The Castle Rolls
Castles you can sleep in.
Of the 441 castles on the roll, 98 will let you stay the night - somewhere between a £20 bunk in a genuinely haunted Norman keep and a Relais & Châteaux suite behind medieval walls. Here they are, sorted by what you would be sleeping in.
Sleep inside the walls - 68 self-catering lets & apartments
These are the special ones: a holiday apartment, cottage or B&B room set inside genuinely historic castle fabric, where you have the place largely to yourself once the day-visitors have gone home. English Heritage lets rooms within the walls at Dover and Walmer; the Landmark Trust rescues medieval gatehouses and rents them by the night; the National Trust for Scotland opens whole wings of its tower houses. You cater for yourself, mostly - which is rather the point.
England - 34
Astley Castle
Warwickshire
Award-winning holiday let; occasional open days
Photo: Greg Storrar, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Auckland Castle
County Durham
Former bishops' palace-castle, restored 2019; self-catering Auckland Palace Stays cottages sit yards from the gates
Photo: Paul Buckingham, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Bamburgh Castle
Northumberland
Holiday apartments in castle towers
Photo: Matthew Hartley, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Berkeley Castle
Gloucestershire
Occupied by Berkeleys for ~900 years
Photo: Andrew Hackney, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Brancepeth Castle
County Durham
~76 open days yearly; castle holiday flat
Photo: Jo Turner, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Caerhays Castle
Cornwall
Spring gardens; castle tours Mar-Jun weekdays
Photo: Claudiu Bichescu, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Carisbrooke Castle
Isle of Wight
Bowling Green Apartment holiday let on site
Photo: Geni, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Castle Howard
North Yorkshire
Cawood Castle
North Yorkshire
Gatehouse holiday let
Photo: Chris Heaton, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Chillingham Castle
Northumberland
Self-catering apartments in the castle
Photo: TSP, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Dover Castle
Kent
Two EH holiday lets within the walls
Photo: Chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Durham Castle
County Durham
Guided tours; B&B during university vacations
Photo: Tim Green from Bradford, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Eastnor Castle
Herefordshire
Selected open days; exclusive-hire castle bedrooms
Photo: Philip Pankhurst, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Grimsthorpe Castle
Lincolnshire
Vanbrugh front on medieval-origin castle
Photo: Wehha, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Hedingham Castle
Essex
Intact Norman keep; seasonal events
Photo: Derek Voller, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Hever Castle
Kent
B&B in Astor Wing
Photo: Christoph Matthias Siebenborn, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Kingswear Castle
Devon
Holiday let; occasional open days
Photo: Nilfanion, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Nilfanion, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Leeds Castle
Kent
Maiden's Tower and B&B stays on site
Photo: Adusha, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Ludlow Castle
Shropshire
Castle House holiday apartments within walls
Photo: Gary Bembridge from London, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Marisco Castle
Devon
On NT-owned Lundy; Landmark Trust manages, keep cottages via Landmark
Morpeth Castle
Northumberland
Gatehouse holiday let
Photo: Sarah Clark, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Muncaster Castle
Cumbria
B&B in stable-yard buildings, not castle
Photo: David Rogers, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Pendennis Castle
Cornwall
Henrician artillery fort; two EH holiday cottages
Photo: Chris Holifield, https://www.geograph.org.uk/profile/21337, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Scotney Castle
Kent
Moated medieval Old Castle ruin below Victorian mansion
Sissinghurst Castle Garden
Kent
Elizabethan tower survives; famed Vita Sackville-West garden
Photo: HARTLEPOOLMARINA2014, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Sizergh Castle
Cumbria
Medieval pele-tower house; NT now brands it Sizergh
Photo: Christopher Down, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
St Mawes Castle
Cornwall
Henrician artillery fort; Fort House holiday cottage nearby
Photo: Kernow Skies, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Sudeley Castle
Gloucestershire
Katherine Parr's tomb; estate cottages nearby
Photo: Wdejager, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Tiverton Castle
Devon
Limited summer opening; holiday apartments in castle
Photo: Lewis Clarke, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Tixall Gatehouse
Staffordshire
Public access is by overnight booking only; the gatehouse stands alone in open countryside and is visible from the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal towpath (Tixall Wide).
Photo: Zorin14, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Walmer Castle and Gardens
Kent
Lord Warden's residence; two holiday lets
Photo: DeFacto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Warwick Castle
Warwickshire
Tower Suites and Knight's Village stays
Photo: DeFacto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Watermouth Castle
Devon
Victorian castle family theme park
Wray Castle
Cumbria
Victorian mock-Gothic castle; closed for refurbishment until 2027
Photo: James@hopgrove, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Northern Ireland - 4
Castle Ward
County Down
Gothic/Palladian mansion; estate tower house was Winterfell
Photo: Irishdeltaforce, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Glenarm Castle
County Antrim
Walled garden seasonal; castle tours select dates; estate stays
Killyleagh Castle
County Down
Exterior viewing only; two gate towers as self-catering
Photo: Peter Clarke (talk) Original uploader was Peter Clarke at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Narrow Water Castle
County Down
Victorian house tours on set spring/summer dates; self-catering
Photo: Eric Jones, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Scotland - 22
Armadale Castle, Gardens & Museum
Highland
Gardens and Museum of the Isles; open daily from March
Photo: Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)., CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Balmoral Castle
Aberdeenshire
Seasonal Apr-Aug plus winter tours; interior access limited
Photo: Stuart Yeates from Oxford, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Barcaldine Castle
Argyll and Bute
1609 tower house; B&B summer, exclusive hire winter
Photo: M J Richardson, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Brodie Castle
Moray
Laird's Wing sleeps 14 within the castle
Photo: Mihael Grmek, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Castle Fraser
Aberdeenshire
One of Scotland's largest tower houses; East Wing apartment bookable
Photo: Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Castle Kennedy
Dumfries and Galloway
Ticketed seasonal gardens around ruined castle
Photo: Tom Parnell from Scottish Borders, Scotland, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Castle Leod
Highland
~25 open days yearly plus private tours by arrangement
Photo: Craig Wallace, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Craigievar Castle
Aberdeenshire
Pink tower house; interior visits by guided tour
Photo: Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Craigston Castle
Aberdeenshire
Tours May and September; grounds anytime; exclusive-use stays
Photo: Bill Harrison, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Crathes Castle
Aberdeenshire
16th-century tower house with painted ceilings and gardens
Photo: Lucas Kendall, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Culzean Castle
South Ayrshire
Robert Adam clifftop castle; Eisenhower apartment and Brewhouse flat bookable
Photo: Jamesx12345, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Delgatie Castle
Aberdeenshire
Open daily Jan-Dec; holiday suites inside castle
Photo: August Schwerdfeger, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Drum Castle
Aberdeenshire
Medieval tower plus mansion; holiday cottage in courtyard, not castle
Photo: Bill Harrison, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Drumlanrig Castle
Dumfries and Galloway
Seasonal castle tours; country estate and gardens
Photo: Billy McCrorie, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Drummond Castle
Perth and Kinross
Formal gardens open seasonally; castle interior closed
Photo: PaulT (Gunther Tschuch), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Dunvegan Castle
Highland
Seasonal Apr-Oct; gardens and seal boat trips
Photo: Gillfoto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Eilean Donan Castle
Highland
Open most of year; brief winter closure
Ferniehirst Castle
Scottish Borders
Open July only, Tue-Sun guided tours
Photo: Victuallers, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Floors Castle
Scottish Borders
Seasonal; Scotland's largest inhabited castle
Fyvie Castle
Aberdeenshire
Preston Tower Apartment sleeps 12 within the castle
Photo: Anne Burgess, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Glengorm Castle
Argyll and Bute
Mull; B&B and castle apartment; grounds/coffee shop public
Photo: PaulT (Gunther Tschuch), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Kilmartin Castle
Argyll and Bute
Restored 16th-century castle; B&B and exclusive hire
Photo: Oldstonehomes, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Wales - 8
Cardigan Castle
Ceredigion
Restored 2015; B&B and self-catering on site
Photo: M J Roscoe, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Chirk Castle
Wrexham
Edwardian-era marcher fortress, inhabited 700 years
Glandyfi Castle
Ceredigion
Grade II listed Regency Gothic Revival house (1812); exclusive-use wedding venue and self-catering holiday let, sleeps 22 across 11 bedrooms
Photo: Glandyficastle, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Gwrych Castle
Conwy
19th-century Gothic Revival mansion under active restoration since 2018; filming location for I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!
Photo: Gwrychcastle, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Gwydir Castle
Conwy
Self-guided visits Wed/Fri/Sun in season; two B&B rooms
Photo: Hogyn Lleol, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Manorbier Castle
Pembrokeshire
Open daily Mar-Sep; closes for weddings; castle house sleeps guests
Photo: Ainslie, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Picton Castle
Pembrokeshire
Castle and 40-acre gardens
Photo: Waterborough, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Castle hotels - 28 where someone else cooks
Check in, and dinner is somebody else's problem. This is the broadest group and the most varied - it runs from genuinely medieval strongholds converted to hotels (Thornbury is Tudor, Langley and Lumley are fourteenth-century) to the great cluster of Scottish Victorian-baronial mansions built to look far older than they are. The notes say which is which.
England - 12
Amberley Castle
West Sussex
Medieval walls; dining open to non-residents
Photo: Peter Jeffery, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Appleby Castle
Cumbria
Castle hotel plus daily keep/grounds tours
Photo: Stephen Craven, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Bickleigh Castle
Devon
Grade I-listed manor around a Norman motte and an 11th-century chapel; main hall demolished after Civil War slighting.
Photo: Smb1001, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Hazlewood Castle
North Yorkshire
Medieval-core castle hotel and spa
Photo: Ian S, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Langley Castle
Northumberland
Daily battlements tour open to non-residents
Photo: Hadrianus1959, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Lumley Castle
County Durham
Dining and events open to non-residents
Lympne Castle
Kent
Built in the 1080s for the Archdeacons of Canterbury and restored 1905-12 by Sir Robert Lorimer; now a private wedding and events venue.
Photo: N Chadwick, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Oxford Castle & Prison
Oxfordshire
Malmaison hotel in former prison wing
Photo: APK, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Peckforton Castle
Cheshire
Full-scale Victorian castle hotel
Photo: Bs0u10e01, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Star Castle
Cornwall
16thC star fort hotel, Isles of Scilly
Photo: David Purchase, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Thornbury Castle
Gloucestershire
Tudor castle hotel; dining open to non-residents
Photo: Gareth James, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Walworth Castle
County Durham
16thC castle hotel near Darlington
Photo: Worldfootage, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Northern Ireland - 1
Ballygally Castle
County Antrim
1625 plantation castle; hotel since 1950s, famed ghost room
Photo: Kenneth Allen, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Scotland - 11
Crossbasket Castle
South Lanarkshire
16th-century tower plus mansion; luxury hotel
Dalhousie Castle Hotel
Midlothian
13th-century castle; falconry; non-residents can dine
Photo: RHaworth, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Dornoch Castle Hotel
Highland
15th-century bishop's palace; noted whisky bar; trading normally
Photo: Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Fonab Castle Hotel
Perth and Kinross
Victorian baronial, Pitlochry; spa hotel
Glenapp Castle
South Ayrshire
Victorian baronial; Relais & Chateaux luxury hotel
Photo: Markchristenson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Inverlochy Castle Hotel
Highland
Victorian baronial mansion-castle near Fort William
Photo: The original uploader was Jmb at English Wikipedia., CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Leslie Castle
Aberdeenshire
17th-century Z-plan tower house built for William Forbes of Monymusk, restored by the Leslie family from 1979.
Photo: John Andrea, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Melville Castle Hotel
Midlothian
1791 castellated mansion near Edinburgh
Photo: Shani Evenstein (שני אבנשטיין), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Stonefield Castle Hotel
Argyll and Bute
Victorian baronial overlooking Loch Fyne
Photo: Anne Burgess, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Thirlestane Castle
Scottish Borders
Guided tours Apr-Oct 2026; pre-booking recommended
Tulloch Castle Hotel
Highland
12th-century origins; Dingwall
Photo: Peter Moore, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Wales - 4
Bodelwyddan Castle
Denbighshire
Museum closed 2019; Warner bought castle 2021, adults-only hotel
Craig-y-Nos Castle
Powys
Adelina Patti's Victorian castle; adjacent country park free
Photo: Peter Morgan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Roch Castle
Pembrokeshire
Norman tower restored as luxury hotel
Photo: Alan Hughes, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Ruthin Castle
Denbighshire
Hotel and spa amid genuine medieval ruins
Photo: Rosser1954, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
The two ends of the scale
The cheapest bunk
St Briavels Castle, a genuine thirteenth-century royal castle and former King John hunting lodge on the edge of the Forest of Dean, is run by the YHA as a hostel - which means you can sleep inside a real medieval castle for hostel money, in a building visitors otherwise pay to tour. It is comfortably the best-value castle night in the country.
The grand end
Two of the stays below carry the Relais & Châteaux badge - Amberley Castle in Sussex, medieval curtain walls and a portcullis still lowered nightly, and Glenapp Castle in Ayrshire, Victorian-baronial but faultless. If the castle night is the occasion itself, start here.
Booking honestly
We don't take bookings and we don't sell rooms - each entry links to that castle's own page, where you'll find its official site. Availability at the self-catering lets in particular (the English Heritage cottages, the Landmark Trust gatehouses, the National Trust for Scotland apartments) is genuinely tight, often booked months ahead, so plan early rather than hopefully.
One honest note before you book
"Castle" is not a protected word. Some of the places above are medieval fortresses with a holiday flat tucked inside the walls; others are Victorian country houses built in the baronial style and called castles by their architects. Both can be a wonderful night away - but they are not the same thing, and the one-line description under each entry tells you which you're getting. We've split the list by how it's run first, because that's the practical question; the age of the fabric is in the notes.