Castles in United Kingdom
Featured Castles
Discover Britain’s magnificent castle heritage—from Scottish Highland fortresses to Welsh medieval strongholds. Explore stunning castles below, each with rich history, breathtaking architecture, and travel tips. Start your journey at the Castle Directory or dive into a British castle adventure!
Windsor Castle
The world’s oldest inhabited castle where 39 monarchs have resided since William the Conqueror. Highlights include the magnificent State Apartments, Queen Mary’s Doll House with incredible miniature details, and St. George’s Chapel where royal weddings have captivated global audiences.
Edinburgh Castle
Dominating Scotland’s capital, this fortress houses the Scottish Crown Jewels, the Stone of Destiny, and the 15th-century siege gun Mons Meg. The dramatic One O’Clock Gun firing and panoramic city views make it Scotland’s most awe-inspiring visitor experience.
Tower of London
This UNESCO World Heritage site has served as royal palace, prison, treasury, and zoo. Home to the priceless Crown Jewels, the legendary ravens, and the imposing White Tower, visitors are captivated by tales of imprisonment, execution, and intrigue.
Warwick Castle
One of Europe’s finest medieval fortresses featuring fully intact battlements, magnificent great hall, and eerie dungeons. The castle offers spectacular live shows, including the world’s largest working trebuchet siege engine and immersive historical reenactments.
Leeds Castle
Rising majestically from a moat and surrounded by 500 acres of parkland, this “loveliest castle in the world” features opulent interiors that showcase 900 years of history. Visitors are enchanted by the castle’s lavish state rooms once used by Henry VIII.
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Scottish Highlands
Experience the dramatic fortress strongholds of the Scottish Highlands, where ancient castles rise from mist-shrouded lochs and rugged mountain landscapes. These remote strongholds bear witness to clan warfare, Jacobite risings, and centuries of Highland history, featuring distinctive architecture that harmonizes with some of Britain’s most breathtaking natural scenery.
Eilean Donan Castle
Iconic island castle at the convergence of three sea lochs, featured in films including “Highlander.” Beautifully restored in the early 20th century after being destroyed during Jacobite risings.
Urquhart Castle
Dramatic ruins overlooking Loch Ness with over 1,000 years of history. Played a significant role in the Wars of Scottish Independence and offers the best vantage point for Nessie spotting.
Dunrobin Castle
Scotland’s most northerly great house resembling a French château with 189 rooms. Features spectacular gardens inspired by Versailles and houses a museum of Pictish stones.
Inveraray Castle
Gothic Revival masterpiece on Loch Fyne and ancestral home of the Dukes of Argyll. Features a unique armory hall displaying over 1,300 weapons and the famous “Prisoner of War” letter.
Blair Castle
Whitewashed Highland fortress with 700 years of history and 30 rooms displaying heirlooms of the Dukes of Atholl. Home to Europe’s only remaining private army, the Atholl Highlanders.
Cawdor Castle
Medieval tower house immortalized in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” despite historical inaccuracy. Built around a living holly tree with spectacular gardens and fascinating Shakespearean connections.
Castle Stalker
Picturesque four-story keep situated on a tidal islet on Loch Laich. Featured in Monty Python and the Holy Grail as “Castle Aaaaarrrrrrggghhh” and accessible only by boat.
Balmoral Castle
The Scottish holiday home of the British Royal Family since it was purchased by Queen Victoria in 1852. Features extensive grounds, gardens, and exhibitions of royal memorabilia.
Duart Castle
Ancient seat of Clan Maclean dramatically positioned on a clifftop overlooking the Sound of Mull. Dates back to the 13th century and was restored from ruins in the early 20th century.
Brodie Castle
Rose-colored castle set in magnificent grounds famous for daffodil displays. Contains a remarkable library of over 6,000 volumes and impressive art collection including Dutch Old Masters.
Drum Castle
Scotland’s oldest intact tower house with a medieval High Hall and Jacobean mansion house extensions. Features striking contrast between medieval fortification and later domestic additions.
Castle Fraser
One of Scotland’s largest tower houses with elaborate turrets and balustrades. Contains hidden trapdoors, secret staircases, and the “Laird’s Lug” eavesdropping system.
Wales
Journey through Wales to discover Europe’s greatest concentration of medieval fortifications, including Edward I’s formidable ‘Iron Ring’ of castles that sought to subdue Welsh resistance. These massive stone structures, many now UNESCO World Heritage Sites, showcase the pinnacle of medieval military architecture alongside native Welsh strongholds that tell the story of a fiercely independent nation.
Caernarfon Castle
Intimidating fortress built by Edward I as part of his ‘Iron Ring’ of castles. Known for its distinctive towers and recognizable banding pattern inspired by Constantinople’s walls.
Conwy Castle
Magnificent fortress with eight massive towers and a complete town wall circuit. Considered one of the finest examples of medieval military architecture in Europe.
Harlech Castle
Dramatically perched on a rocky outcrop with breathtaking views over Cardigan Bay. Famous for its sea gate that once allowed the castle to be resupplied by sea during sieges.
Pembroke Castle
Impressive Norman fortress and birthplace of Henry VII, the first Tudor king. Features a massive round keep and the fascinating Wogan Cavern beneath the castle.
Carreg Cennen Castle
Spectacularly positioned atop a 300-foot limestone cliff with views across the Brecon Beacons. Features a mysterious cave beneath the castle that was fortified during medieval times.
Caerphilly Castle
Britain’s second-largest castle featuring an extensive moat and water defenses. Famous for its leaning tower which leans at a greater angle than the Tower of Pisa.
Beaumaris Castle
Edward I’s unfinished masterpiece of symmetrical concentric design. The most technically perfect castle in Britain with its innovative water defenses.
Raglan Castle
Late medieval castle-palace with distinctive yellow sandstone and hexagonal Great Tower. Notable for its lavish apartments and impressive Tudor-era Grand Staircase.
Chepstow Castle
Britain’s oldest surviving post-Roman stone fortress built in 1067. Remarkably preserved Norman doors, the oldest castle doors in Europe, dating from around 1190.
Powis Castle
Medieval fortress transformed into a lavish country mansion with world-famous terraced gardens. Houses one of the finest collections of Indian treasures in Europe.
Kidwelly Castle
Imposing Norman castle featuring an unusual concentric layout with a unique half-moon outer ward. Site of the legendary battle where Princess Gwenllian was martyred in 1136.
Chirk Castle
Magnificent marcher fortress completed in 1310 that guards the entrance to the Ceiriog Valley. Features award-winning gardens and elaborate dungeons with intricate carvings.
English Royal Residences
Explore England’s storied royal castles, from the imposing Tower of London to the majestic Windsor Castle that continues to serve as an official royal residence. These magnificent structures showcase nearly a millennium of royal history, architectural evolution, and the changing face of monarchy, housing priceless treasures and serving as the backdrop for pivotal moments in British history.
Tower of London
Historic fortress housing the Crown Jewels and countless royal secrets. Famous for its Yeoman Warders, ravens, and dark history as both palace and prison.
Windsor Castle
The oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world, serving as an official residence of the British monarch. Features magnificent State Apartments and St George’s Chapel.
Warwick Castle
Medieval fortress developed from a William the Conqueror wooden motte-and-bailey castle. Features immersive historical experiences and one of the world’s largest working trebuchets.
Northern Ireland
Discover Northern Ireland’s fascinating castle heritage, where ancient fortresses guard dramatic coastlines and verdant landscapes. Many of these iconic structures gained renewed fame as filming locations for Game of Thrones, while others tell the story of centuries of conflict and settlement, showcasing stunning settings that blend natural beauty with strategic military positioning.
Dunluce Castle
Dramatic cliffside ruins perched precariously on basalt outcropping over the sea. Famous for the legend of the kitchen collapsing into the sea during dinner and as House Greyjoy in Game of Thrones.
Carrickfergus Castle
The best-preserved medieval structure in Northern Ireland, guarding Belfast Lough since 1177. Witnessed centuries of conflict from Vikings and Scots to World War II.
Belfast Castle
Scottish baronial-style castle offering spectacular views over Belfast and Belfast Lough. Features the famous nine cats installation in the garden, linked to an ancient legend.
Enniskillen Castle
Waterside castle guarding one of the few passes into Ulster, now housing two museums. Features distinctive Watergate and Scottish-influenced twin-turreted Watergate.
Castle Ward
Eccentric 18th-century mansion with two contrasting architectural styles. Famous as the primary filming location for Winterfell in Game of Thrones with extensive studio facilities.
Shane's Castle
Atmospheric ruins on the shores of Lough Neagh with extensive underground passages. Featured in multiple Game of Thrones scenes including the tournament grounds.
Glenarm Castle
Ancestral home of the Earls of Antrim for nearly 600 years, situated in the beautiful Glens of Antrim. Features spectacular walled garden considered one of Ireland’s oldest.
Hillsborough Castle
The official royal residence in Northern Ireland with Georgian architecture and 100 acres of gardens. Site of important political talks during the Northern Ireland peace process.
Narrow Water Castle
Picturesque 12th-century vineyard castle offering wine tastings from its historic cellars. Combines historical tours with Burgundy wine experiences in an authentic setting.
Scottish Border Castles
Explore the turbulent frontier between England and Scotland, where centuries of border warfare led to the construction of distinctive fortified tower houses and defensive pele towers. These battle-scarred structures witnessed countless raids, invasions, and the famous Border Reiver conflicts, often changing hands between Scottish and English control as the frontier shifted through history.
Bamburgh Castle
Imposing coastal fortress on a rocky outcrop overlooking the North Sea. Once the royal seat of the kings of Northumbria and featured in numerous films and TV series.
Alnwick Castle
One of Britain’s most iconic castles, featured as Hogwarts in Harry Potter films. Contains lavish State Rooms with Italian Renaissance artwork and extensive gardens.
Stirling Castle
Strategic fortress controlling the gateway to the Highlands. Site of several key battles for Scottish independence and features remarkable Renaissance royal apartments.
Hermitage Castle
Forbidding border fortress described as “the strength of Liddesdale” with a sinister history. Associated with Mary Queen of Scots and the notorious Lord Soulis.
Tantallon Castle
Dramatic clifftop ruins with a massive curtain wall overlooking the Firth of Forth. Withstood numerous sieges as the last stronghold of the powerful Douglas family.
Lindisfarne Castle
Atmospheric 16th-century fortress perched on Holy Island, accessible only at low tide. Dramatically redesigned by Edwin Lutyens into an Edwardian holiday home.
Jedburgh Castle
Victorian prison built on the site of a medieval royal castle that played a key role in border conflicts. Now houses a museum exploring prison reform and border history.
Floors Castle
Scotland’s largest inhabited castle, home to the Dukes of Roxburghe since 1721. Features magnificent collections of fine art, porcelain, and tapestries.
Blackness Castle
Ship-shaped fortress jutting into the Firth of Forth, known as “the ship that never sailed.” Served as a state prison and featured as Fort William in Outlander.
Neidpath Castle
Well-preserved 14th-century L-plan tower house overlooking the River Tweed. Contains ancient yew tree said to have been planted by Mary Queen of Scots.
Drumlanrig Castle
Known as the “Pink Palace” due to its distinctive rose-colored sandstone. Contains significant art collection including Rembrandt’s “Old Woman Reading.”
Caerlaverock Castle
Unique triangular fortress with a moat and twin-towered gatehouse. Its unusual three-sided design is unique in British castle architecture.