble with what to do this Easter? We’ve got eggs-actly what you need over the holidays, from castles and palaces to cracking events and Living History.

Easter Eggsplorer Trails

This Easter weekend, join us at 13 of our spectacular sites to enjoy our Easter Eggsplorer Trails, returning for the first time in two years! Young explorers can hunt around castles, abbeys, and cathedrals to find all the pictures and complete the challenge. There are even chocolate Easter eggs up for grabs too.

Two smiling children walking together

Join in with the Easter Eggsplorer fun at Elgin Cathedral © Malcolm McCurrach

The event is taking place from Friday 15 April to Monday 18 April, unless otherwise stated, at:

The trails are included in admission and are free for Historic Scotland members, so it’s the perfect time to hop to it and get back to discovering some of your favourite sites! Look out for dolphins at Fort George, take a picnic along to enjoy in the beautiful gardens at Dirleton Castle, enjoy views of the Forth from “the ship that never sailed”, there’s so much to see and do. We advise that you book in advance to guarantee entry to the event.

A smiling child walking down an outside set of stairs, looking at the camera

Explore Spynie Palace high and low with our Easter Eggsplorer event © Malcolm McCurrach

Explorer Passes Are Back

To make the most of the Easter weekend and the school holidays, pick up an Explorer Pass. We are delighted that our explorer passes are back, making it even easier for you to visit sites across Scotland. The pass is valid for 7 consecutive days, from the first day of use, and includes entry to all our open properties. With your pass you also receive a 20% discount on audio guides at Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle and Glasgow Cathedral.

A child and two adults walking in front of a historic building. The child is pointing at something in the distance.

A family enjoying a day out at Huntly Castle

Explorer passes are available to purchase online now, with prices ranging from £21 – £70.

Unicorn On Repeat

A small pony wearing a prop horn to look like a unicorn standing on its hind two legs in front of a castle wall on a grassy lawn.

Pumpkin the Unicorn at Stirling Castle © Nick Mailer Photography

This year’s events programme kicked off at the weekend with one of our most beloved events, Unicorn. Welcoming Tinkerbell and Pumpkin, our beautiful one-horned friends, characters from throughout history, a fabulous puppet show, and much more, it was a magical couple of days at Stirling Castle.

Did you miss out? Don’t worry, our online event from 2021 Virtual Unicorn Day can still be enjoyed on YouTube. You can meet Pumpkin and her keeper Sandy, take a unicorn-themed tour of the castle, and enjoy storytelling with author Rachel McGaw. 

A person dressed in historical costume standing in front of a small pony with a prop horn attached to it to look like a unicorn.

Pumpkin the unicorn at Stirling Castle with the keeper of unicorns Sir Alastair Brodie, who you can meet in our Virtual Unicorn Day films © Rob McDougall

Holiday History

If you’re looking for even more to do during the Easter holidays, our Rangers team are running holiday clubs at both Linlithgow Palace and Holyrood Park. Keeping young history lovers exploring the outdoors and enjoying interactive wildlife activities, the clubs include bird watching and a hunt for minibeasts, make sure you don’t miss out.

Our holiday club events are free, but booking is essential. Email rangers@hes.scot to book your place. Children must be accompanied by an adult for the events.

A person crouching next to a smiling child

Discover more about the wildlife found at Holyrood Park with our Holiday Club events © Helen Pugh

There are also special guests visiting some of our sites. Until Mon 18 April you’ll be able to say hello to various characters from throughout history with our Living History programme. Characters include:

  • A once prisoner of Blackness Castle, Cardinal Beaton, who will be sharing his stories at the castle on Sat 16 & Sun 17 April.
  • A Medieval Calligrapher will be at Caerlaverock Castle from Wed 13 to Fri 15 April, ready to teach you her trade and write your name on a bookmark to take away.
  • A 19th century Scottish soldier will be patrolling Dunstaffnage Castle from Mon 11 to Mon 18 April. Stop to say hi and hear about life fighting for the Duke of Wellington.
  • St Andrews Castle welcomes on of Robert the Bruce’s medieval archers on Sat 16 and Sun 17. Book your visit to learn more about his role.
A person in historic costume holding a bow and arrow, about to shoot.

See our Living History costumed performers across sites this Easter, including an archer at St Andrews Castle © Neil Hanna

To make the most of all our events and Living History this Easter, please book your visit in advance to guarantee entry. More information can be found at historyawaits.scot.

Easter Eggsplorer Trails takes place at selected sites from Fri 15 to Mon 18 April, during site opening hours.

Remember, events and visits to our sites are free for Historic Scotland members. Not a member yet? There’s still time to sign up and take advantage of unlimited entry to our sites and daytime events this summer.

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About Author

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Rachael Dunn

Rachael is one of our Marketing Executives, working mainly with our national events programme and Historic Scotland properties in the South. She also runs various marketing campaigns throughout the year.