We'll be in the Oban and then Inverness areas from September 3-8. We would really like to experience staying in a castle. Any suggestions?
Posted by
Camano Island, WA, usa
1518 posts
Visit Scotland web site has castle accommodations listed.
Posted by
Cincinnati, OH, USA
768 posts
Do you have specific accommodations in mind? As you're probably aware, but if not, check the tariff as there will likely be a premium for such. Also, are you traveling by car or will you take a taxi to/from the castle, or does it provide a shuttle? I'm a frugal traveler, so I'm not prepared for the higher cost of a castle-stay, and I'm totally ignorant of what staying in a castle would be like. I'm guessing that once your in the room, it's similar to a mid 19th century mansion-turned-B+B. If you're visiting in September 2018, you should probably make a decision soon as I would suspect such accommodations are limited, even in September, but then again, I'm not well-informed on the topic.
By the way, if you're in Oban and have a car and like castles, you might want to visit Inveraray Castle. It was the site of "Shrimpy's" humble abode on Downton Abbey. My wife's a big fan of the series, and when we were in Oban, it was must see. She was not disappointed, even though heavy rain didn't permit a walk through the gardens.
Posted by
Delaware
1440 posts
Hi, s-mahoney,
Check out Barcaldine Castle, just outside Oban. We stayed there in the 1980s, before it became luxury lodging. If memory serves correctly, it was a grand old place, with hidden passages and a grand kitchen.
Mike (Auchterless)
Posted by
Clemmons, North Carolina
233 posts
My friend and I are visiting next June. We are staying in Airth Castle. Seems like it is very nice.
Posted by
3123 posts
About castle hotels in general, I'll advise you to look at the photos and other indications. There's a very wide variation in what qualifies as a castle and how luxurious (or not) the accommodations are.
The Stonefield Castle Hotel in Tarbert (Argyll / Kintyre), for example, was never really a castle but rather an aristocrat's country house ca. 1830, and it was modernized ca. 1960s. The plumbing in our room was leaky.
Don't get me wrong, it was a beautiful place and not too expensive for what you get. Just saying that the label "castle" doesn't automatically mean you will be in the lap of luxury.