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Things to do in , Scotland: The Best Castles
Discover the best top things to do in , United Kingdom including Craigievar Castle, Braemar Castle, Balmoral Castle, Kildrummy Castle, Kindrochit Castle.
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1. Craigievar Castle
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 419 reviews
17th-century castle owned by the same family for over 350 years. Open April to September; access is by guided tours only. There are steep spiral stairs to the upper floors. A stunning castle in a wonderful setting, said to be the inspiration for Disney's castles.
Reviewed By 604colins - Derby, United Kingdom
A lovely old tower house converted to a fairly modern house. comfortable for the owners but with stairs linking the rooms. you can only visit with a guided tour and i think you need more time to take it all in and see everything properly. however it still worth a visit just to see how such tall narrow house were used and what the owners managed to do with them.
2. Braemar Castle
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 497 reviews
Enjoy a guided tour of 12 furnished rooms in this 17th century Castle. Ghosts and villains, Jacobites and high fashion, the story begins in 1628 when the Earl of Mar built Mar Castle as his Highland hunting lodge. Associated with all 3 Jacobite uprisings, the castle was burned by the infamous Jacobite, the Black Colonel, and was the base for the Earl of Mar as he planned the 1715 uprising. After the 1745 rebellion, it was a garrison for Hanoverian soldiers stationed there to make sure that no-one dared break the law and wear tartan or carry weapons. In the 20th century, the castle was home to American fashion journalist, Editor of Harper's Bazaar and wife of the Chief of Clan Farquharson, who decorated the rooms in her signature Schiaparelli pink. English and German audio guides and tours with friendly local guides who enjoy sharing their knowledge and stories of the area. There are hidden teddy bears for the children to count as well as a small gift shop which also sells teas, coffees and hot chocolate.
Reviewed By StigJim - Alliance, United States
Although the young volunteer who gave us the tour said she’d only been doing tours for a couple of weeks, she did a beautiful job. The castle has a fascinating history and the furnishings tell the story of what life here was like at various times in the castle’s history. We are glad we made this part of our Scottish castle tour!
3. Balmoral Castle
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 1,468 reviews
Balmoral is the Scottish home of the British Royal Family in Scotland and in 2019 the grounds, gardens and exhibitions are open to the Public on a daily basis from 1st April until 31st July. Admission charges include parking, access to the formal and vegetable gardens, the exhibitions in the stable area and largest room in the Castle, the Ballroom. The Ballroom Exhibition is the only room in the Castle available for viewing. Please note that other rooms within the Castle are Her Majesty The Queen's private rooms and as such are not open to the public. An audio tour is included in the admission price and guides visitors around the formal and production gardens as well as a number of other exhibitions located within the stable block. This tour is available in English together with Dutch, French, German, Italian and Spanish translations.You can also enjoy the waymarked walks and visit our spacious self service cafe and gift shops, which sell a wide range of Balmoral souvenirs.
Reviewed By cazroper84 - Bromborough, United Kingdom
We visited Balmoral this week and we loved every minute of the experience! What an absolute privilege to be given access to part of the Queens’ PRIVATE residence and for only £15 per person. Our tour guides, Kathleen and Gavin were excellent. They were extremely knowledgable and their good humour kept things fun and light hearted, whilst very informative. The fact that we only saw one room in the castle didn’t matter as the information and stories provided in the stable house and grounds was plentiful. We arrived at 11am and didn’t leave until 3.30pm as we were allowed to walk around the grounds freely. We loved the history of the estate and the fact that we were able walk in the footsteps of The Queen and Queen Victoria before her was exhilarating! Lastly...we have to thank Gavin for advising us of the best spot to camp in our motorhome overnight! What a view to wake up to...overlooking the river Dee in the Cairngorms National Park! Brilliant!
4. Kildrummy Castle
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 100 reviews
Reviewed By 242corab - Scherpenzeel, The Netherlands
my oh my what a magnificent looking castle is this. surrounded by green fields it was a delight to see this castle. there are some benches placed on the grounds. clear info so you can really paint a vivid picture. you can not only walk in the grounds but around it as well. there is a little shop and plenty of free parking and also free toilets.
