Edinburgh Castle have hit back at a TripAdvisor review after a visitor claimed the Wikipedia page was more interesting than the attraction itself.
With thousands of tourists set to descend upon one of the city's most iconic spots in the next few weeks, the castle were quick to defend their tour and experience this week. Speaking on the popular reviewing site, one visitor had branded the attraction with just two stars after they attended last Saturday (July 30.)
Branding their experience as 'expensive and overcrowded', the visitor claimed there had been too many people to enjoy the attraction, with minimal information. In addition, they stated that they enjoyed reading the castle's Wikipedia page more than the real thing, with the full review reading:
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"Booked in advance as recommended and so entry was simple and easy. As ticket numbers are capped we hoped it would not be too busy but it was packed. There were way too many people to enjoy the castle. Crowds everywhere. Zigzagging queues to see the Crown Jewels so we decided to skip those although would have loved to see it.
"Audio tour not included in the very steep £65 entry price and queues for the audio tours long as well, so skipped that too. Alas, without it you’ll learn very little as info boards are scarce and short. A QR code gives you a plan of the castle but no guide, info or tour. Chapel nice but packed, great Hall not overly different than many great halls in castles and packed with people.
"The couple of hours I spent researching and reading the Wikipedia page on the castle the day before our visit was more enjoyable and interesting than the actual castle itself. War museum was a good display. But left the castle very disappointed. Extremely expensive, overcrowded, no information provided to learn much about the castle. Overrated."
Responding two days later, the castle argued that there was more than enough to see and do, with the admission costs going towards maintaining and preserving the building.
However, staff added that they are "very aware" of the growing visitor numbers, and stated they are looking for ways to improve the flow of people.
A response said: "Thank you for taking the time to review the Castle. It was disappointing to read that your visit did not meet your expectations.
"We take value for money very seriously. The admission costs for the Castle are regularly reviewed to ensure value for money - our admission cost not only contributes to maintaining this beautifully historic location but also contributes to preserving our 340+ sites across Scotland. We do offer excellent value membership or explorer passes for those wanting to explore a variety of locations.
"In addition, we believe there are a wealth of things to see and do at the castle. From the Crown Jewels, The One O’clock Gun and The Prisons of War exhibition to the National War Museum of Scotland, unrivalled views of the city, the Royal Palace and St Margaret’s Chapel, the oldest building in Edinburgh and we bring history to life through our free guided tours.
"We have introduced timed ticketing arrangements as part of our advance on-line ticket sales. However, this time of year is our busiest, and the growth in our overall popularity has resulted in increases in both on-line sales and walk-up business each day. We are very aware that this growth in numbers has an impact on the visitor enjoyment of the site and we continue to review and consider ways to improve this situation. I can assure you we continue to monitor and assess this situation."
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