Scotland to reopen castles, palaces as Covid-19 lockdown eases

London, July 14 (IANS) Over 200 historic and tourism sites in Scotland are to open Wednesday as part of a rolling programme to allow visitors to attractions closed in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Historic Environment Scotland (HES), Scotland's biggest operator of visitor attractions, has announced it will provide access to over 200 unstaffed and key-keeper sites across Scotland where physical distancing can be maintained, Xinhua reported.

With over 300 properties in its care, the HES is adopting a phased approach to reopen 70 per cent of its free to access and ticketed properties by mid-September.

Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle and Urquhart Castle will reopen on August 1.

Visitors will have to pre-book tickets online and to use contactless payment where possible, with one-way systems implemented in some locations, according to the HES.