In 2018 we journeyed across Scotland from Edinburgh to the Isle of Mull and found ourselves completely enamored with everything Scottish. We are dreaming and planning our return with our sights set on exploring the castles along the south east shoreline. Flying from Spokane Wa, after a 17 hour flight, we will land in Edinburgh to shake out our legs, listen the brogue, sneak into every bookshop along our way and listen the street musicians along the Royal Mile, We’ll be sure to stay well hydrated “the Scottish way.”Then up to the area of St Andrews, perhaps staying in Fife. I welcome recommendations of alternative towns and local guest houses. With our sights set on exploring the castles, the more ancient and in ruins the better. Which ones would you recommend to us? And since my husband got his fill of driving in Scotland during our previous visit, how best to get to these historic treasures? Thank you for your guidance and recommendations. We will purchase our Rick Steves’ Scotland ASAP. In the mean time, we our anticipation resulted in a serious state of impatience.
Posted by
Delaware
1476 posts
Hi, zagfam,
Are you limiting yourselves primarily to the southeast coast of scotland, that is to say, Edinburgh and South? If so, then you have Tantallon Castle near North Berwick; Fast Castle, near St. Abbs; and if you are willing to set foot in Southern Britain, Lindisfarne Castle on the Holy Island. Unless you have a car, the last two will be nearly impossible to reach.
As you are willing to cross the Forth, and venture in to the East Neuk of Fife, and even farther north, there are several castles and abbeys along the North Sea coast. There is Aberdour Castle, which is temporarily closed; Ravenscraig Castle, near Kircaldy; St. Andrews Castle and Cathedral; Broughty Castle, near Broughty Ferry; Arbroath Abbey, where the Declaration of Arbroath (inspiration for the American Declaration of Independence) was signed; and Dunnottar Castle (probably the best of the North Sea shore ruined castles), near Stonehaven.
In addition to the coastal castles, there are dozens of castles, in all states of disrepair, throught eastern Scotland. The greatest concentration is in Aberdeenshire.
Without a car, you may encounter some difficulty reaching many of the castles. You could do some online searching to find out if there are tours dedicated specifically to castle visits. You should also obtain a copy of the Rough Guide to Scotland, which is more comprehensive than the Rick Steves guide, and covers a lot of areas which RS misses.
Best wishes for your travels. As you've already discovered, Scotland is a wonderful country! I'm sure that you are counting the months, days, and hours until you return!
Mike (Auchterless)
p.s.: Does your name have anything to do with Gonzaga University?
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
7206 posts
If you did decided to go into northern England, not far from Holy Island are Alnwick, Bamburgh, and Dunstanburgh Castles. Alnwick was seen in a couple Harry Potter movies while Bamburgh’s exterior was used in a couple episodes of Outlander. There are others Castles in the area too. You could also make the borders area abbey tour and visit Kelso, Dryburgh, Melrose, and Jedburgh. Currently, parts of each are undergoing restoration, but still worth visiting. In Montrose near Dunnotter castle we stayed at The Limes guest house. In Alnwick we stayed at The Oaks Hotel.
Posted by
Lincolnshire, UK
2320 posts
You should be spoilt for choice with many ruined castles to choose from BUT many of them are in the care of Historic Environment Scotland and have been closed since Covid as there is a blacklog of maintenance repairs and many have been closed for safety while they are assessed and repairs undertaken. These include Tantallon, Dirleton, Aberdour, Ravescraig, Linlithgow Palace, Edzell, Loch Leven Castle, Castle Cambell, Elcho and many others.
You will need to check on the websites to find out if places are still closed before you plan to arrive. Some may allow access to the grounds but not the castle ruins.
As well as Edinburgh Castle, Craigmillar Castle on the SE side of Edinburgh and Blackness Castle to the west of Edinburgh are open. Stirling Castle is open. Broughty Castle and Museum are open
Also check out National Trust for Scotland properties. These tend not to be ruined but there's a better chance of them being open!
One of the best websites for information is Undiscovered Scotland. Use the map page of the area you are interested in and follow the links to text pages with lots of information and pictures. It covers so many places ignored by the guide books and you will find many 'hiden gems' tucked away. I use this for all my research for Scotland and don't boither with guide books now.
Posted by
Genesee, ID
1840 posts
I have sent you a personal message.
Posted by
Gig Harbor, Washington, USA
1869 posts
"With our sights set on exploring the castles, the more ancient and in ruins the better. " It sounds like you like your castles the same way we like them. So, our most recent visit was June, 2022. We planned to visit many ruined castles and abbeys in the Borders region and in the area west and southwest of Aberdeen. What we found was many of them were closed off behind cyclone fencing due to unstable masonry. Nearly all had accessible grounds, but no access to the castles. The reason was damage from a huge windstorm and a severe shortage of masons skilled in repairing ancient buildings. According to guides and docents, priority for repairs is given to the more prominent castles. Unless you want to waste many of your precious vacation hours waiting for public transportation, you need a car to visit most castles and abbeys. The ones in remote countryside are often up very minor roads, even dirt roads. However, the many ruined castles in nearby Northumbria and Yorkshire seemed to be mostly open.
If you want specific information on particular castles (and do include the abbeys which are often much more picturesque), send me a PM.