Aberdour Castle
Location: Aberdour, Fife
Open: All year
Location; Hawkcraig Road Aberdour Fife Aberdour Castle is located in the village of Easter Aberdour, Fife, Scotland. Parts of the castle date from around 1200, making Aberdour one of the two oldest datable standing castles in Scotland, along with Castle Sween in Argyll, which was built at ar........
Amhuinnsuidhe Castle
Location: Amhuinnsuidhe, Isle of Harris
Open: All year
Amhuinnsuidhe Castle is a large private country house on the Isle of Harris, one of the Western Isles off the north-west coast of Scotland. The house was built in 1865 for the 7th Earl of Dunmore, the then owner of the island. Amhuinnsuidhe was designed in the Scottish baronial style by architec........
Ardverikie Castle
Location: Newtonmore, Highlands
Open: All year
Location: Kinlochlaggan Newtonmore Highlands PH20 1BX Recognisable for it's starring role in the BBC drama 'Monarch of the Glen". Ardverikie built in 1870 in the Scottish baronial style is today one of the finest private country houses in the Scottish Highlands. Ardverikie Estate is one of........
Arundel Castle
Location: Arundel, West Sussex
Open: April to end of October
There are nearly 1,000 years of history at this great castle, situated in magnificent grounds overlooking the River Arun in West Sussex and built at the end of the 11th century by Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Arundel. Arundel Castle in Arundel, West Sussex, England is a restored medieval castle. ........
Ashby-de-la-Zouch Castle
Location: Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire
Open: March to November
Ashby Castle forms the backdrop to the famous jousting scenes in Sir Walter Scott's classic novel of 1819, Ivanhoe. Now a ruin, the castle began as a manor house in the 12th century. It only achieved castle status in the 15th century, by which time the hall and buttery had been enlarged, with a sola........
Ballindalloch Castle
Location: Ballindalloch, Aberdeenshire and Moray
Open: May to September
Also known as the Pearl of the North, built in 1546 and located in the heart of Speyside near to the famous whisky distilleries of Cragganmore, Glenlivet, Glenfarclas and Glenfiddich. The castle houses an important collection of 17th Century Spanish paintings. The dining room is said to be haunte........
Balmoral Castle
Location: Ballater, Aberdeenshire and Moray
Open: April to July
Balmoral has been one of the residencies of the British Royal Family since 1852, when it was purchased by Queen Victoria and her consort Prince Albert. Balmoral Castle lies within the Cairngorms National Park, near to Ballater. The gardens are open to the public from 1st April to 31st July. There........
Barcaldine Castle
Location: Oban, Argyll
Open: All Year
Barcaldine Castle Benderloch Near Oban Argyll PA37 1SA Barcaldine Castle can be found 9 miles north of Oban, off the A828 Oban to Fort William road on the south shore of Loch Creran. The castle is 2.5 miles from the village of Barcaldine and 1.5 miles from the village of Benderloch. From B........
Beaumaris castle
Location: Beaumaris, Isle of Anglesey
Open: All Year
Location; Beaumaris Isle of Anglesey Wales LL85 8AP Beaumaris Castle, located in the town of the same name on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, was built as part of King Edward I's campaign to conquer the north of Wales. It was designed by James of St. George and was begun in 1295, but never com........
Beeston Castle
Location: Beeston, Cheshire
Open: All year (closed Dec 24th - 30th Dec and 01 Jan).
Venue: Chapel Lane, Beeston, Cheshire - CW6 9TX Located 11 miles SE of Chester, on minor road off A49 Beeston Castle is built on a very steep hill, and wheelchair access to the top and the woodland walk is not recommended. Please also note that much of the site has uneven surfaces. The cav........
Belfast Castle
Location: Belfast, Antrim
Open: All Year
Belfast Castle built in the late 12th century but was burned down in 1708, today's Belfast Castle was built in 1862-70 by the 3rd Marwuess of Donegall. The castle boasts an antiques shop, a restaurant and a visitors centre.........
Blair Castle
Location: Pitlochry, Perthshire
Open: All Year
Blair Castle stands in its grounds near the village of Blair Atholl in Perthshire in Scotland. It is the home of the Clan Murray family, who hold the title of Duke of Atholl, though the current (11th) Duke, John Murray, (born 1929) lives in South Africa. The Castle is said to have been started in........
Blarney Castle
Location: Blarney, Cork
Open: All Year
Blarney Castle is a medieval stronghold in Blarney near Cork. The famous Blarney Stone is found amount the machicolations of the castle. Today the castle is a partial ruin with some accessible rooms and battlements. At the top of the castle lies the Stone of Eloquence, better known as the Blarney........
Bolsover Castle
Location: Bolsover, Derbyshire
Open: All Year
Location Bolsover 6 miles East of Chesterfield on A632 or off Jct 29A of M1. Times 10am - 5pm £7.00 Adults £6.00 Concession £3.3.0 Child Dominating the countryside from its hilltop, Bolsover occupies the site of a medieval castle built by the Peverel family shortly afte........
Bunratty Castle
Location: Bunratty, Clare
Open: All Year
Bunratty Castle is a large tower house situated in the centre of Bunratty village, completed in 1425 by the MacNmara family. The Castle is the most complete and authentic medieval fortress in Ireland. Built in 1425 it was restored in 1954 to its former medieval splendour and now contains mainly ........
Caernarfon Castle
Location: Caernarfon, Gwynedd
Open: All Year
Caernarfon Castle probably the most famous of the Welsh castles, being used for the investiture of the Prince of Wales. Situated in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, work began on the castle in 1283. It stands at the mouth of the River Seiont and with its intimidating battlements dominates the walled ........
Cahir Castle
Location: Cahir, Tipperary
Open: All Year
Cahir Castle built in 1142 by Conor O'Brian, is one of the biggest castles in Ireland. It is situated on a rocky island outcrop in the middle of the River Suir. Superbly presented, it has one of very few working portcullises in Ireland. Today you can enjoy a guided tour, exhibitions and refreshment........
Castell Coch
Location: Cardiff, South Wales
Open: All Year
Castell Coch is a 19th-century Gothic Revival castle built on the remains of a genuine 13th-century fortification, it is like something out of Sleeping Beauty with its towers and needle sharp turrets. It is situated on a hillside near the village of Tongwynlais, in the north of Cardiff in Wales. D........
Cawdor Castle
Location: Nairn, Highlands
Open: April to October
Cawdor Castle is a tower house set amid gardens in the parish of Cawdor, approximately 10 miles (16 km) east of Inverness and 5 miles (8 km) southwest of Nairn in Scotland, United Kingdom. It belonged to the Clan Calder. It still serves as home to the Dowager Countess Cawdor, stepmother of Colin Rob........
Craigievar Castle
Location: Alford, Aberdeenshire and Moray
Open: April to September
Craigievar Castle is a pinkish harled castle six miles south of Alford, set among the rolling foothills of the Grampian Mountains. Completed in 1626 by William Forbes and until 1963 was the home of the Forbes family, it was then gifted to the National Trust for Scotland. The grounds are open ........
Crathes Castle
Location: Banchory, Aberdeenshire and Moray
Open: All Year
From Wickpedia: Crathes Castle is a 16th Century castle situated near to Banchory, built by the Burnetts of Leys and held in that family for almost 400 years. The castle and grounds are now owned and managed by the National Trust for Scotland and are open to the public. Crathes sits on land give........
Culzean Castle
Location: Maybole, Ayrshire
Open: All Year
Location: Maybole, Ayrshire, KA19 8LE Culzean Castle is a castle near Maybole, Carrick, on the Ayrshire coast of Scotland. It is the former home of the Marquess of Ailsa but is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland. The clifftop castle lies within the Culzean Castle Country Park and i........
Drumlanrig Castle
Location: Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway
Open: April to September
Drumlanrig Castle Drumlanrig Mains Thornhill Dumfries and Galloway DG3 4AG Drumlanrig Castle is situated on the Queensberry Estate in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The category A listed castle is the Dumfriesshire home of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry. The 'Pink Pa........
Dundas Castle
Location: Edinburgh, Edinburgh
Open: All Year
Dundas Castle is a 15th century castle, with substantial 19th century additions by William Burn, near South Queensferry, to the west of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was the home of the Dundas family, and remains in private hands. In 1416, James Dundas obtained a license to build a keep from the first ........
Dunguaire Castle
Location: Galway Bay, Galway
Open: April to October
Dunguaire Castle built in 1520 by the O'Hynes clan on the picturesque shores of Galway Bay. Today the castle is the property of the Shannon Developement, the castle gives an insight into the lifestyle of the people who lived from 1520 to modern times. At night the castle is the venue for the Dungu........
Dunure Castle
Location: Dunure, Ayrshire
Open: All year
Dunure Castle is located on the west coast of Scotland, in South Ayrshire, about 5 miles south of Ayr just off the A719 and close to the village of Dunure. Dunure Castle today stands in ruins on a rocky promontory on the Carrick coast, protecting the small Dunure harbour. The site dates from the ........
Dunvegan Castle
Location: Dunvegan, Isle of Skye
Open: All year
Dunvegan Castle is a castle a mile and a half to the North of Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye, situated off the west coast of Scotland. It is the seat of the MacLeod of MacLeod, chief of the Clan MacLeod. Dunvegan Castle is the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland and has been the stronghol........
Eilean Donan Castle
Location: By Kyle of Lochalsh, Highlands
Open: All Year
EILEAN DONAN Castle, one of the most photographed icons in Scotland, recognised all over the world. Eilean Donan (Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Donnin) is a small island in Loch Duich in the western Highlands of Scotland. It is connected to the mainland by a footbridge and lies about half a mile from the........
Elizabeth Castle
Location: St Helier, Channel Islands
Open: 2 April to 30 October
Built on a rocky islet in St Aubin's Bay, Elizabeth Castle defended Jersey for more than 300 years. The castle is accessible at low tide by foot or the castle ferry which will transport you across the bay to and from the castle. Elizabeth Castle is the perfect place to spend a day exploring Jerse........
Fonmon Castle
Location: Barry, South Wales
Open: April to September
Fonmon Castle is a fortified medieval house near the village of Fonmon in the Vale of Glamorgan. It dates from the 13th century, and is still in use as a private residence. The walled gardens are surrounded by woodlands. The present owners, the Boothby Baronets, are descendants of Colonel Philip........
Glamis Castle
Location: Glamis, Angus
Open: April to December
Glamis Castle Angus DD8 1RJ Text From Wikipedia: Glamis Castle is situated beside the village of Glamis in Angus, Scotland. It is the home of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne and is open to the public. Glamis Castle has been the home of the Lyon family since the 14th cen........
Glengorm Castle
Location: Tobermory, Isle of Mull
Open: All Year
Glengorm Castle, also known as Castle Sorn, is a 19th-century country house on the Isle of Mull, Scotland. Located 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) north-west of Tobermory, the house is protected as a caegory B listed building. The Mishnish estate was purchased in 1856 by James Forsyth of Quinish. He cleare........
Hedingham Castle
Location: Castle Hedingham, Essex
Open: April to end of October
Sundays 10am until 5pm. Mondays ? Thursdays 11am until 4pm We are CLOSED to the public Fridays and Saturdays throughout our open season Hedingham Castle's Norman keep, 110 feet high, was built c.1140 by Aubrey de Vere and is still owned by one of his descendants, Jason Lindsay and his wife........
Huntington Castle
Location: Clonegal, Carlow
Open: June to September
Huntington Castle, also known as Clonegal Castle, is a castle in Clonegal, County Carlow. The original tower was built in 1625 for Baron Esmonde but captured by Oliver Cromwell in 1650. Today it is now a private house but open for guided tours throughout June, July, August and September. Or for venu........
Kellie Castle
Location: Pittenween, Fife
Open: January to December
Kellie Castle is a castle just outside Arncroach, about 5 kilometres north of Pittenweem in the East Neuk of Fife, Scotland. The earliest records of Kellie go back to 1150 where it is mentioned in a charter issued by King David I. The first known owner was Robert of London, the illegitimate son o........
Kenilworth Castle
Location: Kenilworth, Warwickshire
Open: All Year
Located in the town of Kenilworth, Warwickshire, on the Castle Green, A452, the castle has spanned more than five centuries of connection to English monarchs. Although today the castle stands in ruins, it has become one of the Midlands favourite tourist attractions, especially after the opening of t........
King Johns Castle
Location: Limerick, Limerick
Open: All year
King John's Castle is a castle located on Kings Island in Limerick. The walls, towers and fortifications remain today, and are a visitor attraction. The remains of a Viking settlement were uncovered during the construction of a visitor centre at the site. Today you can explore 800 years of history ........
Kinloch Castle
Location: Isle of Rum, Small Isles
Open: Consult website
Kinloch Castle (Scottish Gaelic: Caisteal Cheann Locha) is a late Victorian mansion located on the Isle of Rum, one of the Small Isles off the west coast of Scotland. It was built as a private residence for Sir George Bullough, a textile tycoon from Lancashire whose father bought Rum as his summer r........
Lincoln Castle
Location: Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Open: All Year
Lincoln Castle is a major castle constructed in Lincoln during the late 11th century by William the Conqueror, it is one of the better preserved Norman castles in Britain. Today it is open to the public as a museum.........
Ludlow Castle
Location: Ludlow, Shropshire
Open: All year
Ludlow Castle a medieval ruined castle standing high above the market town of Ludlow. The castle is owned by The Trustees of the Powis Castle Estate on behalf of the family of the Earl of Powis and is open to the public. Building of the castle began in the 11th century firstly as a Norman fortre........
Parkes Castle
Location: Fivemile Bourne, Leitrim
Open: April to September
Parke?s Castle is located 5 kilometres NW of Dromahair on the Sligo road (the R286) 12k from Sligo. The castle is open March: 17 - 20, April - June: Tuesdays to Sundays, July to mid-September: Tuesdays to Sundays, October: Tuesdays to Sundays. A small admission fee is charged, granting access to the........
Pendennis Castle
Location: Falmouth, Cornwall
Open: All year
Pendennis Castle one of the finest of the mighty fortresses built in 1539 for King Henry VIII to guard the entrance to the River Fal on its west bank near Falmouth. The castle comprises a simple round tower and gate enclosed by a lower curtain wall. It is now in the care of English Heritage. Pendenn........
Powderham Castle
Location: Exeter, Devon
Open: April to end of October
Opening Times 11am to 4pm The first guided tour is at 11.15am running at approximately 3/4 or 1/2 hour intervals thereafter, depending on the time of year. The last tour is an hour before closing. Powderham Castle lies off the A379 outside of Kenton, near Exeter. Powderham Castle is locate........
Shrewsbury Castle
Location: Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Open: February to 17th December
Shrewsbury Castle built in 1083 by a Norman earl, Roger de Montgomery. The oldest parts of the Castle were built between 1066 and 1074, during the reign of William the Conqueror. There were additions over several centuries. Later, in the late 18th century, Thomas Telford remodelled the interior as a........
St Michaels Mount
Location: Marazion, Cornwall
Open: See website
St Michaels Mount is a tidal island situated 400yds off Mounts Bay in southern Cornwall, it is united with the town of Marazion by a man-made causeway of granite setts, passable mid-tide and low water. In prehistoric times St Michaels Mount may have been a port for the tin trade. In the 11th centur........
Tully Castle
Location: Derrygonnelly, Fermanagh
Open: All Year
Tully Castle is a Fortified house and bawn built in 1613 by Sir John Hume and burned by the Maguires in 1641, situated near the village of Blaney on Blaney Bay on the southern shore of Lower Lough Erne. Today there are the formal gardens and a visitors centre for tourists.........
Warwick Castle
Location: Warwick, Warwickshire
Open: All Year
Warwick Castle is a medieval castle in Warwick sitting on the bend on the River Avon. Built in 1068 by William the Conqueror it was use as a fortification until the 17th century when Sir Fulke Greville converted it to a country house, the Greville family bacame the earls of Warwick in 1759 until 197........
Windsor Castle
Location: Windsor, Berkshire
Open: Closed 12th 13th 27th June & 25th 26th December
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. More than five hundred people live and work in Windsor, making it the largest inhabited castle in the world. ........
