County guide · The Castle Rolls
Best castles in the Highlands
15 castles across the Scottish Highlands, from Eilean Donan's postcard island setting to the wild, cliff-edge ruins of the far north coast.
Map
Every castle on this list - 15 in total, 2 free to enter, 7 you can stay overnight in
Urquhart Castle
Highland
On Loch Ness; pre-booking advised in summer
Photo: August Schwerdfeger, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Eilean Donan Castle
Highland
Open most of year; brief winter closure
Dunrobin Castle
Highland
Seasonal Apr-Oct; falconry displays
Photo: Dunrobin_Castle_-Sutherland_-Scotland-26May2008.jpg: jack_spellingbacon derivati, CC BY 2.0, 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
Inverness Castle (Inverness Castle Experience)
Highland
New attraction, fully opened February 2026; storyteller-led tours
Cawdor Castle
Highland
Seasonal May-Oct
Photo: Mihael Grmek, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Inverlochy Castle
Highland
Closed for conservation; viewable through protective fencing
Photo: The original uploader was Jmb at English Wikipedia., CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Castle of Mey
Highland
Seasonal May-Sep; closes late July for royal visit
Photo: Orikrin1998, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
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
Tulloch Castle Hotel
Highland
12th-century origins; Dingwall
Photo: Peter Moore, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Castle of Old Wick
Highland Free entry
Free; Norse-era tower on cliff-edge promontory
Photo: Flaxton, CC BY-SA 3.0, 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
Strome Castle
Highland Free entry
Ruin on Loch Carron shore; free, open at all times
Photo: Wojsyl, CC BY-SA 3.0, 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
Castle Leod
Highland
~25 open days yearly plus private tours by arrangement
Photo: Craig Wallace, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Common questions
How many castles are there in the Highlands?
This roll lists 15 visitable castles, fortresses and tower houses in the Highlands. Of those, 2 are free to enter and 8 charge admission. The other 5 have restricted access.
Which castles in the Highlands are free to visit?
2 of the 15 castles in the Highlands are open-access sites with no admission charge, namely Castle of Old Wick and Strome Castle.
What is the best-rated castle in the Highlands?
Dunrobin Castle is among the highest-rated castles in the Highlands on this roll - 4.7/5 from 9,485 Google reviews.
Can you stay overnight in a castle in the Highlands?
Yes - 7 of the castles listed here offer overnight stays, including Eilean Donan Castle, Dunvegan Castle, Armadale Castle, Gardens & Museum and Tulloch Castle Hotel.
Can you reach any castle in the Highlands by train?
6 of the 15 sit within 1.5 miles of a railway station, the closest being Inverness Castle (Inverness Castle Experience) (Inverness, 0.3 miles), Dunrobin Castle (Dunrobin Castle, 0.3 miles), Strome Castle (Stromeferry, 0.5 miles) and Inverlochy Castle (Banavie, 0.9 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 the Highlands?
Not all of them on the same terms. 5 of the 15 restrict what a visitor can see. Tulloch Castle Hotel, Inverlochy Castle Hotel and Dornoch Castle Hotel are hotels, so there is no way in without booking a room or a table. At Inverlochy Castle the building itself isn't open to visitors, so you see it from the grounds or from outside. At Castle Leod you get the grounds or a booked tour rather than free run of the building.