Barnton Bunker
ENTRY
from £22
WHERE
Edinburgh
What it’s like
A guided walk through a real Cold War nuclear bunker and the WWII RAF base above it, steep steps and all.
This one is a proper guided tour, not a wander round on your own. You get taken through the above-ground WWII RAF Fighter Command Operations Base first, then down into the Cold War bunker itself, where you walk through both restored rooms and sections left exactly as they were. There's a BBC studio down there from the 1960s that was built to broadcast local warnings, which is a strange thing to stand in front of with a teenager who's grown up on smartphones.
It runs about 60 minutes, which feels right for the subject matter rather than short-changed. In August they run seven days a week at 10:30, 12:00, 14:00 and 15:30, but outside that it's a Saturday 10 to 4 job, so you're planning a specific day around it rather than turning up on a whim. £22 for an adult guided tour is not pocket change, and there's no parking on site.
The catch, and it's a real one, is the terrain. Steep steps, stairs and uneven ground throughout mean this is a hard no for anyone with mobility needs, and the toilets aren't wheelchair accessible either. A pushchair is going to be a struggle too, so this suits kids old enough to manage stairs and concrete corridors on their own two feet rather than anyone still being wheeled about. Dogs are only allowed if they're service animals, so leave the family dog at home.
If you're doing Doors Open Day, worth knowing the underground bunker itself isn't part of that particular experience, you'd only get the above-ground WWII base. For the full thing, including the bunker, you want the proper guided tour.
What’s on here
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- Kids old enough to manage steep steps and stairs comfortably
- Parking
- No on-site visitor parking. Use surrounding area parking
- How long to allow
- 60 mins
- Pushchairs
- May be unsuitable for most pushchairs and prams due to terrain
- Wheelchairs
- Not wheelchair accessible. No wheelchair-accessible restrooms
- Dogs
- Not permitted except service animals
- Doors Open Day only covers the above-ground WWII base, not the underground bunker.
- Dogs aren't allowed unless they're service animals.
- Toilets are on site but not wheelchair accessible.
- August is the only time you get more than a Saturday slot to choose from.
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
Guided adult tours start from £22.
Do we need to book?
There's a booking link on their site, and given it's tour-based with set times, booking ahead makes sense rather than hoping to walk in.
How long does the tour take?
About 60 minutes.
Is it OK for buggies or wheelchairs?
Not really. Steep steps, stairs and uneven terrain run through the whole site, and the toilets aren't wheelchair accessible either.
What are the opening times?
Saturdays 10am to 4pm normally, but in August they add tours seven days a week at 10:30, 12:00, 14:00 and 15:30.
Is there parking?
No visitor parking on site, so you'll need to find space in the surrounding streets.
Featured in 2 Huddlepin lists
See all Caves, Mines & Underground in Edinburgh · Things to do in Edinburgh
MAKE A DAY OF IT
