Castle hotels · Five-star

5-star castle hotels in the UK

Every castle stay on this page holds a five-star classification on Booking.com.

Every castle stay on this page holds a five-star classification on Booking.com.

Five stars is a service rating, not a history rating. A five-star castle can be a Victorian mansion, and a simple B&B can sit inside a 15th-century tower. The level on each card tells you which is which.

On our Castle Authenticity Scale that breaks down as four true castles, seven castle-style mansions, eight castle estate stays, one historic house, one castle in name only and two still being checked.

The list: 23 stays

Level 5 True Castle

Barcaldine Castle

Benderloch, Argyll

An L-plan tower house built in 1601 to 1609 as a military outpost. All six guest rooms are inside the historic castle building.

Sleep inside the walls

EV charging

5-star · Guests 9.8/10

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Level 5 True Castle

Roch Castle

Roch, Pembrokeshire

A Grade I listed castle first built around 1200 to 1270. All six named bedrooms are inside the original castle structure.

Sleep inside the walls

EV charging

5-star · Guests 9.7/10

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Level 5 True Castle

Thornbury Castle

Thornbury, South Gloucestershire

A Tudor castle begun around 1511 for Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham. Guests sleep in the historic inner court, including tower suites reached by the original spiral stair.

Sleep inside the walls

Dogs allowed
Restaurant
Family rooms

5-star · Guests 9.5/10

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Level 5 True Castle

Crossbasket Castle

High Blantyre, South Lanarkshire

A 16th-century tower with a 19th-century house added, category A listed. Some bedrooms are inside that historic fabric.

Some rooms inside the walls

Dogs allowed
Restaurant
Family rooms

5-star · Guests 9.2/10

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Level 4 Castle-Style Mansion

Glenapp Castle

Ballantrae, South Ayrshire

Built in 1870 as a Scottish Baronial mansion by architect David Bryce, with no earlier defensive structure on the site. Guests sleep in the mansion or a garden cottage, not a medieval fortress.

Some rooms inside the walls

Dogs allowed
Spa
Restaurant

5-star · Guests 9.5/10

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Level 4 Castle-Style Mansion

The Culloden Estate and Spa

Holywood, County Down

Built in 1876 in Scottish Baronial style as a bishop's palace, not a defensive castle. Guests sleep in a hotel built around this 19th-century house.

Spa
Pool
Restaurant

5-star · Guests 9.2/10

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Level 4 Castle-Style Mansion

Schloss Roxburghe Golf Resort

Heiton, near Kelso, Scottish Borders

A Category B Scottish Jacobean mansion built in 1853, with no defensive history. Most bedrooms are in later wings, though 20 rooms are in the original house.

Some rooms inside the walls

Dogs allowed
Golf

5-star · Guests 8.9/10

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Level 4 Castle-Style Mansion

Inverlochy Castle Hotel

Torlundy, Fort William, Highland

A 19th-century Scottish castle, built as a private house rather than a fortification. Some rooms are inside the castle, others in a converted stable block nearby.

Some rooms inside the walls

Dogs allowed
Restaurant
Family rooms

5-star · Guests 8.8/10

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Level 4 Castle-Style Mansion

Fonab Castle Hotel

Pitlochry, Perthshire

A Scottish Baronial mansion built in 1892 as a private house. Some bedrooms are in the historic building, others in separate lodges.

Some rooms inside the walls

Dogs allowed
Spa
Pool

5-star · Guests 8.5/10

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Level 4 Castle-Style Mansion

Château Rhianfa

Menai Bridge, Anglesey (Ynys Môn)

A Victorian house built from 1849 to 1851 in French chateau style, not a defensive castle. Some rooms are in the original house, others in separate lodge and cottage buildings.

Some rooms inside the walls

Restaurant

5-star · Guests 8.4/10

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Level 4 Castle-Style Mansion

Dalnaglar Castle

Cray, Perthshire, Angus & Dundee

A mid-Victorian baronial house built in 1864, listed as a Category C curiosity rather than a real fortification. Guests hiring the castle sleep inside this 19th-century building.

Sleep inside the walls

Dogs allowed

5-star

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Castle hotel

Kinnettles Hotel & Spa

St. Andrews, Fife

Spa
Hot tub
Restaurant

5-star · Guests 7.8/10

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Exclusive-use castle

Machermore Castle

Newton Stewart, Dumfries and Galloway

Machermore Castle is offered as an exclusive-use rental with 10 bedrooms across the main castle and an annexe, on 30 acres beside the River Cree.

Some rooms inside the walls

5-star

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Level 2 Castle Estate Stay

4 Lomond Castle

Balloch, Glasgow & the Clyde Valley

Listed as a stay on or beside a castle estate. Check whether your rooms are in the castle itself before you book.

5-star · Guests 9.7/10

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Level 2 Castle Estate Stay

Hever Castle Luxury Bed and Breakfast

Edenbridge, Kent

Bedrooms sit in the Astor Wing and Anne Boleyn Wing, Edwardian additions from 1903, not inside the medieval castle itself.

Rooms outside the historic walls

EV charging
Family rooms

5-star · Guests 9.6/10

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Level 2 Castle Estate Stay

Cardigan Castle

Cardigan, Ceredigion

A medieval castle site restored as a heritage attraction. Guests sleep in Georgian buildings within the grounds, such as Castle Green House, not in the medieval castle walls.

Rooms outside the historic walls

Restaurant
Family rooms

5-star · Guests 9.1/10

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Level 2 Castle Estate Stay

Loch Lomond Castle Lodges

Balloch, Glasgow & the Clyde Valley

Listed as a stay on or beside a castle estate. Check whether your rooms are in the castle itself before you book.

Dogs allowed
Restaurant
Family rooms

5-star · Guests 9.1/10

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Level 2 Castle Estate Stay

Castle keep at Stanhope Castle

Bishop Auckland, Yorkshire

Listed as a stay on or beside a castle estate. Check whether your rooms are in the castle itself before you book.

Hot tub
Golf

5-star

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Level 2 Castle Estate Stay

Walworth Castle Cottage

Darlington, Yorkshire

Listed as a stay on or beside a castle estate. Check whether your rooms are in the castle itself before you book.

Dogs allowed
Hot tub

5-star · Guests 9.0/10

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Level 2 Castle Estate Stay

The Pipers No 7 Lomond Castle

Balloch, Glasgow & the Clyde Valley

Listed as a stay on or beside a castle estate. Check whether your rooms are in the castle itself before you book.

5-star · Guests 8.6/10

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Level 2 Castle Estate Stay

Knights Corner Stanhope Castle

Stanhope, Yorkshire

Listed as a stay on or beside a castle estate. Check whether your rooms are in the castle itself before you book.

Dogs allowed
Hot tub

5-star

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Level 1 Historic House

Bovey Castle

Moretonhampstead, Devon

A Grade II* listed Edwardian mansion, not a historic castle. The castle name was adopted after it became a hotel.

Some rooms inside the walls

Dogs allowed
Spa
Pool

5-star · Guests 8.6/10

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Level 0 Castle in Name Only

Le Petit Chateau & William de Percy

Otterburn, Northumberland & the North East

Castle in name only: the hotel's own site describes a French-themed gastropub and bed and breakfast in a former coaching inn, with no historic castle or chateau building and no heritage listing found.

Rooms outside the historic walls

Dogs allowed

5-star · Guests 8.5/10

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23 stays on a map.

Map tiles from OpenStreetMap.

Compare at a glance

Filter any column, or click a heading to sort. Guest ratings are from Booking.com (September 2026).



Barcaldine Castle	5 True Castle	Argyll & the Isles	Sleep inside the walls	5-star	9.8	No
Roch Castle	5 True Castle	West Wales & Pembrokeshire	Sleep inside the walls	5-star	9.7	No
Thornbury Castle	5 True Castle	Somerset & Bath	Sleep inside the walls	5-star	9.5	Yes
Crossbasket Castle	5 True Castle	Glasgow & the Clyde Valley	Some rooms inside the walls	5-star	9.2	Yes
Glenapp Castle	4 Castle-Style Mansion	Ayrshire & Arran	Some rooms inside the walls	5-star	9.5	Yes
The Culloden Estate and Spa	4 Castle-Style Mansion	Northern Ireland	-	5-star	9.2	No
Schloss Roxburghe Golf Resort	4 Castle-Style Mansion	Scottish Borders	Some rooms inside the walls	5-star	8.9	Yes
Inverlochy Castle Hotel	4 Castle-Style Mansion	Highlands & Islands	Some rooms inside the walls	5-star	8.8	Yes
Fonab Castle Hotel	4 Castle-Style Mansion	Perthshire, Angus & Dundee	Some rooms inside the walls	5-star	8.5	Yes
Château Rhianfa	4 Castle-Style Mansion	North Wales	Some rooms inside the walls	5-star	8.4	No
Dalnaglar Castle	4 Castle-Style Mansion	Perthshire, Angus & Dundee	Sleep inside the walls	5-star	-	Yes
Kinnettles Hotel & Spa	-	Fife	-	5-star	7.8	No
Machermore Castle	-	Dumfries & Galloway	Some rooms inside the walls	5-star	-	No
4 Lomond Castle	2 Castle Estate Stay	Glasgow & the Clyde Valley	-	5-star	9.7	No
Hever Castle Luxury Bed and Breakfast	2 Castle Estate Stay	Kent	Rooms outside the historic walls	5-star	9.6	No
Cardigan Castle	2 Castle Estate Stay	Mid Wales	Rooms outside the historic walls	5-star	9.1	No
Loch Lomond Castle Lodges	2 Castle Estate Stay	Glasgow & the Clyde Valley	-	5-star	9.1	Yes
Castle keep at Stanhope Castle	2 Castle Estate Stay	Yorkshire	-	5-star	-	No
Walworth Castle Cottage	2 Castle Estate Stay	Yorkshire	-	5-star	9.0	Yes
The Pipers No 7 Lomond Castle	2 Castle Estate Stay	Glasgow & the Clyde Valley	-	5-star	8.6	No
Knights Corner Stanhope Castle	2 Castle Estate Stay	Yorkshire	-	5-star	-	Yes
Bovey Castle	1 Historic House	Devon	Some rooms inside the walls	5-star	8.6	Yes
Le Petit Chateau & William de Percy	0 Castle in Name Only	Northumberland & the North East	Rooms outside the historic walls	5-star	8.5	Yes

Questions

Is a five-star castle hotel always a real castle?

No. Star ratings measure service and facilities, not the building's history. Several five-star castle hotels are 19th-century mansions built in castle style, while some of the oldest castles you can stay in are small guest houses. Read the level on each card first.