Top Castles in Scotland

There is a vast number of castles dispersed in all corners of this beautiful country. To me, this surely adds to the feeling that this country -Scotland, that is - is a place shaped by old legends and medieval stories that appear in front of our eyes till today. We don’t build castles anymore; we build skyscrapers. Still, the idea is the same: both are colossal projects with the aim to create an imposing feeling of admiration and respect. The idea of constructing castles and skyscrapers is simple: we, humans, are always in the need and desire to prove our capabilities on creating something equally magnificent with the natural wonders that surround us, such as mountains and the like. So here it is a short list of magnificent and spectacular Scottish castles.

It would be difficult to start with a Scottish castle other than the Edinburgh Castle. It is viewed as Scotland’s national symbol and it is the second most visited site of the whole United Kingdom (only after the Tower of London). Its construction started in the 12th century, but is continued up till the 20th century in what it seems to be an ongoing project highlighting Scottish history. And even if it’s quite hard to choose the best castle out of the 3.000 (!) castles in Scotland, I do think that Edinburgh’s castle qualifies to be the “king of the Scottish castles”.

The first construction on site took place in 1390 when Sir William Drummond built his home there. Some centuries later, though, and in 1848 in particular, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of England bought the castle. The Balmoral Castle was rebuilt and significantly expanded throughout the years. It remains a private property of the monarch till today. Located in Aberdeenshire, the castle is open to the public, from April 1^st to July 31^st. In case you spend your holidays in the city of Aberdeen after you booked your ideal Travelodge Aberdeen hotel, it would be really easy to take a day trip to the castle in order to breathe some… Royal air!

Presently the house of the 13th Duke of Argyll, the Inveraray Castle was originally built back in 1746. While not so old as other castles, this castle is distinctive due to its astonishing furnishing and interiors. The castle combines various architectural styles, such as Gothic, Baroque and Palladian.  It is also open to the public during the summer season. 

This is probably the most filmed and photographed Scottish castle and maybe the one to be depicted on the big screen, as well. Do you remember the movie Highlander? Well, it surely made Eilean Dolan known to many people all across the globe! Built in the 13th century, this small castle was completely destroyed in 1719 and rebuilt only less than a century ago. A bridge was added to make for an easier access as Eilean Donan, which is built on a small island where three lochs meet.