A child exploringing a castle with a magnifying glass during an Easter egg hunt event

We’ve got a case of stolen Easter Eggs and we need your help to solve it!

At our Easter Eggsplorer Trails, you’ll follow a trail of Easter Egg pictures around our sites and solve the puzzling anagrams to find the culprit.

A chocolatey treat will be waiting for all those that crack this perplexing case. To help you before you visit the scene of the crime, we’ve lined up our list of suspicious suspects…

Suspect #1: Dougie the Dog

Dogs have been the trusty company of lords and ladies, soldiers and guards for centuries. Taking on the role of castle guards, or providing a helping hand sniffing out prey, they’ve always played an important part. But could “man’s best friend” have had enough and sought revenge by stealing Easter Eggs from across Scotland’s historic sites?

A cartoon of an orange dog used for the Easter event, playing with a tartan blanket.

Suspect #2: Ruth the Cat

Cats have always been highly valuable in keeping the number of mice and rats low in abbeys, castles and mills. Perhaps Ruth became tired of chasing and looked to sabotage instead. Could she be the culprit you’re looking for?

A cartoon of a black cat attempting to catch a white mouse

Suspect #3: Grace the Falcon

Beady eyes and sharp teeth – could these be the perfect tools for stealing Easter Eggs? Ladies and knights, kings and queens all used hawks and falcons to hunt, but now Grace could be the exact suspect you are hunting for.

Cartoon of a falcon perched on a tree stump. It carries a gold and red antique-looking necklace.

Suspect #4: Wilfred the Wolf

Wily and wild, Wilfred may lead the way for our pack of suspicious suspects. Wolves roamed Scotland’s woods and forests for centuries. Regularly pursued on royal wolf hunts, they became skilled at hiding amongst the trees. Has Wilfred crept out to steal an egg-shaped treat?

Where can I egg-splore?

Our Easter Eggsplorer Trails take place at 16 Historic Scotland sites from Friday 7 to Monday 10 April. Drop-in any time during opening hours to take part!  (We recommend booking in advance to Blackness and Urquhart castles to avoid disappointment).

  • Aberdour Castle – why not pack a picnic and enjoy Aberdour’s beautiful gardens? Please check our website for up-to-date information on site access.
  • Blackness Castle – have fun wandering around ‘the ship that never sailed’ and enjoy the views of the Firth of Forth. We recommend booking in advance to guarantee entry.
  • Craigmillar Castle – hunt around Edinburgh’s “other castle” and let your imagination run wild.
  • Dirleton Castle – picnic in the picturesque gardens of this beautiful East Lothian site. Please note, there is currently no visitor access to the castle, access is to the gardens, exhibition, and shop only.
  • Dryburgh Abbey – the grounds of this intriguing site mean clues could be around every corner. Please note, there are currently some access restrictions in place and access is to the abbey nave, grounds, shop, and toilets only.
  • Duff House – find the animals and objects around the house to complete our Drawing Challenge. Please note Duff House is open Thursday to Sunday only, Easter Eggplorer Trails will not take place on Monday 10 April.
  • Dunstaffnage Castle – climb up the battlements and admire the views at this mighty stronghold.
  • Elgin Cathedral – explore the ‘Lantern of the North’ and have a go at our sculptures and symbols spotter quiz.
  • Fort George – stop on the ramparts and look out for dolphins playing off the point!
  • Huntly Castle – discover the seat of one of medieval and Renaissance Scotland’s most powerful families. Imagine it was your own from the windows above.
  • Jedburgh Abbey – take in the beautiful sights of the abbey grounds. Please note, there is currently no visitor access to the abbey, access is to the grounds, visitor centre, shop, and toilets only.
  • Melrose Abbey – create memories to last with a day out in the Borders. Please note, there is currently no access to the abbey church, access is to the grounds, cloister and museum only.
  • St Andrews Castle – the castle’s bottle dungeon, one of medieval Britain’s most infamous castle prisons, could be the perfect place for our Easter Egg stealer!
  • Stanley Mills – travel back in time to see and hear what life was like for people working in the mill as you find your Easter clues!
  • Tantallon Castle – the open space of the grounds will have you running around for clues, but you’ll be easily distracted by the wildlife around you. See how many sea birds you can spot! Please note, there is currently no visitor access to the castle, access is to grounds and shop only.
  • Urquhart Castle – Discover more than 1,000 years of history as you dash around looking for clues. We recommend booking in advance to guarantee entry.

The trails are included in the admission price to sites, and are free for Historic Scotland members. Why not sign up for membership, so you can enjoy all of our sites and daytime events for free?

A young boy exploring a castle with his parents.

Explore the ruins of Huntly Castle this Easter

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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.