Few countries have as many castles per square mile as Britain, and the best of them are far more than ruins. Some are still lived in, some were built to subdue a nation, and one or two will be familiar from the cinema. Every one of them has a story of kings and queens, sieges and escapes.
Here are ten to plan a day around, across England, Scotland and Wales. For each, we have included what to see, how long to allow and what else is nearby. Most castles are busiest at weekends and in the school holidays, and many sell timed tickets online, so it is worth booking ahead.
1. Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle stands on Castle Rock, the plug of an extinct volcano, high above the Scottish capital. There has been a fortress here for more than a thousand years, and it has been besieged more times than almost any other place in Britain. It is the most visited paid attraction in Scotland.
Inside the Crown Room are the Honours of Scotland, the crown, sceptre and sword of state, the oldest crown jewels in the British Isles. St Margaret’s Chapel, built in the twelfth century, is the oldest building in Edinburgh. Mons Meg, a giant medieval cannon, stands on the ramparts.
The One O’Clock Gun still fires on most days, a tradition that once helped ships in the Firth of Forth set their clocks. The Scottish National War Memorial, inside the castle, remembers Scots who died in war. The views from the ramparts over the city and across to Fife are wonderful.
Allow at least half a day, and book tickets in advance, especially in summer. Every August the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is performed on the esplanade. See our Edinburgh guide.
2. Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle, about twenty five miles west of central London, is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. It was founded by William the Conqueror soon after 1066, and it has been home to the monarchs of England and Britain for nearly a thousand years. It is still a working royal residence.
The State Apartments are filled with treasures from the Royal Collection, including paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens and Van Dyck. Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, a perfect miniature palace with working lights and plumbing, is a highlight. The castle’s grand halls are used for state occasions.
St George’s Chapel, within the castle walls, is one of the finest Gothic buildings in England. It has been the setting for royal weddings and funerals, and several monarchs are buried there, including Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth II. The Changing of the Guard takes place on some mornings.
The castle closes for royal events, so check opening days before you go. The town of Windsor, with Eton across the river and the Long Walk through Windsor Great Park, makes a lovely day out. It is easy to reach by train from London or by road from Heathrow, which is only about twenty minutes away.
3. The Tower of London
The Tower of London, beside the Thames at the eastern edge of the City of London, has nearly a thousand years of history. William the Conqueror built the great White Tower at its centre in the years after 1066. Over the centuries it has been a royal palace, a fortress, a prison and a place of execution.
The Crown Jewels, the dazzling crowns, sceptres and orbs used at coronations, are displayed in the Jewel House. They are still used by the monarch today. Seeing them is a highlight of any visit to London.
The Yeoman Warders, known as Beefeaters, give lively tours full of stories of prisoners, plots and executions, including those of Anne Boleyn and Lady Jane Grey. Ravens live at the Tower, and legend says the kingdom will fall if they ever leave. The White Tower holds the royal collection of arms and armour.
Go first thing in the morning to see the jewels without a long queue. Allow at least half a day. Tower Bridge, next door, has high walkways with glass floors. See our City of London guide.
4. Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle stands on a volcanic crag above the city of Stirling, at the point where the Scottish Lowlands meet the Highlands. For centuries, whoever held Stirling held Scotland. Many Scottish kings and queens lived here, and Mary, Queen of Scots was crowned in the castle chapel as a baby.
The Royal Palace, built for King James V in the sixteenth century, has been restored to look as it did when it was new, with bright colours, rich furniture and tapestries. Costumed characters bring the rooms to life. The Great Hall, with its limewashed walls, is the largest medieval banqueting hall in Scotland.
The castle is famous for the Stirling Heads, carved oak medallions of kings, queens and heroes that decorated the royal ceiling. Some originals are displayed, and copies adorn the restored ceiling. The kitchens and the regimental museum are also worth seeing.
From the ramparts there are views over the battlefields of Stirling Bridge and Bannockburn, and to the Wallace Monument. Allow at least half a day. See our Stirling guide.
5. Warwick Castle
Warwick Castle, in the heart of Warwickshire, is one of the most famous castles in England. It was founded by William the Conqueror in 1068, and its towers and walls rise dramatically above the River Avon. It has been rebuilt and extended over the centuries.
Today the castle is run as a full day out, in the style of a theme park, with shows, jousting, archery and falconry displays. It has one of the largest working siege engines in the world, a trebuchet, which is fired at certain times. The dungeons and state rooms are open to visitors.
The castle is very popular with families, and there is plenty to keep children busy all day. Events are held through the year, from medieval festivals to Halloween and Christmas. The grounds, landscaped by Capability Brown, run down to the river.
Tickets are cheaper when booked online. The town of Warwick has lovely old streets, and Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s birthplace, is about eight miles away. See our Coventry guide for more nearby.
6. Conwy Castle
Conwy Castle, in north Wales, is one of the great fortresses built by King Edward I during his conquest of Wales in the late thirteenth century. It was built in just a few years, from 1283, by the master mason James of St George. Its eight great towers still stand above the estuary.
What makes Conwy special is that the town walls built at the same time still stand almost complete around the old town. You can walk along much of the walls, with their towers and gateways. The views over the castle, the town and the estuary are wonderful.
The castle is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with Caernarfon, Harlech and Beaumaris. It is looked after by Cadw. Climbing the towers gives views across to the mountains of Eryri.
On the quay stands the Smallest House in Great Britain, a tiny red house you can peek inside. Plas Mawr, an Elizabethan town house, is one of the finest of its kind. Walk the walls, then have fish and chips on the quay.
7. Caernarfon Castle
Caernarfon Castle, in north west Wales, is one of the most impressive castles in the world. It was begun by Edward I in 1283, and it was designed to be a royal palace as well as a fortress. Its many sided towers and bands of coloured stone were inspired by the walls of Constantinople, the great city of the Roman emperors.
The castle was built to show that Edward had conquered Wales, and his son, the first English Prince of Wales, was born here. In the twentieth century, Princes of Wales were invested at the castle in grand ceremonies. The castle tells the story of these events.
You can climb the towers and walk along the walls, with views over the town and the Menai Strait. The Eagle Tower is the grandest of all. The castle also houses the museum of the Royal Welch Fusiliers.
Caernarfon is part of the World Heritage Site with Conwy, Harlech and Beaumaris, and it is looked after by Cadw. The town has a harbour and the Welsh Highland Railway, a heritage steam railway into the mountains. Eryri is on the doorstep.
8. Alnwick Castle
Alnwick Castle, in Northumberland, has been the home of the Percy family, the Dukes of Northumberland, for more than seven hundred years. It is one of the largest inhabited castles in England. Its grand state rooms are filled with fine art and furniture.
Film fans will recognise the castle from the early Harry Potter films, where it appeared as Hogwarts, including in the scene where the young wizards learn to fly on broomsticks. Visitors can take part in broomstick training on the same lawn. It has also appeared in Downton Abbey.
The castle has activities for children, including dressing up and medieval crafts. Its state rooms, in an Italian Renaissance style, are among the finest in Britain. There are tours through the day.
Next door, the Alnwick Garden is a modern garden with a grand cascade, a huge treehouse restaurant and a poison garden, full of deadly plants, which can only be visited on a guided tour. The castle and garden have separate tickets. The Northumberland coast is only a few miles away.
9. Bamburgh Castle
Bamburgh Castle stands on a huge outcrop of volcanic rock above one of England’s finest beaches, on the coast of Northumberland. It was the seat of the ancient kings of Northumbria, and a fortress has stood here for well over a thousand years. It is one of the most spectacular sights in Britain.
The castle was restored in the Victorian age by the industrialist Lord Armstrong, and his family still owns it. Its rooms include a great hall, armoury and kitchen. A museum tells the story of Lord Armstrong’s inventions, including aircraft and engineering.
Below the castle, a wide sandy beach stretches for miles, backed by dunes. Walking along the sand with the castle above you is unforgettable. The views across to the Farne Islands and Holy Island are wonderful.
The village of Bamburgh has a museum about Grace Darling, a lighthouse keeper’s daughter who became a heroine for rescuing shipwrecked sailors in 1838. Holy Island, or Lindisfarne, is nearby, reached by a causeway at low tide. Come for the castle, stay for the walk along the sand.
10. Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan Castle stands on a tiny island where three sea lochs meet, on the road to the Isle of Skye in the western Highlands. It is linked to the shore by a stone bridge. With the mountains behind it, it is possibly the most photographed castle in Scotland.
A castle was first built here in the thirteenth century, and it was a stronghold of the clans for centuries. In 1719, during a Jacobite rising, it was bombarded by government warships and destroyed. For almost two hundred years it lay in ruins.
In the early twentieth century, the castle was rebuilt by a member of the Clan MacRae, and it was completed in 1932. Inside, you can see the banqueting hall, bedrooms and kitchen, furnished as they might have been. It has appeared in many films.
The castle is on the main road to Skye, so it is an easy stop on the way. It is very busy in summer, so go early. The views of the castle from the lay-bys along the road are wonderful.
Castles are rarely in the middle of town, and several of these are best combined with a second stop. A driver who knows the way and waits at the gate turns a long day into an easy one.
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