County guide · The Castle Rolls
Best castles in Argyll
15 castles across Argyll and its islands, from Inveraray - the Duke of Argyll's seat on Loch Fyne, and the most-reviewed castle on this list - to Kilchurn at the head of Loch Awe, where the interior is closed for conservation but the lochside walk to it stays open. Offshore, Duart holds the Clan Maclean seat on Mull, and Castle Sween on the Knapdale shore is reckoned one of the oldest stone castles standing in Scotland.
Map
Every castle on this list - 15 in total, 4 free to enter, 4 you can stay overnight in
Inveraray Castle
Argyll and Bute
Seasonal Apr-Oct
Photo: DeFacto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Kilchurn Castle
Argyll and Bute
Interior closed for conservation; exterior walk on Loch Awe open
Photo: Brian Deegan, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Duart Castle
Argyll and Bute
Seasonal Apr-Oct; Isle of Mull
Photo: Worldfootage, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Dunstaffnage Castle and Chapel
Argyll and Bute
13th-century MacDougall stronghold near Oban
Photo: Raibeart MacAoidh, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Dunollie Castle
Argyll and Bute
15th-century tower ruin above Oban, ancestral seat of Clan MacDougall.
Photo: Anne Burgess, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Castle Stalker
Argyll and Bute
Pre-booked tide-dependent boat tours; ~12 people/day; 2026 dates released
Photo: Andrewmckie, 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
Rothesay Castle
Argyll and Bute
Unique circular moated castle on Bute
Photo: DeFacto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Carnasserie Castle
Argyll and Bute Free entry
Free; overlooks Kilmartin Glen
Photo: Anne Burgess, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Skipness Castle and Chapel
Argyll and Bute Free entry
Free castle with 16th-century tower house, Kintyre
Photo: chdphd, CC BY-SA 4.0, 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
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
Castle Sween
Argyll and Bute Free entry
Free; possibly Scotland's oldest standing castle
Photo: Rob Farrow, CC BY-SA 2.0, 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
Common questions
How many castles are there in Argyll?
This roll lists 15 visitable castles, fortresses and tower houses in Argyll. Of those, 4 are free to enter and 5 charge admission. The other 6 have restricted access.
Which castles in Argyll are free to visit?
4 of the 15 castles in Argyll are open-access sites with no admission charge, namely Carnasserie Castle, Skipness Castle and Chapel, Castle Sween and Dunyvaig Castle.
What is the best-rated castle in Argyll?
Barcaldine Castle is among the highest-rated castles in Argyll on this roll - 4.9/5 from 266 Google reviews.
Can you stay overnight in a castle in Argyll?
Yes - 4 of the castles listed here offer overnight stays, namely Stonefield Castle Hotel, Barcaldine Castle, Glengorm Castle and Kilmartin Castle.
Can you reach any castle in Argyll by train?
2 of the 15 sit within 1.5 miles of a railway station, namely Kilchurn Castle (Loch Awe, 0.6 miles) and Dunollie Castle (Oban, 1.0 miles). Those are straight-line distances from the station to the castle, so the walk on the ground is longer than the figure.
Can you go inside every castle in Argyll?
Not all of them on the same terms. 6 of the 15 restrict what a visitor can see. Stonefield Castle Hotel, Barcaldine Castle, Glengorm Castle and Kilmartin Castle are hotels, so there is no way in without booking a room or a table. At Kilchurn Castle the building itself isn't open to visitors, so you see it from the grounds or from outside. At Castle Stalker you get the grounds or a booked tour rather than free run of the building.