The honest guide to sleeping in a castle.
Castle hotels & historic stays in the UK
We've checked thousands of UK places to stay that use the word 'castle'. Only around one in seven turns out to be a genuine castle stay.
1 in 7
places to stay with "castle" in the name is a genuine castle stay. How we check
96
castle hotels and whole castles to rent across Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland, each rated on our scale. See them all
17
true castles where at least some rooms are inside the historic walls. See the true castles
Every stay is rated on our Castle Authenticity Scale, based on the building's history. We use official heritage records, the hotels themselves and our own research.
Castle hotels by country
Know what's real
The Castle Authenticity Scale
Our scale says what a building is, not how good the hotel is. A simple B&B in a 15th-century tower can score higher than a five-star resort with 'castle' in its name.
- Level 5True CastleBuilt as a castle, tower house or fortified house, and you sleep inside those historic walls.
- Level 4Castle-Style MansionBuilt in the 18th or 19th century to look like a castle, often in Scottish Baronial or Gothic Revival style, without a defensive history.
- Level 3Tower, Fort & FollyA small historic tower house, gatehouse, fort or folly. Often one room per floor.
- Level 2Castle Estate StayA cottage, lodge or apartment on a castle estate. The castle is your neighbour, not your bedroom.
- Level 1Historic HouseA manor, hall, abbey or country house. Historic, but not a castle.
- Level 0Castle in Name OnlyCalled a castle, but not a historic castle building. It may still be a good hotel.
Featured castles
Level 5 True Castle
Thornbury Castle
Thornbury, South Gloucestershire
Sleep inside the walls
- Dogs allowed
- Restaurant
- Family rooms
Level 5 True Castle
Crossbasket Castle
High Blantyre, South Lanarkshire
Some rooms inside the walls
- Dogs allowed
- Restaurant
- Family rooms
Level 5 True Castle
Lumley Castle Hotel
Chester-le-Street, County Durham
Some rooms inside the walls
- Dogs allowed
- Restaurant
Level 4 Castle-Style Mansion
Portmeirion Village & Castell Deudraeth
Porthmadog, Gwynedd, North Wales
Some rooms inside the walls
- Pool
- EV charging
- Restaurant
Level 4 Castle-Style Mansion
Schloss Roxburghe Golf Resort
Heiton, near Kelso, Scottish Borders
Some rooms inside the walls
- Dogs allowed
- Golf
Level 4 Castle-Style Mansion
Peckforton Castle
Peckforton, Cheshire
Some rooms inside the walls
- EV charging
- Restaurant
Level 2 Castle Estate Stay
Muncaster Castle Coachman's Quarters
Ravenglass, Cumbria
Rooms outside the historic walls
- Dogs allowed
- EV charging
- Family rooms
Level 1 Historic House
Bovey Castle
Moretonhampstead, Devon
Some rooms inside the walls
- Dogs allowed
- Spa
- Pool
More ways to stay
Know before you go
Sleep inside the walls
A true castle can still put you in a modern wing. So next to the level, each castle we have checked carries a second label that answers the question most castle guests have: is my bedroom inside the old building?
Sleep inside the walls
Every bedroom is in the historic building.
Some rooms inside the walls
Some rooms are in the old building, others in later wings or annexes. Ask for a castle room.
Rooms outside the historic walls
Rooms are in a newer building or in the grounds.
Popular castle regions
Practical themes
Guides
How we work
Independent, and open about it
We use official heritage records, the hotels themselves and our own research. We read the heritage register entry for a castle before we give it level 4 or 5, and we say where a fact came from at the foot of each review.
We earn a commission from Booking.com when you book through our links. That pays for the research. It never changes a level, a note under What we'd flag or the order of a list. Read how we choose and our affiliate disclosure.