The Castle RollsA survey of every visitable castle in the United Kingdom
4.5 / 5 · 1,977 reports TOURS ONLY

Glenarm Castle

County Antrim, Northern Ireland


Glenarm Castle
Glenarm Castle, further view Glenarm Castle, further view

Key facts

Operator
Private (Glenarm Estate / McDonnell family)
Condition
Intact
Access
Limited tour days
Stays
Overnight accommodation available

Pinpoint

2 Castle Lane, Glenarm, Ballymena BT44 0BQ

Telephone 028 2884 1203

Website www.glenarmcastle.com

Possible Opening hours

Opening times change. Always check the official website before you travel.

Monday9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Glenarm's walled garden is the main event for most visitors - the castle itself is only open on select tour dates, and several reviewers who came for the garden never got inside the building at all. What is open regularly (garden, cafes, craft shops) is kept to a high standard, on an estate the McDonnell family still lives on.

Worth the trip

The walled garden, in particular during tulip season - the feature reviewers return to again and again, ahead of the castle.

Before you go

Check the calendar before visiting if seeing inside the castle matters - tours run on select dates only, while the garden and cafes follow a regular seasonal schedule. Book garden tickets online in advance.

WHAT VISITORS SAY · 4.5 / 5 across 1,977 Google reviews

Most visitors rave about the walled garden as the highlight, alongside a warmly personal guided castle tour and a well-regarded tea room, with several praising the family-run, lived-in feel of the estate. One less enthusiastic reviewer notes that the castle interior isn't always open (it wasn't on a Wednesday in early May) and some of the on-site shops were closed during their visit, so it's worth checking opening days before going.

Walled garden seasonal; castle tours select dates; estate stays

“We have visited Glenarm Castle Garden today. Lovely Tulips were all over. So beautiful. You can spend one whole day there. Nice Cafe, stone baked pizza much more. Kids will live it.”— Vipin Thomas, visitor review

Further reading

Castles: Their History and Evolution in Medieval Britain cover book
Castles: Their History and Evolution in Medieval Britain

Marc Morris

Find it on Amazon
The English Castle: 1066-1650 cover book
The English Castle: 1066-1650

John Goodall

Find it on Amazon
Castles of Britain and Ireland cover book
Castles of Britain and Ireland

Plantagenet Somerset Fry

Find it on Amazon