Do I Need NTS and Historic Scotland Memberships?
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Thanks to Deidré for leaving this question on the Edinburgh Day Trips newsletter!
So, do you need an NTS or Historic Scotland membership card while visiting Scotland?
This guide will address what the National Trust of Scotland (NTS) and Historic Scotland (HS) do in Scotland and if you need to sign up for your trip.
National Trust of Scotland (NTS)
According to the official website, the National Trust of Scotland (NTS) is:
“An independent charity that protects Scotland’s natural, cultural, and historic places and shares them with everyone.”
📍 They care for over 100 places, including castles, gardens, historic sites, mountains, and coastlines.
🏰 Some notable attractions are Culloden, Craigievar Castle, and Glencoe National Nature Reserve, many of which offer guided expert tours.
✉️ When you sign up, you receive a welcome pack, card, and temporary pass to print out for your car window while you wait for the official car sticker to arrive.
🥾 The car sticker/pass allows you to park in NTS car parks for free, which is handy for avid hikers.
💳 An adult membership is £69.60 or $75, lasting one year.
🇺🇸 The NTS FAQs state that if visiting Scotland from the US, you should purchase your membership through the National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA.
📢 Along with looking after NTS places, the charity also advocates for Scotland; they are currently fighting against the commercialisation of the last remaining areas of the open landscape at Bannockburn Battlefields.
🤝 Purchasing a pass allows you access to attractions and invests in protecting the country.
Historic Scotland
According to the official site,
“Historic Environment Scotland is the lead public body established to investigate, care for and promote Scotland’s historic environment.”
📍 It looks after over 300 properties, including castles, abbeys, and cathedrals.
🏰 You may be familiar with a few names… Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle, and Urquhart Castle.
💬 Some of these attractions offer tours and events days, too.
💳 The annual adult price is £55 (debit card) or £62 (credit card).
🔎 However, unlike the NTS membership, which only has a one-year option, Historic Scotland also has an Explorer Pass.
⏳ This pass lasts 14 consecutive days from your selected start date and provides access to many castles, including the most popular ones.
💻 You can also reserve online to ensure access.
📲 Plus, there is a Historic Scotland app.
⚖️ If you plan to visit several castles, it is worth checking if they are on the Explorer Pass list, pricing them, and doing some cost/benefit analysis!
🙋🏻♀️ I have both the NTS and Historic Scotland Pass.
🚙 I like having the flexibility to pop into a lesser-known location (you still need to book the busier properties) and join a tour or use an NTS car park while hiking.
I’ve visited the following so far:
- Blackness Castle (HS/self-guided)
- Calanais Standing Stones (HS/self-guided)
- Clava Cairns (HS/self-guided)
- Doune Castle (HS/audio tour)
- Dunfermline Abbey (HS/self-guided)
- Dunkeld Cathedral (HS/self-guided)
- Edinburgh Castle (HS/walking tour)
- Glasgow Cathedral (HS/self-guided)
- Holyrood Abbey (HS/audio tour)
- Linthligow Palace (HS/self-guided)
- St Andrews Cathedral (HS/self-guided)
- Urquhart Castle (HS/self-guided)
- Culross Palace (NTS/self-guided)
- Gladstone’s Land (NTS/guided tour)
- Glencoe National Nature Reserve (NTS/guided tour)
- House of Dun (NTS/guided tour)
- The Georgian House (NTS/self-guided)
Plus, many of the NTS natural landmarks.
I hope that you have found this article helpful!
As always, feel free to email me or comment with topic ideas.
See you in the Facebook group!
Cheers,
Gemma, Hiya Scotland 💜
