castles scotland/wales

Last winter we went to Conwy, Beaumaris, Caernarfon and Harlech loved them. We spent a lot of time at Conwy, Harlech and Caernarfon, didn't have enough time (got there about an hour before closing) at Beaumaris. We only saw Criccieth from the outside because it had already closed. I would go back in a heartbeat! They were fantastic. We were lucky that sometimes we never saw anyone but our family when we went. I wouldn't miss them if I were you!

I can give some suggestions for Scotland. What ones you see may depend on the parts of the country you visit. First, I highly recommend Edinburgh Castle. The views, the history, the honors of Scotland, all make this Castle worth a visit. And, then after your castle visit you can walk down the Royal Mile to check some other sights. My second recommendation is Stirling Castle. This Castle also has key historic roles. And the geography is amazing. Like Edinburgh Castle it is managed by Historic Scotland. The Great Hall, the Chapel, the Kitchen and the site itself are worth a visit. Depending on when you're visiting the newly restored Renaissance Palace may be open. If you are a Monty Python fan, you can't miss Castle Doune. It's the castle featured in the Search for the Holy Grail. It's in a small town on river will not have crowds of people. If you are traveling by train, Blair Castle is a good Castle that's easy to get to. It's near Pitlochry on the rail line and you can walk to it from the train station. Eilean Donan Castle, near Skye, is very picturesque. The inside is nothing spectacular. A nice stop though if you are in the area. Aberdeenshire has lots of castles. It's hard to pick out one. If you're castle mad, then do a trip to this part of the country. I can give more info if you want. I like Glamis (pronounced Glams) Castle is quite good in Perthshire. It's the former home of the Queen Mum. In the Inverness area, I like both Urquhart Castle - a ruin on Loch Ness - and Cawdor Castle which has wonderful gardens. Mull has some lovely Castles if you go there. Pam

Pamela;
is "Blair" castle the same as "Blair Atholl" which as i recall is still lived in by the family?

Yes. Its listed as Blair Castle, Atholl Estates. It's the one where they have the right to have their own "army." You take the train to Blair Atholl. There is a hotel right at the train station and they let me leave my bag there while I walked up to the Castle. The Estate has lots of activities. And in late August their are horse trials. Pam

Pamela: Thanks. I remember the bit about the right to keep an army. very highly recommended to nme by the locals

Which sort of castle do you want? There are several restored ones such as Warwick (in England); ruined ones in all states of disrepair such as Doune, Urquhart, Duntulm or Strome (I recommend any of those); and many fake ones built by rich Victorians in the 19th century. We haven't visited the Welsh ones, but visited many of the Scottish ones this past summer. In general the ruins of Scottish castles are much scantier than the ruins of English castles.

Laura nailed the ones for northern Wales. If time were a factor, I´d skip Beaumaris. If I could get to only one, it would be Harlech. If you´re not carefule, the regimental museum at Caernarfon can slow you down. Scotland can´t hold a candle to Wales for castles. My list would die after Edinburgh, Clamis, and Stirling. I´d skip all three for a couple of days in the castles of southern Wales.

Thanks everyone for your recommendations. It helps when there are so many to choose from!

The castles you will see in Wales are ruins. Scotland is where you will see gorgeous castles. We loved Blair, Glamis, Cawdor, and Floors-all fully furnished. The only bagpiper we heard on two trips to Scotland was at Blair Castle. Glamis, IMO, is exactly what a castle should look like. Only one room is up for touring at Balmoral Castle but the 50,000 acre land that it sits on is exquisite. The gardens there were designed (and tended at times) by Prince Phillip.

Wow! Decisions.......we can't see them all. Fabulous suggestions...thanks!

Lori, you might want to check out these websites. http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/ http://www.nts.org.uk/Home/ Pam

Yes, the ones in Wales are ruins, but the ones I listed all have huge parts that have been reconstructed. For me, I think of castles as being from the middle ages and prefer to see them rather than the ones from the 1500s and on. Although, I did love Hampton Court Palace! There are 2 great websites for Wales castles:
http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/ http://www.castlewales.com/

Yes, the history of the castles is part of the fascination. Stirling and Edinburgh have been in continuous use. A lot the castles - in Scotland often Tower Houses - were torn down or remodeled completely. Others were adapted. I read an interesting article on castles that mentioned Fraser Castle in Aberdeenshire. The Fraser kept their Tower House which was the original keep and added on more towers to meet new needs in the new 16th century. ; ) In Scotland, Historic Scotland properties are often ruins. Kildrummy Castle is a ruin, but it's quite impressive and the view over the countryside tells you why it was situated in that spot. The National Trust for Scotland properties tend to be ones that can be termed "stately castles" which means more luxury and less defense. Dunrobin Castle looks like a fairy tale castle on the coast, but when you go inside you can still find that original keep. Pam

Good information. Thank you! You have really studied them!