Key facts
- Operator
- English Heritage
- Condition
- Partial ruin
- Access
- Free, open access
Pinpoint
Etal Castle, Etal, Cornhill-on-Tweed TD12 4TN
Telephone 0370 333 1181
Possible Opening hours
Opening times change. Always check the official website before you travel.
| Monday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Thursday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Friday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Saturday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Sunday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
What survives of a border stronghold at the edge of the village of Etal is now free to enter after English Heritage closed the shop and museum on site. The ruins are compact but fully accessible, and a miniature railway runs from behind the castle to nearby Heatherslaw for anyone wanting to extend the visit.
Worth the trip
The miniature railway link to Heatherslaw Mill - reviewers flag it as a fun, unexpected extra for families beyond the ruins themselves.
Before you go
There's a free car park with toilets right next to the castle, and the site is dog-friendly with picnic tables in the grounds - useful to know now that the shop and museum have closed and there's less to browse indoors.
Reviewers consistently enjoy Etal Castle as a pleasant, free stop in an attractive village, with several highlighting the neighbouring cidery as an unexpected bonus and the picnic tables in the grounds as good for families. Multiple reviews describe the remaining structures as fairly modest shells, though information boards and drawings help fill in what's missing. Most see it as a nice short stop rather than a destination in its own right.
Free entry; shop and museum now closed
“A very pleasant place to stop in Etal if you want a picnic with the family. Two family tables in the castle grounds which are perfect in good weather.”— Paul Gipson, visitor review
