B&B vs Castle in Scotland

Is this for yourself or are there more people? I have rented a manor house an hour and a half north of Edinburgh in Perthshire. Wester Brewlands sleeps up to 14 and is a grand home. We had a total of nine when we rented Wester Brewlands. Large enough so that everyone had their space. Formal croquet lawn that we used every afternoon when we all returned from our travels. Cocktails and croquet. Great trip. Everybody loved the trip. Fabulous kitchen and large dining room. There is also 2 lochs on the property with boats. The old stone boat house was great. That's where the boat was stored. There are several listings for castle and manor house rentals. Do a search for Wester Brewlands and it will come up. Here is one of the websites that I grabbed that has a few pictures, even of the boat house. Hope this helps. www.scotland-holiday-cottage.com/perthshire/brewlands.htm

Thanks for the cottage link. I am looking for something different. It will be for 1 maybe 2 nights. It will be for myself and wife. Any other thoughts?

Jack, if you're looking to stay in Edinburgh itself, I would recommend a small hotel or B&B. Castle are best stayed in out in the countryside. For example, I stayed at Stonefield Castle on Loch Fyne about nine years ago and really enjoyed it. Here's a link to help search for others. http://www.scotland-inverness.co.uk/Chatelaine/accomm.htm In Edinburgh I've found a couple of places that I like. I prefer to stay over in or near New Town. One place I have enjoyed is the small hotel The Inverleith. It's near the Botanic Gardens and is an easy bus ride up to either The Royal Mile or Prince's St. Most recently I stay at The Walton which is a little further up the hill in New Town. It was very nice. Pam

You might check with the National Trust (http://www.nationaltrustcottages.co.uk/) they have historic properties that they rent as "self-catering". That means you do your own cooking and cleaning (might have to supply your own linens- ask). You'd be staying in a confirmed historic property though. I know some are cottages, others are "stately homes"/manor houses and some are unique- old lighthouse, etc. They are located all over the UK. Also, In Britan magazine had an article a few years ago about castles that had been converted to hotels and even a couple that were hostles- again all over the UK. Your library may have back issues- but also check the internet.

Jack, Last summer our family stayed at Mingalar B&B in Edinburgh. http://www.mingalar.eu/

When my wife and I stayed in Edinburgh, we splurged and cashed in some time share points in order to stay at the upscale Hilton Caledonian hotel. OK, it's not staying IN a castle in Edinburgh, but we did get to stay right in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle (and they even gave us a room with a castle view.) It was an incredible luxury to stay in such a beautiful, old, classic hotel, and it was an easy walk to all the sites on the Royal Mile and in New Town that we wanted to see. A much different experience than the B&Bs we stayed in for the rest of our time in Britain.

We enjoyed staying at Amaraqua B&B in June. The dining room is beautiful. They have four poster rooms; I would ask for one facing the street. Lovely bathrooms, also. We stayed there because we wanted to be near Arthur's Seat. It's a little far to the castle (maybe a mile and a half). It you don't want to walk a lot, you could take a cab to the castle, then spend the day walking back. On a previous trip we stayed at the Caledonian. They have some rooms facing the castle. It is a very large old hotel with lovely public spaces. The Real Mary King's Close is worth an hour of your time. It gives a fascinating look into the life of the poorer residents of Edinburgh two hundred years ago.

Borthwick Castle could be an option if you don't mind staying slightly out of town - it's 13 miles from Edinburgh airport.