Magical castles in Scotland that you need to visit

Did you know that there are actually 1,500 castles in Scotland?

Some of these Scottish castles are even private residences.

You can buy and live in a castle in Scotland? Most of them will cost a few million pounds. But every now and then you’ll find one for under a million…!

And while some are very much habitable and up for sale, sadly some Scottish castles have fallen into ruin, though it does add a certain magical mystique to visiting those in particular.

But the good news is that there are still plenty of castles that you can go and plan to visit around the country.

Let’s channel our inner Merida from Brave vibes and head over to Scotland to explore the most magical and beautiful Scottish castles.

Magical castles in Scotland that you need to visit

Dunrobin Castle

Dunrobin Castle in Golspie feels a bit like finding a magical French castle in the highlands of Scotland.

This French style castle sits on the coast of Northern Scotland overlooking the North Sea and is absolutely a must for anyone visiting Scotland.

It totally reminds me of the Beauty and the Beast castle or what Beauxbatons Academy would look like. Not necessarily what you would expect from castles in Scotland but here we are!

Dunrobin’s origins lie in the Middle Ages, but a lot of the current building and the gardens were added between 1835 and 1850 by Sir Charles Barry. He was a famous architect who designed so many of the buildings around the UK that you see today, including the Houses of Parliament.

More recently in the 1960s-70s the castle was used as a boarding school.

Now however, the castle is still privately owned but open to the public for various parts of throughout year.

Things to know before your visit ⤵️

🚙 The drive from Inverness to Dunrobin Castle is just over an hour
🎟 Tickets for an adult are £13.50
🦅 On the castle grounds there are falconry displays!
🍃 Inspiration for the garden from the Palace of Versailles in Paris, you can totally see it.
🏰 It’s actually only open from April to October
🅿️ Parking is luckily free and it’s very easy to get a spot
🖼 Your ticket also gets you access to a tour INSIDE the castle.

📍Dunrobin Castle, Scotland

Hotels near Dunrobin Castle

Eilean Donan Castle

Eilean Donan sits along three lochs and has even featured in James Bond films AND Made of Honor with Patrick Dempsey. I need a rewatch immediately because I have only just found this information out!

But to the actual facts…

The castle was first built sometime in the 13th century.

Over time the castle fell into ruins throughout the centuries until the 1920s when the castle was actually restored. So while it was first built waaaaay back when, what you see today is quite new. Who would have guessed?

Today Eilean Donan Castle is owned and run by the Conchra Charitable Trust. Castle ticket prices are £10 for an adult ticket.

📍Eilean Donan Castle, Scotland

Hotels near Eilean Donan Castle

Highlands Adventures ⬇️

Kilchurn Castle, Glencoe

Another castle ruin that you can’t help but fall in love with. The castle ruins of Kilchurn are located on the water in Lochawe are absolutely breathtaking.

Our last day in Scotland we did about a three hour round trip drive visiting all the places that I still had on my list to visit.

I was desperate to get to Kilchurn Castle where I could live out my continued main character fantasies of being in a period drama as a princess escaping her kingdom.

In reality, there’s a tiny carpark a hundred yards back and a series of muddy slopes down a small hill (and warnings of SNAKES 🐍) to reach this overlooking point.

In a way, instead of becoming an expert swordswoman or skilled knight, my obstacles for the day were navigating muddy pathways, avoiding snakes and trying to not flash everyone getting off a coach tour when I was running for these shots.

But that’s the reality of travel. Not every day or destination is what you’d expect. If you zoom in you can even see the wire fence surrounding the castle, the castle is closed to visitors for conservation work.

However, it’s about making the most of it anyways and finding the beauty that is so obviously in everything, everywhere. And luckily in the end, I didn’t even see a snake, so no resorting to Parseltongue on this occasion 🐍!

📍Kilchurn Castle, Scotland