Five Spectacular British Castles You Need to Visit

Eilean Donan Castle, Kyle of Lochalsh.  Credit: Sorin Tudorut on Unsplash

Britain’s landscape is scattered with hundreds of castles. Its turbulent history and heritage can be seen from island fortresses to hilltop strongholds, and from ramparts and ruins to restored royal palaces. Here are five of the most spectacular British castles.

Windsor Castle. Credit: Wojtek Solarski from Pixabay 

1.Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle is the world’s oldest and largest occupied castle. It’s been a royal residence for almost a millennium and is where the Queen spends private weekends. 

Built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, this spectacular, sprawling pile to the West of London is used to host state occasions (such as Prince Philip’s funeral in 2021) and royal weddings.

Visitors can see where 39 monarchs have lived on tours including the state rooms, state apartments, and the grounds.

Eilean Donan Castle. Credit: LoboStudio Hamburg on Unsplash

2. Eilean Donan Castle, Scotland

One of Scotland’s most iconic scenes, Eilean Donan stands in splendid isolation on an island where three great sea lochs meet.

Surrounded by rugged mountains in the Highlands, the castle was built as a fortress in the 13th century and destroyed in the Jacobite Uprisings of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Now restored, it’s open for visitors and also welcomes overnight stays at a cottage 100m away from the castle.

Tower of London: Credit: Jamie Wheeler on Unsplash

3. Tower of London, England

A thousand years of history are wrapped up in this royal palace fortress, and prison.

Built by William the Conqueror, it has been home to monarchs including Henry VIII, an execution site to his wives and enemies, and for over 600 years site of a royal menagerie. Visitors to the tower in the 13th century were perplexed to see their first elephant and polar bears.

It’s now home to the crown jewels, used in the coronation of England’s kings and queens since the 1600s, and the guardians of the tower: the ravens. Charles II warned that the crown and the Tower of London would fall if the six resident ravens ever left; today there are seven (the requisite six plus a spare, just in case).

The tower is also guarded by the splendidly dressed Yeoman Warders, otherwise known as Beefeaters.

You can find more curious facts about the Tower of London here.

4. Conwy Castle, Wales

This magnificent mediaeval fortress – one of the finest examples in Europe – was built by King Edward I more than 700 years ago.

Framed by Snowdonia National Park in the distance, Conwy Castle towers over the harbour and town, which is still protected by an unbroken 1,400-yard ring of town walls.

Its eight towers rise above the most intact set of royal apartments from the mediaeval period in Wales.

Edinburgh Castle. Credit: Julia Solonina on Unsplash

5. Edinburgh Castle

Perching atop one of the seven hills Scotland’s capital city was built on, Edinburgh Castle dominates the skyline.

Acting as a military fortress, prison and royal residence over its 900-year history, it’s one of the oldest fortified places in Europe.

Home to kings and queens of Scotland, the Honours of Scotland – the oldest crown jewels in Britain – are on display in the Crown Room. Alongside them is the Stone of Destiny (or Stone of Scone), used for centuries in the coronations of the monarchs of Scotland.

The castle forms an impressive backdrop for the spectacular Military Tattoo, part of the world-famous Edinburgh Festival held every year in August.