Helicopter hire in Edinburgh
Sightseeing over the castle and the Firth of Forth, golf charters, and private helicopters from operators across Scotland.
- Shared 30-min flight
- £194 per person
- Private hire
- £1,200 to £3,500/hr
- AW109 Trekker
- Up to 7 passengers
- Airport FBO
- Signature, 2023
Flying over Edinburgh by helicopter
Gift-voucher sellers list shared 30-minute sightseeing flights from Kirkliston, near Edinburgh Airport, at £194 per person, over the city, Edinburgh Castle and the Firth of Forth. A private helicopter for your group typically costs £1,200 to £3,500 per flight hour. Whoever sells the seat, the flight must be operated by a holder of a CAA Air Operator Certificate.
Edinburgh's helicopter flights range from short sightseeing loops over the castle to private charters for golf trips such as St Andrews.
For a private charter, a twin-engine option close by is DSP Helicopters at Balado Airfield, Kinross, which flies AW109 Trekkers seating up to seven, subject to weight.
Edinburgh Airport's Signature terminal, opened in 2023, handles private aircraft, so a helicopter can meet your private jet to Edinburgh.
Flying up from London? Compare a London to Edinburgh private jet.
Sources:WonderDays: 30-minute Edinburgh helicopter sightseeing tourDSP Helicopters, Balado Airfield, KinrossAviationPros, 17 May 2023: Signature Aviation opens its new Edinburgh FBOCAA: making sure your flight is legal
Edinburgh helicopter rides
- From
- Kirkliston
- Flight time
- About 30 min
- Price
- £194 per person; £379 for 2, £519 for 3, £679 for 4
- From
- Your pickup point
- Flight time
- Your choice
- Price
- £1,200 to £3,500 per flight hour as a guide
Shared flights are sold as gift vouchers by WonderDays, which does not name the operator; you may share with up to six other passengers. Minimum age 6.
Sources:WonderDays: 30-minute Edinburgh helicopter sightseeing tour
Tell us the dates and passengers. A specialist replies with aircraft options and an all-in price, around the clock.
Golf, business and airport transfers
- DSP Helicopters flies from Balado Airfield, Kinross, with AW109 Trekkers seating up to seven, subject to various factors, and offers golf charters in Scotland and Ireland.
- Apollo Air flies AW109SP helicopters from Carlisle Airport and covers the whole of the UK.
- Signature's Edinburgh terminal, opened in 2023, has VIP suites and its own general aviation ramp.
- Heading to the islands or the Highlands? See private jets to Scotland.
Sources:DSP Helicopters, Balado Airfield, KinrossApollo Air Services, Carlisle AirportAviationPros, 17 May 2023: Signature Aviation opens its new Edinburgh FBO
Check the operator holds a CAA Air Operator Certificate
- A paid flight is commercial air transport in law, and the operator must hold the correct certificate, insurance and licences.
- Check the operator's name against the CAA's published list of Air Operator Certificate holders. The seller and the operator can be different companies, and you are entitled to know the operator.
- The CAA warns that on an illegal flight you may not be insured, and that knowingly using an illegal operator may be an offence.
- The British Helicopter Association notes that illegal flights are usually offered at a substantial discount.
- As a broker, Altivo Jets names the operator and its certificate before you book.
Sources:CAA: making sure your flight is legalCAA: Air Operator Certificate holders list, 5 October 2026 (PDF)British Helicopter Association: illegal public transport
What goes into a helicopter price
You charter the whole helicopter and its pilot, so the price is per flight, not per seat.
- Flying time at the hourly rate for the type: as a guide, £1,200 to £3,500 per flight hour for the whole helicopter.
- Positioning when the helicopter is based away from your pickup point, both to reach you and to fly home.
- Landing fees: at The London Heliport, from £420 for a Robinson R44 to £2,485 for the largest types, plus VAT.
- Out-of-hours fees at The London Heliport: £500 for an early or evening extension, £1,000 from 21:00 to 22:59.
- VAT: transport in an aircraft with fewer than 10 seats is generally standard-rated (20%), and sightseeing flights that return to their departure airfield are standard-rated.
- Waiting time if the helicopter holds for you during the day.
Sources:The London Heliport: charges from 24 August 2026 (PDF)HMRC: the VAT treatment of passenger transport (Notice 744A)GOV.UK: VAT rates
Helicopters for Scottish flights
Twin-engine AW109s fly most private charters in Scotland; light helicopters such as the R44 fly short scenic hops.
Operators for Edinburgh
CAA Air Operator Certificate holders flying in Scotland and the north of England.
Balado Airfield, Kinross. AW109 Trekkers for business, golf and event travel
Carlisle. AW109 GrandNew and AW109SP charter
Newcastle and Carlisle. JetRanger, LongRanger and R44
Sources:DSP Helicopters, Balado Airfield, KinrossApollo Air Services, Carlisle AirportCAA: Air Operator Certificate holders list, 5 October 2026 (PDF)
Questions, answered
Still deciding? A charter specialist will talk you through aircraft, airports and price, with no obligation.
Ask a specialistHow much is a helicopter ride in Edinburgh?+
Shared 30-minute sightseeing flights from Kirkliston are listed at £194 per person. A private helicopter costs about £1,200 to £3,500 per flight hour for the whole aircraft.
What will I see?+
Shared flights pass over the city, Edinburgh Castle and the Firth of Forth.
Can I take a helicopter from Edinburgh to St Andrews?+
Yes, as a private charter. DSP Helicopters at Balado offers golf charters in Scotland.
How many people fit in the helicopter?+
An AW109 Trekker seats up to seven, subject to weight; light helicopters take up to three.
How do I know the flight is legal?+
Ask who operates it and check the name on the CAA's Air Operator Certificate list. Altivo Jets names the operator before you book.
Fares, dates and rules on this page were checked on October 2026. Official fares and schedules change every season; the operator or authority named in each source has the final word.
- 1.WonderDays: 30-minute Edinburgh helicopter sightseeing tour
- 2.DSP Helicopters, Balado Airfield, Kinross
- 3.AviationPros, 17 May 2023: Signature Aviation opens its new Edinburgh FBO
- 4.CAA: making sure your flight is legal
- 5.Apollo Air Services, Carlisle Airport
- 6.CAA: Air Operator Certificate holders list, 5 October 2026 (PDF)
- 7.British Helicopter Association: illegal public transport
- 8.The London Heliport: charges from 24 August 2026 (PDF)
- 9.HMRC: the VAT treatment of passenger transport (Notice 744A)
- 10.GOV.UK: VAT rates
See Edinburgh from above.
A specialist replies around the clock with aircraft options, the operator's name and an all-in price.