The park is open to pedestrians and vehicles from 7am – 7pm daily. For pedestrian access outwith these hours, please see our Acorn Membership.

Plan your visit.

Yes, we love dogs at Dalkeith Country Park, but please keep them on lead in our car parks, in Restoration Yard courtyard and the Palace Field until across Montagu Bridge. It is particularly important that dogs are kept on lead when near any of the farm’s livestock. When off lead, let them enjoy the freedom of our trails as long as you are able to control them when they meet other walkers, wildlife or horse-riders along their way. Please remember it is an offence for any dog owner to allow their dog to be out of control in such a way as to cause alarm or make another person apprehensive. Oh and as ever, please do pick up after your dog – bag it and bin it. Please note that dogs are not permitted in Fort Douglas Adventure Park.

Commercial dog walkers are required to apply for a permit & permission to operate within Dalkeith Country Park. To enquire or apply for a permit please contact us.

No, BBQs are generally not permitted anywhere in the grounds of Dalkeith Country Park. This rule is in place to help keep everyone safe.

However, if you’re staying at our seasonal summer campsite, BBQs are allowed in our campsite only, as long as they are used outdoors and raised off the ground.

For any camping-related questions, please contact us at info@dalkeithcountrypark.co.uk.

Tickets are priced at £30 per child (£35 for Christmas Eve). Adults do not need to purchase a ticket as up to 2 adults can visit Santa with their child(ren).

A very special meeting with Santa himself for ten minutes so you can have a good old chat and take plenty photos. Each child will receive a gift suitable for for the age provided on booking. Your ticket will also enable you to visit Fort Douglas on the day of your visit. There is no additional charge for adults who’ve accompanied their children to the Grotto in Fort Douglas.

You only need to buy a ticket for the children/babies visiting Santa. You do not need to purchase tickets for the adults. There is a maximum of three children per ten minute time slot to ensure every child gets the most out of their time with Santa. There is a maximum of two adults per slot. 

Santa’s Grotto is located on the ground floor at Restoration Yard. As one family visits Santa at a time, your child has the full ten minutes to enjoy the experience in a quiet environment. If your family has any specific needs please let us know by emailing our elves on santa@dalkeithcountrypark.co.uk. We can happily accommodate requests to dim lights or turn down music if required. 

You can park in the Steele Park Car Park or Laundry House Car Park (we also have accessible parking here). Please note there is a £4 parking charge for all visitors to Dalkeith Country Park which is paid for on arrival. Plan your visit.

Please arrive no more than five minutes before your chosen time slot. Santa’s Grotto is located in Restoration Yard and can be found in The Boudoir to the left of The Kitchen restaurant. Look out for Santa’s elves in the courtyard!

Please bring your ticket with the QR code on it on the day of your visit. This can be via a printed ticket or mobile phone. Don’t forget, your ticket also gives you access to Fort Douglas on the day of your visit so bring some layers and warm, sturdy footwear for your little adventurers.

Yes! You’re welcome to take as many as you like. Please share them with us on social media by tagging @dalkeith_country_park and @restorationyard.

Your tickets is only valid for the date and time specified on your email confirmation. If you need to change it, we will do our best to reschedule however we cannot guarantee a place. 

Unfortunately we cannot issue refunds unless we have to cancel the event. We shall do our best to reschedule if you need to change your date or time but cannot guarantee a place.

Presents cannot be exchanged either during or after the Santa’s Grotto experience. A present will be given which Santa deems suitable for the age provided when you make your booking. Gifts are provided for babies through to toddlers and older children. 

We will only use your personal information to contact you about this event and to help make the experience more memorable for you and your children. For more details, please refer to our full Privacy Policy. You can subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date with all our news.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us on santa@dalkeithcountrypark.co.uk 

A Tale with Santa tickets are £22.50 per child and £6 per adult.

• £22.50 Child Ticket ~ maximum of 4 children per booking.
• £6 Adult Ticket ~ maximum of 2 adults per booking.

Ticket price includes A Tale with Santa in The Christmas Cabin. All children receive a wonderful gift, suitable for their age and a photo opportunity with Santa. Please note tickets are needed for all babies and children as they all receive a gift. Your ticket also enables you to enjoy a complimentary visit Fort Douglas Adventure Playground.

The Christmas Cabin is located on the ground floor. If you have any questions re accessibility or any special requirements please do get in touch before your visit.

You can park in the Steel Car Park or Laundry House Car Park  (we also have accessible parking here). Please note there is a £4 parking charge for all visitors to Dalkeith Country Park which is paid for on arrival. Plan your visit.

Please arrive no more than five minutes before your chosen time slot. The Christmas Cabin is located in Restoration Yard and can be found beside The Kitchen restaurant. Look out for Santa’s elves in the courtyard!

Please bring your ticket with the QR code on it on the day of your visit. This can be via a printed ticket or mobile phone. Don’t forget, your ticket also gives you access to Fort Douglas on the day of your visit so bring some layers and warm, sturdy footwear for your little adventurers.

Yes! You’re welcome to take as many as you like. We’d love to see them, tag us on Instagram at @dalkeith_country_park.

Your ticket(s) is only valid for the date and time specified on your email confirmation. If you need to change it, we will do our best to reschedule however we can’t guarantee a place. 

We cannot issue refunds unless we have to cancel the event. We will do our best to reschedule if you need to change your date or time but cannot guarantee a place.

Presents cannot be exchanged either during or after A Tale with Santa in The Christmas Cabin experience. A present will be given which Santa deems suitable for the age provided when you make your booking. Gifts are provided for babies through to toddlers and older children. 

Your ticket enables you to visit Fort Douglas. If you are unable to visit Fort Douglas on the day of your booking then you are welcome to use your entry ticket to Fort Douglas on another date however this must be used before the 25th December. Please note Fort Douglas is open 10am to 3:30pm.

We will only use your personal information to contact you about this event and to help make the experience more memorable for you and your children. For more details, please refer to our full Privacy Policy. You can subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date with all our news.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us on santa@dalkeithcountrypark.co.uk 

Head over to the Fort Douglas Hub. Here you will be greeted by our team and will be given the code for the gate to gain access to the Birthday Bothy.

Located in the main area of Fort Douglas. In between our two large jumping pillows.

There will be one long table covered with a oil cloth and wooden benches for the kids to sit on.   

Our birthday party package currently includes hire of the Birthday Bothy only. We’re working on introducing a catering option, which we hope to offer in the near future.

In the meantime, you’re very welcome to bring along your own food and drinks for the celebration. Guests are also welcome to visit our on-site food and beverage outlets at Restoration Yard if they’d like to purchase any additional refreshments during the day.

Our bothy will be decorated however you’re welcome to bring along extra decorations as long as they can be easily removed. Please note we don’t allow pinatas or confetti.  

Of course! What’s a party without cake. 

The minimum number of children is 10 and the maximum is 20. Please book your party up to 48 hours in advance.

The Birthday Bothy can accommodate 20 people. You are more than welcome to have more than 20 people in your party however they won’t all have cover if it rains.  

Although your Bothy Booking is 3 hours, our gates open at 10am and close at 5pm. You can access Fort Douglas for the whole day if you like! We would recommend arriving 10 minutes before the parties scheduled time to avoid queuing. 

1 adult per child will receive free access to Fort Douglas however any more than that will need to buy a Fort Douglas adult ticket via our website or pay on the day by card at the Fort Douglas cabin.  

For safety reasons, the zorbs are weather dependant therefore will close if it is or has been heavy rain or there are high winds. If these have been added on, a refund will be issued.

Party bookings are non-refundable. We can try and move your booking to a different date however this is subject to availability, and we must be notified 48 hours prior to your booking.  

If we need to cancel an event, we’ll provide a refund, unless the cancellation is due to a Force Majeure Event (an event outside of our reasonable control).

Tickets are non-refundable unless the event itself is cancelled by us, subject to the Force Majeure exception above.

Dalkeith Palace is not currently wheelchair accessible. All entrances to the Palace involve steps, and there is no step-free access available at this time.

Our Big Halloween Screen is located in the back field of Fort Douglas. Please note that Fort Douglas will remain closed during the event for safety reasons. 

We recommend parking in our top car park which will be lit. If you arrive before 5pm there will be a £4 parking charge. 

The time stated on your ticket is when the movie will start however you can arrive 1 hour before. Please arrive in plenty time to check in and set up. 

Head to our Fort Douglas cabin, here you will be asked to show your ticket and be given a wristband for the relevant movie

We ask that all tickets are bought online to help manage capacity and we cannot guarantee tickets will be available on the day.

Our Coffee Cabin in Fort Douglas will be open from an hour before the movie starts and will close when the movie ends. We will be serving hot & cold drinks, alcohol, snacks, pizza twists and popcorn. Please note only alcohol purchased on site permitted.

Only VIP tickets include a deck chair. Standard tickets do not include seating therefore you would need to bring your own. 

The event will go ahead. You are welcome to bring a small umbrella however parasols and large umbrellas are not allowed as could restrict the view for others.

Only assistance dogs that have the appropriate certification/collars are allowed but must be kept on lead at all times.

Our toilets in Fort Douglas next to the Coffee Cain will be open.

Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult aged 18+. We may ask for proof of age for age restricted films. 

No, It’s made of a much more sustainable surface using ‘Glice’ technology, you can read all about it here. On top of this, the rink still acts and performs just like real ice! 

Make sure you arrive at least 20 minutes before your skating session to allow enough time to queue and get your skates on. 

Please make your way to The Orangerie which is located beside the skating rink. Here we will check you in and find you a pair of skates. 

If you have pre-booked an skating ticket, you will have been sent a booking confirmation with a ticket containing a QR code/s. Please have the QR code/s ready on your phone to show our team so that we can get everyone on the rink on time. QR code print-outs are also accepted. You can also buy tickets on the day at the Skate Shack – card payment only – unless we are already completely booked up for that session. We recommend booking ahead online to secure the skating session you would like.  

45 minutes of skating is included in every ticket. Each session is 45 minutes long starting on the hour. 

For safety, under 5s are not permitted on the rink. 

Under 12s are welcome to skate and must be supervised by an adult at all times, on and off the rink. 

Yes skates are included in the ticket price and will be handed out after you have checked in at The Skate Shack beside the rink. 

You can bring your own skates as long as they don’t have toe pick ends. 

Shoe cubbies are provided in the stretch tent beside The Orangerie for storing your shoes whilst you are skating. 

Skate sizes available for Adults are 1, 2, 2.5, 3.5, 4, 5, 5.5, 6.5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10.5, 11, 12 

Skate sizes available for children are 7.5, 8.5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 12.5 

Skate aids will be available on the day to share between skaters, please be aware there are a limited number per session. We are not charging for the use of skate aids. 

We have a maximum capacity of 40 people on the rink at any one time to allow space and enjoyment for all skaters. On weekday mornings and early afternoon you can expect quieter sessions. 

We highly recommend wearing gloves while on the rink. Please wear suitable clothing for skating and wrap up warm! For wetter days please bring waterproofs. 

We will not be operating a cloak room, please leave any valuables in your car or at home.  

For safety reasons, cameras and phone cameras are not allowed on the rink. Please ask someone off the rink to take photos or videos for you. 

If you’re skilled enough to skate at high speeds, backwards, perform tricks or acrobatics, please refrain from doing this on our rink. 

We have an open air rink, come rain or shine we will be open as usual. Take in the cold winter air and skate under the stars after dark. Please wear waterproofs if your session has a forecast of rain. We will not be able to accept refunds or change ticket times once you have purchased tickets. 

In the event of extreme weather forcing the rink to close due to safety, we will email you with the next steps and notify our Instagram page. 

Filming is not permitted at Dalkeith Country Park, unless permission has been received in advance. Please contact info@dalkeithcountrypark.co.uk if you would like to request permission.

Drone flying by members of the public is not permitted within Dalkeith Country Park. This is due to the number of historical monuments of national importance located within The Park and to prevent disruption to wildlife, livestock and horses.  Please contact us if you require further information.

As we are a wedding venue we are unable to allow wedding photos to be taken in The Park unless you have booked your wedding or reception at Restoration Yard.

If you would like to discuss using Dalkeith Country Park as a filming location near Edinburgh, please email info@dalkeithcountrypark.co.uk

Commercial photography can not be taken in Dalkeith Country Park without prior permission. A location fee maybe charged. Please contact info@dalkeithcountrypark.co.uk if you would like to use The Park as a commercial photography location.

The membership costs £10 per month and is paid by direct debit. The amount shown at purchase will be slightly higher, depending on the day of the month membership is purchased. This initial payment will cover the period to the end of the following month. Subsequent payments will be £10 per month by direct debit.

The e-ticket you receive will allow access & free parking from the moment of purchase. Please bring your e-ticket to the Fort Douglas ticket cabin to be issued with your membership card. Cards are issued daily between 11am to 1pm or 3pm to 5pm.

The membership can be used by all the members of one household, however the membership card is issued with a car registration. Free parking will only be applicable to the car which is registered on the membership.

The card will have a name, car registration number and QR code on it.

No, this membership programme is separate to our Fort Douglas memberships.

You can cancel through your bank or contact us on info@dalkeithcountrypark.co.uk. If a direct debit is stopped membership will be cancelled.