10 Famous castles in Scotland

Royal residence, military stronghold and prison, Edinburgh Castle has dominated the city’s skyline for centuries from the top of Castle Rock. From the battlements, look out across the rooftops of the Old and New Towns before heading inside to uncover some of the castle’s greatest treasures. See the Honours of Scotland, Britain’s oldest surviving Crown Jewels, stand beneath the medieval hammerbeam roof of the Great Hall, and feel the blast of Mons Meg, an enormous 15th-century siege gun as it fires precisely on the stroke of one o'clock. Finally, visit St Margarets Chapel, a tiny place of worship and the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh.  

Plan your trip to Edinburgh Castle 

Pass the gates of Stirling Castle to enter the refined world of one of the Stuart dynasty’s finest “pleasure palaces”. Transformed from a spartan clifftop fortress into a lavish hub of courtly life, art and politics in the 15th and 16th centuries, step inside its ochre walls and marvel at a remarkable restoration that returns the castle to the glories of its Renaissance heyday. See the magnificent Great Hall, its colourful ceiling adorned with its recreated Stirling Heads – carved oaks disks depicting the Stuart monarchs, biblical figures and heroes from mythology. Greet costumed characters milling about various chambers, and head down to the vaults where young visitors can dress up and play medieval games.  

Discover Stirling Castle 

Queen Victoria famously called Balmoral her “dear paradise in the Highlands”. You too can fall under the spell of this baronial jewel tucked among the forested hills of Royal Deeside. A private family home, the only room open to visitors is the Castle Ballroom where the annual Ghillie’s Ball is held. Here you can view an exhibition offering an insight into the history of the place and estate life. Afterwards, head outdoors to enjoy the formal gardens and grounds, lovingly overseen by the late Prince Phillip. Pick up a souvenir in the Mews Gift Shop or play a round of golf on a 9-hole course. You can even hunker down in one of the holiday cottages dotted around the estate.   

Follow in the footsteps of royals at Balmoral Castle 

Feel your heart skip a beat as you set eyes on Dunnottar Castle – perhaps the world’s most dramatically situated castle. Follow the path towards a rocky headland where ruined walls rise above a precipice with the waves of the North Sea thundering below. Explore the atmospheric chambers including the keep, chapel, dungeon and other remnants which formed this once impenetrable stronghold. Picture the pivotal events which unfolded here, from the concealment of the Honours of Scotland – the country’s crown jewels – to a tense stand-off with Oliver Cromwell’s army in the 17th century. Try to coincide your visit with dusk and watch from the coastal past as the sunset casts a fiery glow on the cliff and ruins. 

Experience Dunnottar Castle 

You could spend the whole day at Culzean Castle & Country Park. There’s far more to discover here than the castle itself. Roam across its sprawling clifftop estate, following woodland trails to gardens, secret follies and a sandy beach tucked below the castle. Little explorers will adore the imaginatively designed Adventure Cove and Wild Woodland play areas. Then head inside Robert Adam’s 18th-century masterpiece and sweep up the magnificent Oval Staircase, where columns shoot up to a glass cupola that drenches the space with natural light. View the gleaming pistols hung on the walls of the Armoury and look for details like the hidden staircases built into the turrets, once used by servants to travel seamlessly between floors. Take a pause in the Round Drawing Room for one of the best views across the Firth of Clyde towards Arran. 

Culzean Castle & Country Park 

Whether you can trace your roots to Clan MacLeod or simply love a good legend, there’s plenty to enchant at Dunvegan Castle. Come face to face with the mysterious Fairy Flag, an ancient silk banner whose delicate appearance belies its magical power – hear the story of how it is said to have protected the clan in its darkest hours. In addition to this treasured artefact, the castle is filled with paintings and other fascinating heirlooms connected to the clan. Outside, take a leisurely stroll through the castle’s gardens. Meander between woodland paths, waterfalls and pools, and take some time to enjoy the walled garden and fragrant rose garden. From the shore, appreciate the castle from its best vantage points, rising above the loch. 

Be captivated by Dunvegan Castle 

There’s a good chance you'll recognise Urquhart Castle without necessarily knowing its name. Its crumbling walls and towers rising from the banks of Loch Ness make it one of the most iconic spots in the Highlands and one of the most photographed castles in the world. Witness to centuries of conflict culminating in its deliberate destruction by government forces during the Jacobite rising in 1692, today it stands testament to over 1,000 years of history. Wander the among centuries-old ruins and imagine the banquets, battles and everyday life that once unfolded within this medieval fortress. Climb the Grant Tower for sweeping views along the loch, keeping your eyes peeled for the loch’s most elusive resident, peer into the remains of a prison cell, and see what’s left of the Great Hall.  

Visit the Iconic Urquhart Castle  

Walk in the footsteps of Scottish kings at Scone Palace, once the crowning place of monarchs including Macbeth and Robert the Bruce, and the original home to the sacred Stone of Destiny – also known as the Stone of Scone – before it was seized by Edward I in 1296. For more than 400 years, Scone has also been home to the Murray family, later Earls of Mansfield. Follow their changing fortunes through grand state rooms filled with paintings, porcelain and fine furniture – look out for a table gifted by Marie Antoinette, whom the 2nd Earl of Mansfield is said to have taught to dance a Scottish reel! Outside, make your way to the humble mound of Moot Hill, where Scottish kings were coronated, wander beneath towering trees or lose yourself among the paths of the Murray Star Maze. 

Visit the Scone Palace – the historic home of the Stone of Destiny 

With its conical turrets and formal gardens set high above the Moray Firth, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’ve accidentally stumbled upon a French château in the north Highlands. Climb the grand staircase to explore its elegant state rooms, peer into a library lined with more than 10,000 books and admire paintings and 18th-century tapestries in the Drawing Room. There are surprises outside too. Explore the Victorian museum, where an extraordinary collection of stuffed animals is displayed alongside archaeological treasures and 1,500-year-old Pictish stones. Back in the gardens, watch golden eagles, falcons and hawks take to the skies during a falconry display against the backdrop of Dunrobin’s Renaissance splendour.  

Pay a visit to Dunrobin Castle & Gardens 

At the end of a long tree-lined avenue, red sandstone Glamis Castle comes into view as if from a fairytale. Step beyond its turreted façade and into the world of the late Queen Mother’s childhood home, filled with intimate reminders of Glamis’ prestigious royal connections, from a telephone which had a direct line to Buckingham Palaces to the Drawing Room where Mary, Queen of Scots, dined in 1562. For something a little spookier, head downstairs to the medieval crypt encased by 15-ft-thick walls where Earl Beadie is said to have played cards with the Devil, or head outside to follow a woodland trail inspired by Macbeth. Shakespeare selected Glamis as the fictional home of the Thane of Glamis, further burnishing the mystique of a castle already brimming over with intrigue and legend.  

Explore Glamis Castle 

This list was created by VisitScotland to showcase a range of experiences. It isn’t ranked in any specific order.