The 100 Most Popular Castles in Scotland

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Scotland has more castles than you can shake a stick at. No kidding, there are over 3,000 castles in Scotland!

Unlike people think of as “a castle” say in England or Wales, or on the TV for that matter, Castles in Scotland tend to be much smaller than you expect as they are essentially adapted, fortified homes.

Scottish castles often feature a mix of Gothic and Renaissance architectural styles, while English castles tend to have a more Norman or medieval look. Welsh castles, on the other hand, are often considered to have a more distinctive and unique style, reflecting the country’s Celtic heritage.

Not all of these castles are on the NC500 route to experience if you’re strictly sticking to the route, however as you’ll soon find out, Scotland has thousands of castles.

Scotland has a rich history of conflict and struggle, including the Wars of Scottish Independence, which saw many of its castles used as fortresses and military bases. English castles, on the other hand, were often used as residences for royalty and the nobility, and Welsh castles often served as political centres for the Welsh princes.

Obviously there are some huge castles such as the most well know castle Edinburgh Castle, along with Stirling Castle, Caernarfon Castle, and Dunstaffnage Castle.

Most Popular Scottish Castles

Here are the 100 most popular castles in Scotland for tourists.

Edinburgh Castle
Stirling Castle
Urquhart Castle
Eilean Donan Castle
Dunstaffnage Castle
Craigievar Castle
Balmoral Castle
Blair Castle
Caernarfon Castle
Conwy Castle
Caerphilly Castle
Cardiff Castle
Alnwick Castle
Bamburgh Castle
Berwick-Upon-Tweed Castle
Bodium Castle
Carrickfergus Castle
Chillingham Castle
Clontarf Castle
Dunvegan Castle
Dunrobin Castle
Edinburgh Royal Palace
Edinburgh Dungeon
Elgin Cathedral
Falkland Palace
Glamis Castle
Glencoe Visitors Centre
Inveraray Castle
Iona Abbey
Kilchurn Castle
Kinloch Rannoch
Kildrummy Castle
Lennoxlove House
Melrose Abbey
Moot Hill
Mugdock Country Park
Newcastle Castle
Paisley Abbey
Peel Tower
Rouken Glen Park
Scone Palace
Skara Brae
St Andrews Cathedral
Stirling Old Town Jail
Stirling Smith Museum & Art Gallery
Threave Castle
Tongland Power Station Visitor Centre
Tulliallan Castle
Urquhart Bay
Wemyss Caves
Whithorn Priory & Museum
Arbroath Abbey
Argyll’s Lodging
Broughty Castle
Castle Campbell
Castle Doune
Castle Menzies
Cawdor Castle
Corgarff Castle
Craigmillar Castle
Culloden Battlefield
Dornoch Cathedral
Drumin Castle
Dunottar Castle
Duntrune Castle
Edinburgh Castle Rock
Elcho Castle
Floors Castle
Fyvie Castle
Glamis Castle & Gardens
Hermitage Castle
Inverlochy Castle
Linlithgow Palace
Lochleven Castle
Meigle Sculptured Stone Museum
Melrose Seven Towers
Newhailes House & Garden
Paxton House
Pinkie House
Rosslyn Chapel
Stirling Castle & National Wallace Monument
Stirling Castle Gateway
Stirling Old Town Jail & Museum
Stirling Smith Art Gallery & Museum
Stirling Tolbooth
Tantallon Castle
Thirlestane Castle
Urquhart Castle & Loch Ness Centre
Wemyss House
Whithorn Visitor Centre & Museum
Abbotsford
Argyll’s Hunting Lodge
Boleskine House
Bowhill House
Callendar House
Castle Stalker
Cullen House
Delgatie Castle
Dirleton Castle
Dunkeld Cathedral

The castles above are in order by popularity to the best of our abilities from numerous sources. But do note, just because a castle is not as ranked higher by visitor counts over another, doesn’t mean it won’t be more fun to see and enjoy over another. Each castle is truly unique in Scotland!

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