Castle raided... by thieves targeting gift shop
IT is one of Scotland’s most ancient and near-impregnable fortresses.
But Edinburgh Castle is proving no match for modern thieves, who have been raiding the gift shop.
Rings inspired by hit TV show Outlander are among the items to be stolen, along with a large model of the castle, Mary Queen of Scots jewellery, a thistle brooch and models of knights.
The landmark is one of a number of tourist attractions to be plundered by thieves, according to Historic Environment Scotland (HES) figures. Almost £11,000 worth of souvenirs and property has been taken in the past three years.
They include a sliding entrance door worth £1,000 from the Nether Largie North Cairn at Kilmartin Glen, Argyll, last year. It has not been recovered.
A £2,500 Kawasaki quad bike was taken in 2017 from Linlithgow Palace, West Lothian, the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots, while a skip was stolen from historic limekilns in Fife. Electrical and telecoms equipment has also gone missing, as have tools worth £1,500 from Bothwell Castle, Lanarkshire, and an £800 power washer from Blackness Castle, West Lothian.
Safety shoes were swiped from Urquhart Castle, Inverness-shire.
Only three items have been recovered by police or castle staff.
A spokesman for HES said: ‘While instances of theft across our estate are relatively rare, we have a robust reporting procedure in place to ensure that any such incidents are dealt with appropriately.’