Kinnaird Castle, Angus
Home to the Duke and Duchess of Fife, who live on site, the 15th-century Kinnaird has three apartments for rent, of which the Macduff Tower is the most traditional, overlooking the well-stocked deer park and a huge bedroom with a four-poster bed. If you’re looking to stay at the castle with a dog, this is for you – there’s no extra charge for canine guests and they’ll love running around. Kinnaird is only open to the public for one day each year (in September), so you’ll have the place to yourself; and if you like wild swimming, go to the lake.
Macduff Tower, four people, from £535 for two nights; kinnairdcastle.co.uk
Tulloch Castle, Dingwall, Rossshire
Perched on a hilltop above Dingwall, it’s not your castle in the middle of nowhere – but what it lacks in location it more than makes up for in its walls, with an entrance hall that’s more cozy than baronial, but still with a sense of grandeur. Our room had a four poster bed and enough space for a couch and armchairs. There is a local ghost, the Green Lady, as well as a great paneled hall, a dungeon and a friendly bar where we enjoyed smoked salmon and gin distilled a mile or so away at GlenWyvis.
Rooms from £70 per night; bespokehotels.com/tullochcastlehotel
Thornton Castle, Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire
You run a B&B, you stay in someone’s home… it’s just a castle. My bathroom alone was worth the trip: a huge, private bath in the oldest part of the castle, a 12th-century tower. There are records of the Thorntons owning the castle as far back as the 13th century: the current owners are descendants of a barrister who was a distant relative of the original Thornton and bought it in the 19th century. Find wonderful views of the walled garden and surrounding area from the rooftop (ask for a tour), and for dinner try the superb seafood at the Anchor in Johnshaven.
Rooms from £170 per night; thorntoncastle.com and also airbnb.co.uk
Mingarry Castle, Kilchoan, Argyll
The most westerly castle in mainland Britain, on the remote Ardnamurchan peninsula, is now a spectacular restaurant with rooms. The 13th-century castle sits right on the water’s edge where Loch Sunart meets the sea – a wooden courtyard door opens to panoramic views across the water to the Isle of Mull. Restored in 2013, it is run by head chef Colin Nicholson and his business partner Jessica Thompson. Expect warm and cozy bedrooms (ours had a private top floor balcony around the whole building, perfect for sunrise and sunset) and tasting menus with local flavours. Think lobster and langoustine from the local boats, venison from the estate, cheese from Mull, sausages from local pigs and most of the produce is from the community garden down the road. You won’t want to leave, but if you’re blessed like us with perfect blue skies and sunshine, head to the stunning Sanna Bay.
Rooms from £225 per night B&B; five-course dinner from £60 per head; mingarycastle.co.uk
Spedlins Castle, Dumfries and Galloway
Fairytale Spedlins is a 15th-century sandstone fortress with turrets on the top floor, surrounded by box topiaries. The owners bought it as a ruin in the 1980s and transformed it without making it too grand. It manages to be homey yet grand, with comfy sofas, huge fireplaces and plenty of nooks and crannies. For wild swimmers there is a lake and you can walk the Annandale Way, along paths that Robert the Bruce once traveled on horseback.
Sleeps 14, from £700 per night; spedlinscastle.co.uk
Leslie Castle, Insh, Aberdeenshire
Five years ago, Nicola Thiel and John Andrea swapped a south-west London home for a remote six-bedroom 12th-century castle: its origins date back to 1100, but the current building, with its handsome tall towers, dates from the 17th century. It later fell into ruin before being restored in the 1980s by an Aberdeen architect. Today Nicola serves the drinks and gives you the tour while John cooks your haggis-stuffed Balmoral chicken, local salmon or vegetable moussaka, eaten at the long table in the baronial hall after drinks in the cobbled courtyard garden. Our room – the Balquhain – was spacious, with not one but two towers.
Rooms from £240 a night with breakfast; dinner £35 per head; leslie-castle.com
Knock Old Castle, Largs, North Ayrshire
For many years this 14th century castle was a ruin on the grounds of another. Renovated in 2013, today it truly is straight out of the pages of a fairy tale, with an open-plan, beamed living space filled with soft sofas and games galore. Each master bedroom has its own floor and has an outdoor dining area and a balcony to look out over the sea. Best of all is a circular viewing room at the top of the tower, the perfect spot for a drink as the sun goes down. And tight-fisted parents will love the castle’s best kept secret: a walkway on the roof leads to a small sauna, the perfect place for some “me” time, just steps away from the kids.
Sleeps eight; seven nights from £2,729; cottages.com
Dalhousie Castle, near Edinburgh
A large, serious castle with lots of infrastructure on site (including falconry and a spa). Our huge room had an equally large terrace overlooking rolling hills. Edinburgh, with its abundance of summer festivals, is 15 minutes away by car or bus, and the magnificent beach at North Berwick is also not far away. The highlight of our stay was dinner in the dungeon, now an intimate restaurant serving locally sourced dishes. Breakfast in the Orangery restaurant, with the sun shining through the windows, was also delightful.
Rooms from £209 per night; dalhousiecastle.co.uk
Luce Castle, Stornoway
Renovated in 2017. at a price of 19.5 million pounds, this Victorian castle sits majestically above the harbor in the Outer Hebrides. Catch the ferry from Ullapool two and a half hours away and then it’s a 10 minute walk. The upper floor has been converted into bedrooms and suites – mine had a stunning sea view, perfect for sipping coffee at sunrise. The apartments are maisonette type with open kitchens; there is no restaurant, but the on-site cafe serves an excellent breakfast, and the town is a short walk away.
Rooms from £185 per night; Lius-castle.co.uk
Stonefield Castle, Tarbert, Kintyre
If there’s one place in Scotland I’ll always return to, it’s Kintyre, where Stonefield Castle sits beside Loch Fyne, one of the country’s most glorious stretches of water. It’s a traditional, imposing castle that combines a delightful and slightly weathered interior with a 1970s conservatory – but never mind, the picture windows are gorgeous to sit by and watch the ever-changing waterscape . Local dishes on the menu include Tarbert crab cakes and scallops, langoustine and lake mussels. Woodland steps from the door and the wonderful world of Kintyre, Paul and Linda McCartney’s favorite retreat, is on your doorstep.
Doubles from £120 per night; stonefieldcastlehotel.co.uk.
