Castle hotels · True castles
True castle hotels in the UK
Castles built for defence, where you sleep inside the old walls.
These are the 17 castle stays we rate level 5, a true castle: built as a castle, tower house or fortified house, with at least some bedrooms inside those historic walls. We only give level 5 when a heritage record or an equally strong source confirms how and when the building was built.
They are spread across the UK: eight in Scotland, seven in England, one in Wales, one in Northern Ireland. At eight of them every bedroom is inside the old building; at the others some rooms are in later wings, so check the Sleep inside the walls label on each card.
Looking for the look rather than the age? All castle hotels also includes castle-style mansions built in the 19th century.
The list: 17 stays
Level 5 True Castle
Mingary Castle
Kilchoan, Ardnamurchan, Highland
Sleep inside the walls
- Dogs allowed
- EV charging
- Restaurant
Level 5 True Castle
Menstrie Castle Stay
Menstrie, Clackmannanshire
Sleep inside the walls
- Dogs allowed
- Family rooms
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
Ballygally Castle
Ballygally, Larne, County Antrim
Some rooms inside the walls
- EV charging
- Restaurant
- Family rooms
Level 5 True Castle
Langley Castle
Hexham, Northumberland
Some rooms inside the walls
- Dogs allowed
- EV charging
- Restaurant
Level 5 True Castle
Lumley Castle Hotel
Chester-le-Street, County Durham
Some rooms inside the walls
- Dogs allowed
- Restaurant
Level 5 True Castle
Star Castle Hotel
Hugh Town, St Mary's, Isles of Scilly
Some rooms inside the walls
- Dogs allowed
- Pool
- EV charging
Level 5 True Castle
Dalhousie Castle
Bonnyrigg, Midlothian
Some rooms inside the walls
- Dogs allowed
- Restaurant
- Family rooms
Level 5 True Castle
Dornoch Castle Hotel
Dornoch, Sutherland, Highland
Some rooms inside the walls
- Dogs allowed
- EV charging
- Restaurant
Level 5 True Castle
Walworth Castle Hotel
Darlington, County Durham
Some rooms inside the walls
- Dogs allowed
- EV charging
- Restaurant
Level 5 True Castle
Freswick Castle
Freswick, near Wick, Caithness
Sleep inside the walls
- Dogs allowed
- Golf
Level 5 True Castle
Hazlewood Castle & Spa
Tadcaster, North Yorkshire
Some rooms inside the walls
- Dogs allowed
- Spa
- Restaurant
No stays match these filters.
17 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 |
| Mingary Castle | 5 True Castle | Highlands & Islands | Sleep inside the walls | - | 9.6 | Yes |
| Menstrie Castle Stay | 5 True Castle | Stirling, Loch Lomond & the Trossachs | Sleep inside the walls | 4-star | 9.5 | Yes |
| Thornbury Castle | 5 True Castle | Somerset & Bath | Sleep inside the walls | 5-star | 9.5 | Yes |
| YHA St Briavels Castle | 5 True Castle | Cotswolds & Gloucestershire | Sleep inside the walls | - | 9.3 | No |
| Crossbasket Castle | 5 True Castle | Glasgow & the Clyde Valley | Some rooms inside the walls | 5-star | 9.2 | Yes |
| Ballygally Castle | 5 True Castle | Northern Ireland | Some rooms inside the walls | 4-star | 9.0 | No |
| Langley Castle | 5 True Castle | Northumberland & the North East | Some rooms inside the walls | 4-star | 9.0 | Yes |
| Lumley Castle Hotel | 5 True Castle | Northumberland & the North East | Some rooms inside the walls | 4-star | 8.8 | Yes |
| Star Castle Hotel | 5 True Castle | Cornwall | Some rooms inside the walls | 4-star | 8.8 | Yes |
| Braidwood Castle | 5 True Castle | Glasgow & the Clyde Valley | Sleep inside the walls | 4-star | - | Yes |
| Dalhousie Castle | 5 True Castle | Edinburgh & the Lothians | Some rooms inside the walls | 4-star | 8.4 | Yes |
| Dornoch Castle Hotel | 5 True Castle | Highlands & Islands | Some rooms inside the walls | 3-star | 8.3 | Yes |
| Walworth Castle Hotel | 5 True Castle | Yorkshire | Some rooms inside the walls | 3-star | 8.3 | Yes |
| Freswick Castle | 5 True Castle | Highlands & Islands | Sleep inside the walls | - | - | Yes |
| Hazlewood Castle & Spa | 5 True Castle | Yorkshire | Some rooms inside the walls | 4-star | 7.9 | Yes |
Questions
How many true castles can you stay in in the UK?
We rate 17 castle stays as true castles, level 5 on our Castle Authenticity Scale. Each was built for defence or as a fortified house and has bedrooms inside the historic walls. The number grows as we check more castles against heritage records, so this page shows the current count.
