Category guide
Castles in Scotland
From ruined keeps to fully furnished royal residences, with grounds worth exploring either way.
Scotland has more castles per square mile than almost anywhere, and the family-friendly ones tend to be the bigger, better-preserved sites with interactive displays and grounds large enough to run around in afterwards.
Most charge admission, though the grounds are sometimes free even where the castle interior isn't — worth checking before you go if the castle itself is a hard sell to younger visitors.
Read our guide: Castles kids will actually enjoy
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Edinburgh And Lothians
Edinburgh Castle
Iconic castle on Castle Rock with museums, cannons, and panoramic city views.
Loch Lomond And Trossachs
Stirling Castle
Historic castle with interactive exhibits and panoramic views.
Angus And Dundee
Glamis Castle
Historic castle with gardens and family events.
Perthshire
Scone Palace
Historic palace with maze, gardens and peacocks roaming the grounds.
Argyll And The Isles
Inveraray Castle
Historic castle and gardens on the shores of Loch Fyne with family-friendly grounds.
Ayrshire And Arran
Culzean Castle and Country Park
Historic castle with extensive country park, adventure play areas, woodlands, and trails.
Loch Lomond And Trossachs
Doune Castle
Medieval castle famous for film and TV appearances with interactive family trails.
Aberdeen And Aberdeenshire
Dunnottar Castle
Dramatic cliff-top ruins with stunning sea views and historical exhibits.
Highlands
Urquhart Castle
Iconic castle overlooking Loch Ness with interactive exhibits and a visitor centre.
Edinburgh And Lothians
Linlithgow Palace
Royal palace and historic gardens with trails suitable for children.
Fife
Falkland Palace
Renaissance palace with gardens, maze, and indoor exhibits suitable for families.
Edinburgh And Lothians
Tantallon Castle
Dramatic cliff-edge castle ruins with breathtaking coastal views and family trails.
Edinburgh And Lothians
Blackness Castle
Historic fortress on the Firth of Forth with scenic walks and family-friendly exploration.
Aberdeen And Aberdeenshire
Crathes Castle
17th-century castle with gardens, woodland walks, and indoor exhibits for families.
Ayrshire And Arran
Lochranza Castle
Picturesque ruined castle on the shore of Lochranza with views over the bay.
Highlands
Eilean Donan Castle
Scotland's most photographed castle, on its own islet where three lochs meet.
Highlands
Dunrobin Castle
Fairytale castle near Golspie with formal gardens and falconry displays.
Highlands
Castle of Mey
The late Queen Mother's former Caithness home, with gardens and animal centre.
Skye
Dunvegan Castle and Gardens
Seat of the Clan MacLeod for 800 years, with gardens running down to the loch.
Aberdeen And Aberdeenshire
Fyvie Castle
Five-towered castle with elaborate interiors and a loch-side estate to explore.
Aberdeen And Aberdeenshire
Craigievar Castle
Pink harled tower house, one of Scotland's best-preserved 17th-century castles.
Aberdeen And Aberdeenshire
Drum Castle
One of Scotland's oldest tower houses, set in woodland with a walled rose garden.
Argyll And The Isles
Dunstaffnage Castle
13th-century castle on a rocky promontory near Oban with views over the bay.
Argyll And The Isles
Duart Castle
Ancient seat of Clan Maclean, on a headland with sweeping views of the Sound of Mull.
Perthshire
Blair Castle
White turreted castle near Pitlochry, home of Scotland's only private army.
Dumfries And Galloway
Caerlaverock Castle
Unique triangular moated castle surrounded by a nature reserve.
Dumfries And Galloway
Drumlanrig Castle
Pink sandstone castle with a country park, cycle trails and adventure playground.
Glasgow And Clyde Valley
Craignethan Castle
Ruined artillery fortification above the River Nethan, one of the last castles built in Scotland.
Glasgow And Clyde Valley
Bothwell Castle
One of Scotland's largest and finest medieval castles, set above a bend in the River Clyde.
Ayrshire And Arran
Portencross Castle
Small medieval tower on a rocky headland near West Kilbride, free to explore.
Scottish Borders
Floors Castle
Scotland's largest inhabited castle, overlooking the River Tweed at Kelso.
Scottish Borders
Smailholm Tower
Compact 15th-century tower house on a rocky knoll near Kelso, with far-reaching Border views.
Scottish Borders
Neidpath Castle
Medieval tower house above the Tweed just outside Peebles.
Glasgow And Clyde Valley
Dumbarton Castle
Castle on a dramatic volcanic rock above the Clyde, with one of the longest recorded histories of any fortification in Britain.
Glasgow And Clyde Valley
Newark Castle
Well-preserved 15th and 16th-century castle on the Clyde shore at Port Glasgow, free to explore.
Edinburgh And Lothians
Palace of Holyroodhouse
The King's official Edinburgh residence, at the foot of the Royal Mile, with state rooms and ruined abbey grounds.
Argyll And The Isles
Rothesay Castle
Unique circular moated castle on the Isle of Bute, one of the most unusual castle designs in Scotland.