The Best Castles in Scotland to Visit: My 15 Picks

Jess and I lived in Edinburgh for four years, and I’ve stood at and photographed every castle on this list myself. Scotland doesn’t make shortlisting easy. There are castles on sea cliffs, castles on islands in lochs, castles that are still family homes and castles that are three crumbling walls and a view. This guide is my pick of the best castles in Scotland to visit. They’re ranked on what a visit gives you rather than on which one photographs best. I also include the information you need: who runs it, what a ticket costs and how long it takes. Where the famous view is free from outside, I’ve said so. If you only have time for three, make them Edinburgh Castle, Eilean Donan and Dunnottar. That trio gets you the great city fortress, the picturesque loch castle from every postcard, and a ruin on a sea cliff, which is most of what people picture when they think of Scotland. Before we start, a note on castle ownership. Scottish castles split three ways. Historic Environment Scotland (HES) runs many of the big names, the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) runs others, and quite a few are still privately owned. Each group does its own ticketing, and the two heritage bodies each sell a ...