In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Afternoon tea in Edinburgh costs £60 at The Witchery (Monday to Friday, not served in August or 23 December to 4 January), £70 at Prestonfield House and from £75 at the Colonnades in the Signet Library, which is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Edinburgh Castle’s Christmas afternoon tea is £70 with castle admission included, from 1 December 2026 to 3 January 2027. The Dome’s Georgian Tea Room serves tea daily from 12:00 to 17:00 and charges a £10 deposit a head. Or book a tea with a view: Afternoon Tea with Castle Viewsad is from £54 for 1.5 hours.
⚠️ Check the day before you book. The Colonnades is shut on Mondays and Tuesdays, and on some Saturdays for weddings. The Witchery serves tea Monday to Friday only and not in August.
Prices and days are from each venue’s own page.
Prices and days at a glance
| Venue | Price | Days and hours | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Colonnades, Signet Library | From £75 | Wednesday to Sunday, 11:00 to 16:30 | Online, up to three months ahead |
| The Witchery by the Castle | £60 (£75 with Champagne) | Monday to Friday, 14:30 to 15:30 | Online |
| Prestonfield House | £70 (£85 with Champagne) | Autumn menu: Sunday to Thursday 12:00 to 18:45, Friday and Saturday 12:00 to 16:00 | Online |
| Edinburgh Castle, Christmas tea | £70 with admission | 1 December to 3 January, sittings 11:00 to 14:30 | Castle website |
The tea rooms
The Colonnades, Signet Library
Parliament Square, EH1 1RF · from £75 · Wednesday to Sunday, 11:00 to 16:30 · closed Monday and Tuesday · thesignetlibrary.co.uk
A tearoom with ornate columns and a high ceiling inside one of Edinburgh’s Georgian buildings, beside St Giles’ Cathedral. The tea comes on silver stands. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free teas need 24 hours’ notice, and the kitchen cannot combine gluten-free with dairy-free or vegan. The tearoom is closed on some Saturdays for private weddings, bookings are accepted only three months ahead, and groups over six phone 0131 226 1064. A festive afternoon tea is £75 a head from 18 November 2026, with advance booking essential.
The Signet Library on Parliament Square, where the Colonnades serves tea. Photo: Tartanqueen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Witchery by the Castle
352 Castlehill, EH1 2NF · £60 · Monday to Friday, 14:30 to 15:30 · not served in August or 23 December to 4 January · thewitchery.com
Beside the castle esplanade at the top of the Royal Mile, served in the Secret Garden room or the candlelit Original Dining Room. A glass of Champagne makes it £75, and Witchery x Gusbourne sparkling rosé £80.
Prestonfield House
Priestfield Road, EH16 5UT · £70, £85 with Champagne or Gusbourne · Sunday to Thursday 12:00 to 18:45, Friday and Saturday 12:00 to 16:00 · prestonfield.com
A five-star hotel with 20 acres of gardens and parkland in the shadow of Arthur’s Seat, about 2.6 km from Waverley station in a straight line. The days and hours above are for its Autumn Afternoon Tea, and each person orders one tea. Michelin gives the hotel one Key.
Edinburgh Castle
Queen Anne Tea Room · Christmas afternoon tea, 1 December 2026 to 3 January 2027 · £70 with admission, £80 with Champagne, £34 for a child · sittings 11:00 to 14:30 · not 25 and 26 December · edinburghcastle.scot
The price includes admission to the castle, and Historic Scotland members pay £45. A year-round Afternoon Tea Experience with admission is also on the castle’s site. See Edinburgh Castle tickets for the ordinary tickets and Christmas in Edinburgh for the season.
The Dome, Georgian Tea Room
14 George Street, EH2 2PF · daily, 12:00 to 17:00 · £10 deposit a head · thedomeedinburgh.com
Tea is served on the first floor, reached by staircase or lift. The largest table is 10, and in the festive season multiple table bookings are not accepted. There are vegan, vegetarian, no-gluten and children’s afternoon teas.
The Dome on George Street. Photo: Jonathan Oldenbuck, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
The Spence, Gleneagles Townhouse
39 St Andrew Square, EH2 2AD · Monday to Friday, 14:30 to 16:30 · gleneagles.com
The restaurant of the Michelin Two Key hotel, in the former banking hall of a Royal Bank of Scotland building. Book online or call 0131 322 3780.
Palm Court, The Balmoral
1 Princes Street, EH2 2EQ · roccofortehotels.com
At the hotel over Waverley station. There is no dress code, but the hotel asks guests to refrain from wearing sportswear, shorts and beach shoes. The Balmoral holds two Michelin Keys.
Fingal
Alexandra Dock, Leith · fingal.co.uk
A floating hotel on a former Northern Lighthouse Board ship that serves afternoon tea in its Lighthouse Restaurant & Bar, with non-residents welcome.
Tea with castle views
From £54 · 1.5 hours · GetYourGuidead
Edinburgh: Afternoon Tea with Castle Viewsad is afternoon tea with views of Edinburgh Castle in a historic Scottish tea room, with premium teas, homemade treats and a local guide who tells the room’s story. It is the only afternoon tea on GetYourGuide for Edinburgh.
Edinburgh Castle above Princes Street Gardens. Photo: Nilfanion, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
How to choose
- The cheapest listed price: The Witchery at £60, Monday to Friday.
- Grounds and a hotel: Prestonfield House at £70, open into the evening on Sunday to Thursday.
- The Old Town: the Colonnades from £75, Wednesday to Sunday.
- At Christmas: the Colonnades’ festive tea at £75 from 18 November, or the castle’s at £70 with admission from 1 December.
- Without a booking fee: the Colonnades and the Witchery book online; the Dome asks £10 a head.
- A group: the Colonnades takes groups over six by phone, and the Dome’s tables stop at 10.
Plan the rest
For meals, see where to eat in Edinburgh, and for a walk that eats, Edinburgh food tours. To fit tea into a day, see Edinburgh in one or two days. Where to stay in Edinburgh compares the areas, and hotels near the Royal Mile lists the hotels round the Colonnades, the Witchery and the Palm Court. The best time to visit Edinburgh gives the weather by month.
Common questions
How much is afternoon tea in Edinburgh?
£60 at The Witchery by the Castle, £70 at Prestonfield House and from £75 at the Colonnades in the Signet Library, on the operators' own pages. With Champagne the Witchery is £75 and Prestonfield £85. The castle's Christmas afternoon tea is £70 with castle admission included.
Which days is afternoon tea served at the Colonnades?
Wednesday to Sunday, 11:00 to 16:30. It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and on some Saturdays for private weddings. Bookings are accepted only three months ahead, and groups of more than six phone 0131 226 1064.
Does the Witchery serve afternoon tea in August?
No. The Witchery does not serve afternoon tea in August or from 23 December to 4 January. Otherwise it is served Monday to Friday, 14:30 to 15:30, at £60.
Where can I have afternoon tea with a view of Edinburgh Castle?
The castle's own tea room is inside the castle, and a GetYourGuide afternoon tea with castle views is from £54 for 1.5 hours. The Georgian Tea Room at The Dome on George Street serves tea daily from 12:00 to 17:00.
Is there a Christmas afternoon tea in Edinburgh?
Yes. The Colonnades' festive afternoon tea is £75 from 18 November 2026. Edinburgh Castle serves a Christmas afternoon tea in the Queen Anne Tea Room from 1 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, at £70 with admission.
Do I need to book afternoon tea in Edinburgh?
Yes. The Colonnades and the Witchery take bookings online, the Dome asks a £10 deposit a head, and the Dome does not take multiple table bookings in the festive season.
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