21 Castles to Visit in Scotland, Chosen by Our Expert Guides
Our guides spend their working lives driving past, into and around Scotland's castles. These are the 21 they'd tell a friend to see, from royal palaces to lonely ruins on the edge of the sea, with where each one is, what makes it special and how to visit.
- Edinburgh Castle for the Crown Jewels and the city views.
- Stirling Castle for the royal palace and the battlefields of Wallace and Bruce.
- Eilean Donan for the most famous view in the Highlands.
- Urquhart Castle for ruins above Loch Ness.
- Dunnottar Castle for a fortress on a cliff above the sea.
- Castles in Scotland1,500 to 2,000+From palaces to ruins
- On this list21 castlesGrouped by region
- On our tours11 of the 21The rest on private tours
- Most photographedEilean DonanNear the Isle of Skye
- Best seasonApril to OctoberMany close in winter
- Castle day tourStirling from EdinburghFrom £92 pp
On this page
The 21 castles at a glance
Scotland has somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000 castles, from royal palaces to a few stones in a field. These are the 21 our guides send people to again and again, grouped by region so you can plan them into a trip. The last column shows which of our tours stop there.
| # | Castle | Where | Why go | On our tours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edinburgh Castle | Edinburgh | Crown Jewels, city views | Start point of our Edinburgh tours |
| 2 | Stirling Castle | Stirling | Royal palace, Wallace and Bruce country | Yes |
| 3 | Blackness Castle | Firth of Forth | Ship-shaped fort, Outlander | Yes |
| 4 | Doune Castle | Near Stirling | Monty Python, Outlander | Private tours |
| 5 | Castle Campbell | Dollar Glen | Woodland gorge setting | Private tours |
| 6 | Tantallon Castle | East Lothian | Clifftop ruin facing the Bass Rock | Yes |
| 7 | Dirleton Castle | East Lothian | Romantic ruin and gardens | Private tours |
| 8 | Inveraray Castle | Argyll | Home of the Dukes of Argyll | Yes |
| 9 | Kilchurn Castle | Loch Awe | The most photogenic ruin | Yes |
| 10 | Castle Stalker | Appin | Tower on its own islet | Yes |
| 11 | Eilean Donan Castle | Near Skye | Scotland's most famous view | Yes |
| 12 | Dunvegan Castle | Isle of Skye | Clan MacLeod and the Fairy Flag | Yes |
| 13 | Urquhart Castle | Loch Ness | Ruins above Nessie's loch | Yes |
| 14 | Dunnottar Castle | Stonehaven | Clifftop fortress | Private tours |
| 15 | Glamis Castle | Angus | Macbeth and the Queen Mother | Private tours |
| 16 | Balmoral Castle | Royal Deeside | The royal family's Highland home | Private tours |
| 17 | Castle Fraser | Aberdeenshire | Fairytale tower house | Private tours |
| 18 | Dunrobin Castle | Sutherland | French-style chateau and falconry | Yes |
| 19 | Castle Sinclair Girnigoe | Caithness | Ruins on the edge of the sea | Yes |
| 20 | Culzean Castle | Ayrshire | Clifftop mansion by Robert Adam | Private tours |
| 21 | Caerlaverock Castle | Dumfries | Triangular castle with a moat | Private tours |
Edinburgh and central Scotland
The castles of the central belt are where Scotland's kings lived and fought. They're all within an hour or so of Edinburgh or Glasgow, so they make easy day trips.
1Edinburgh Castle: the crown jewel
Edinburgh Castle sits on an extinct volcano at the top of the Royal Mile, and has been a royal home, a fortress and a prison. Inside you'll find the Honours of Scotland, the oldest crown jewels in the British Isles, and St Margaret's Chapel, the oldest building in the city, from the early 1100s.
Get there for the One O'Clock Gun, fired from the battlements every day except Sunday, and walk out onto the ramparts for views across the city to the Firth of Forth. Our Edinburgh Castle guide covers tickets, opening times and what to see.
Visiting: Run by Historic Environment Scotland and open all year. Book a timed ticket online, especially in summer.
With Scotland's Wild: Our Edinburgh tours start a few minutes' walk from the castle, so it's easy to see before or after a day trip.
2Stirling Castle: where kings and queens ruled
If you only visit one royal castle, many of our guides would pick Stirling over Edinburgh. It stands on a crag above the town, and whoever held it controlled the route into the Highlands. Mary, Queen of Scots was crowned here as a baby in 1543.
The Royal Palace has been restored with brightly painted rooms and replica tapestries. From the walls you can see the Wallace Monument and the battlefields of Stirling Bridge and Bannockburn. Read more in our Stirling Castle guide.
Visiting: Run by Historic Environment Scotland and open all year.
With Scotland's Wild: Visited on our Stirling Castle day tour from Edinburgh, our Stirling Castle day tour from Glasgow and Day 2 of the 2-day Loch Ness tour. Castle entry is paid on the day.
3Blackness Castle: the ship that never sailed
Built on a rocky point in the Firth of Forth, Blackness is shaped like a ship, with a "bow" tower pointing out to sea and a "stern" tower on land, which is why locals call it the ship that never sailed. It was a fortress and later a state prison.
Outlander fans will know the courtyard as Fort William, where Black Jack Randall held Jamie. See our Blackness Castle guide.
Visiting: Run by Historic Environment Scotland.
With Scotland's Wild: A stop on our Outlander day tour from Edinburgh, along with Midhope Castle (Lallybroch).
4Doune Castle: the film star
Doune is a tall 14th-century courtyard castle that has had a remarkable screen career. It was the castle in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Winterfell in the first episode of Game of Thrones, and Castle Leoch in Outlander.
The audio guide includes commentary from Terry Jones of Monty Python.
Visiting: Run by Historic Environment Scotland.
With Scotland's Wild: Not on a scheduled tour. Add it to a private castle tour, or read about Monty Python filming locations.
5Castle Campbell: Castle Gloom
Castle Campbell sits high above the town of Dollar, between two burns with the names Care and Sorrow, which is how it got its old name, Castle Gloom. It was the Lowland home of the Campbell Earls of Argyll.
The walk up through the wooded gorge of Dollar Glen, with its bridges and waterfalls, is half the fun. Climb the tower for views over the Forth valley.
Visiting: Run by Historic Environment Scotland. The steep glen path can be slippery after rain.
With Scotland's Wild: Not on a scheduled tour. Add it to a private castle tour.
The East Lothian coast
East of Edinburgh, the coast is lined with sandy bays, golf links and two of the finest ruins in the country.
6Tantallon Castle: the ruin on the edge of the sea
Tantallon is a huge red sandstone curtain wall on top of sea cliffs, built by the powerful Douglas family in the 1300s. The sea protects three sides; the wall closes off the fourth.
Walk along the top of the wall for views of the Bass Rock, white with gannets in summer. It's one of our favourite ruins on a windy day.
Visiting: Run by Historic Environment Scotland.
With Scotland's Wild: A stop on our puffin boat trip and castle day tour from Edinburgh, which also views it from the sea.
7Dirleton Castle: a romantic ruin
Dirleton is a 13th-century castle built on a rock in the middle of a pretty village, with some of the oldest surviving stonework of any castle in Scotland.
Its gardens are the real surprise: an Arts and Crafts garden and a long herbaceous border that's at its best in late summer.
Visiting: Run by Historic Environment Scotland.
With Scotland's Wild: Not on a scheduled tour, but close to North Berwick. Add it to a private castle tour.
Argyll and the west coast
The west coast is Campbell country, and its castles come with lochs, mountains and some of the best photographs in Scotland.
8Inveraray Castle: a regal masterpiece
With its four round towers and blue-grey stone, Inveraray Castle looks more like a French chateau than a Highland fortress. It's the home of the Duke of Argyll, chief of Clan Campbell, and the family still lives here.
The Armoury Hall has one of the tallest ceilings in Scotland, lined with more than a thousand weapons. Fans of Downton Abbey may recognise it from the 2012 Christmas special. See our Inveraray Castle guide.
Visiting: Privately owned and open seasonally, usually spring to autumn. Check dates before you go.
With Scotland's Wild: A stop on our Standing Stones and Castles day tour from Glasgow and Day 1 of our 5-day Skye tour. Entry is paid on the day.
9Kilchurn Castle: Loch Awe's scenic star
Kilchurn stands on a spit of land at the top of Loch Awe, with the mountains of Ben Cruachan behind it. It was built by the Campbells of Glenorchy in the 1400s and later turned into a barracks.
On a still morning the ruin is reflected perfectly in the loch, which is why it's one of the most photographed castles in Scotland. See our Kilchurn Castle guide.
Visiting: Looked after by Historic Environment Scotland. The castle itself is usually open in summer; you can see it from the shore all year.
With Scotland's Wild: A stop on our Standing Stones and Castles day tour, our Oban day trip from Glasgow and Day 2 of the 5-day Skye tour.
10Castle Stalker: remote and iconic
Castle Stalker is a four-storey tower house on a tiny tidal islet in Loch Laich, with the hills of Morvern behind it. It's a sight most people only know from photographs, or from the final scene of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
It's privately owned and restored, and you can see it perfectly from the shore at Appin. Our Castle Stalker guide has the history.
Visiting: Privately owned. Tours inside are limited and must be booked with the owners, with a boat crossing.
With Scotland's Wild: Viewed from the shore on our Oban, Glencoe and West Highlands day trip from Glasgow.
Skye and Loch Ness
Three of Scotland's most famous castles sit on the road between the Isle of Skye and Inverness, so you can see all of them in one trip.
11Eilean Donan Castle: the movie star
Eilean Donan stands on a small island where three sea lochs meet, joined to the shore by a stone footbridge. It's probably the most photographed castle in Scotland, and it has starred in Highlander and the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough.
The castle was destroyed in 1719 and lay in ruins for almost 200 years until it was rebuilt between 1912 and 1932. Inside, the rooms are furnished as a family home. Read the history of Eilean Donan.
Visiting: Run by a charitable trust and open most of the year. It closes on some dates for private events, so check before you go.
With Scotland's Wild: A stop on our 3-day Isle of Skye tour and 5-day Skye tour. Entry is paid on the day.
12Dunvegan Castle: Clan MacLeod's stronghold
Dunvegan has been the home of the chiefs of Clan MacLeod for around 800 years, which makes it the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland. It sits on a rock above a sea loch on the west side of Skye.
Inside is the Fairy Flag, a faded silk banner said to have been given to a MacLeod chief by the fairies and to bring victory in battle. The gardens are lovely, and seal boat trips leave from below the castle in summer.
Visiting: Privately owned by the MacLeod family. Normally open from April to mid-October.
With Scotland's Wild: Day 2 of our 3-day Isle of Skye tour, Day 3 of the 5-day tour and Day 2 of the 7-day tour, when the castle is open. Entry is paid on the day.
13Urquhart Castle: ruins with a view of Loch Ness
Urquhart Castle is a ruin on a rocky point halfway along Loch Ness. It changed hands again and again in the wars with England, and was blown up in 1692 so that the Jacobites couldn't use it.
Climb Grant Tower for the classic view up and down the loch. More sightings of the Loch Ness Monster are reported here than anywhere else, so keep an eye on the water. See our Urquhart Castle guide.
Visiting: Run by Historic Environment Scotland and open all year. It gets busy in summer, so arrive early or late.
With Scotland's Wild: Day 4 of our 5-day Skye tour, where you can explore the area or see it from a Loch Ness cruise, and on our 7-day tour.
The north-east and Royal Deeside
Aberdeenshire and Angus have more castles per square mile than anywhere else in Scotland. These four are the ones worth building a trip around.
14Dunnottar Castle: clifftop majesty
Dunnottar is a ruined fortress spread across a flat-topped rock, joined to the mainland by a narrow neck of land, with the North Sea on three sides. Seen from the clifftop path, it's one of the most dramatic views in Scotland.
In 1651 and 1652, the Honours of Scotland were hidden here while Cromwell's army besieged the castle. They were smuggled out before it surrendered. Read our Dunnottar Castle guide.
Visiting: Privately owned and open most of the year, weather permitting. It's a steep walk down and back up, with a lot of steps.
With Scotland's Wild: Not on a scheduled tour. It's one of the most requested stops on our private castle tours.
15Glamis Castle: haunted and historical
Glamis is a pink-stone castle with turrets, the childhood home of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and the birthplace of Princess Margaret. Shakespeare made Macbeth the Thane of Glamis, although the real Macbeth never lived here.
It's also said to be one of the most haunted castles in Scotland, with stories of a secret room and a Grey Lady. See our Glamis Castle guide.
Visiting: Privately owned by the Earls of Strathmore. Guided tours run seasonally.
With Scotland's Wild: Not on a scheduled tour. Add it to a private castle tour.
16Balmoral Castle: the royal getaway
Balmoral has been the royal family's Highland home since Prince Albert bought the estate for Queen Victoria in 1852. It sits by the River Dee in the Cairngorms National Park.
Because it's a private royal residence, you can only visit when the family isn't there, usually in spring and early summer. Our Balmoral guide explains what you can see.
Visiting: The grounds, gardens and ballroom open for a limited season each year, with separate guided tours of some rooms. Book ahead.
With Scotland's Wild: Not on a scheduled tour. Add it to a private castle tour.
17Castle Fraser: a classic tower house
Castle Fraser is the grandest of Aberdeenshire's tower houses, built between 1575 and 1636 in a Z-shaped plan, with turrets and chimneys crowded together at the top like a fairytale castle.
Inside, the rooms still have the Fraser family's furniture and portraits, and there's a walled garden and woodland walks outside.
Visiting: Run by the National Trust for Scotland. The castle opens seasonally; the grounds are open all year.
With Scotland's Wild: Not on a scheduled tour. Add it to a private castle tour.
The far north
On the long road to John o' Groats and Orkney, two very different castles show how the northern clans lived.
18Dunrobin Castle: the majestic beauty
Dunrobin, the seat of the Earls and Dukes of Sutherland, looks like it has been lifted from the Loire valley, with its white spires and formal gardens running down to the sea. It's the largest house in the northern Highlands.
In summer there are falconry displays in the gardens. See our Dunrobin Castle guide.
Visiting: Privately owned and open seasonally, usually from April to October.
With Scotland's Wild: On the way back from Orkney on our 5-day Orkney tour and 3-day Orkney tour from Inverness. Entry is paid on the day.
19Castle Sinclair Girnigoe: ruins on the edge of the world
Castle Sinclair Girnigoe was the stronghold of the Sinclair Earls of Caithness, built on a narrow finger of rock above the sea near Wick. Its ruins hang over the cliff edge.
The Clan Sinclair Trust has worked to stabilise it, and you can walk out to it along the clifftop.
Visiting: Looked after by the Clan Sinclair Trust. Free to visit; keep well back from the cliff edges.
With Scotland's Wild: On the far-north coast on our 5-day Orkney tour and 3-day Orkney tour.
The south-west
The south-west is often skipped on a first trip, but its two great castles are worth the detour.
20Culzean Castle: coastal grandeur
Culzean (say "cul-ANE") is a clifftop mansion on the Ayrshire coast, remodelled by the architect Robert Adam for the Earls of Cassillis in the late 1700s. Its oval staircase is one of his finest rooms.
The surrounding country park has beaches, woodland and a walled garden. After the Second World War, a top-floor apartment was given to General Eisenhower to thank him for his wartime leadership.
Visiting: Run by the National Trust for Scotland. The castle opens seasonally; the country park is open all year.
With Scotland's Wild: Not on a scheduled tour. Add it to a private castle tour.
21Caerlaverock Castle: a unique fortress
Caerlaverock is Scotland's only triangular castle, with a water-filled moat and a twin-towered gatehouse. It was besieged by Edward I of England in 1300, and a poem was written about the siege.
Inside the walls is a surprisingly elegant Renaissance building from the 1600s. See our Caerlaverock Castle guide.
Visiting: Run by Historic Environment Scotland.
With Scotland's Wild: Not on a scheduled tour. Add it to a private castle tour.
Tips for visiting castles in Scotland
- Check opening seasons. Many castles, especially privately owned ones, close from about October to March, and some close for private events. Always check the dates before you plan your day around one.
- Look at passes. Historic Environment Scotland looks after many of the castles on this list, including Edinburgh, Stirling, Urquhart and Tantallon, and sells an Explorer Pass. The National Trust for Scotland runs Culzean and Castle Fraser. If you're visiting several, a pass or membership can save money.
- Book the busy ones. Edinburgh Castle and Urquhart Castle sell timed tickets and can sell out in summer.
- Wear proper shoes. Ruins mean uneven steps, grass and wet stone. Dunnottar alone has a long, steep flight of steps.
- Give yourself time. An hour or two for the big castles, 30 minutes for a ruin. Trying to see four in a day usually means seeing none properly.
The ruins often stay with people longer than the grand castles. Kilchurn on a still morning, Tantallon in a gale or Castle Sinclair Girnigoe on the edge of the cliffs are the ones our guests talk about afterwards.
Castle tours with Scotland's Wild
Many of these castles are on our small-group tours, with never more than 16 travellers and a storytelling guide who knows the stories behind the walls. Castle entry is paid on the day, so you can choose whether to go inside or explore the outside.
Stirling Castle Tour from EdinburghThe Royal Palace, Loch Lomond, Glengoyne distillery and the Kelpies.From £92 pp50% depositView tour →
Isle of Skye 5-Day TourKilmartin, Oban, Glencoe, two nights on the Isle of Skye, Loch Ness and Inverness.From £444 pp25% depositView tour →
Standing Stones & Castles Day Trip from GlasgowKilmartin Glen's stone circles, Inveraray Castle, Kilchurn Castle and Loch Lomond.From £90 pp50% depositView tour →
Oban Day Trip from GlasgowLuss on Loch Lomond, Glencoe's Three Sisters, Castle Stalker and Kilchurn Castle.From £88 pp50% depositView tour →
Outlander Tour from EdinburghFive filming locations in a day, from Blackness Castle to Lallybroch.From £96 pp50% depositView tour →
Private Castle Tours of ScotlandDunnottar, Glamis, Doune or Culzean: build your own castle route with a private guide.Tailor-madeAsk for a quotePlan a trip →Also see our puffin boat trip and Tantallon Castle tour, our Orkney tours with Dunrobin and Castle Sinclair Girnigoe, and our guide to the castles of Scotland.
Scottish castle FAQs
What is the most famous castle in Scotland?
Edinburgh Castle is the most visited, and Eilean Donan Castle is probably the most photographed. Stirling, Urquhart and Dunnottar are close behind.
How many castles are there in Scotland?
Estimates range from about 1,500 to more than 2,000, depending on what you count. Many are ruins or tower houses on private land.
What is the best castle to visit in Scotland?
For history and royal rooms, Stirling Castle. For views, Eilean Donan or Dunnottar. For a ruin with atmosphere, Kilchurn or Tantallon. Our guides also love Dunvegan on Skye for its clan stories.
Which castles can I visit on a day trip from Edinburgh?
Stirling, Blackness, Tantallon, Dirleton and Doune are all within about an hour of Edinburgh. Our Stirling, Outlander and puffin day tours visit several of them.
Which castles are near Glasgow?
Stirling Castle is about 45 minutes away, and Inveraray and Kilchurn castles are on the road west through Argyll. Our Standing Stones and Castles day tour from Glasgow visits Inveraray and Kilchurn.
Can you go inside Castle Stalker?
Only on a limited number of tours arranged with the owners, which include a boat crossing. Most people see it from the shore at Appin.
More castle guides
Last updated September 2026 by the Scotland's Wild team.
