Castle tours in Scotland

It's estimated that there were once over 3,000 castles in Scotland. Nowadays, you'll find that some are in ruins and others are only mentioned in historical record.

Scholars estimate that there are over 100 castles still standing and in visitable condition. Discover the most popular and historically significant sites in our guide to the best castles in Scotland.

From coast to coast, Scotland has an abundance of beautiful palaces and impressive castles but of course, there are sites that stand out amongst the rest. Here are must-visit castles you have to see:

Want to discover more of Scotland’s amazing coastal and highlands castles? Read our article on the most famous castles in Scotland.

The British Royal Family owns Balmoral Castle and stay in the Palace of Holyroodhouse when they visit Edinburgh.

The Palace of Holyroodhouse is His Majesty the King’s official residence in Scotland and the palace is open to visitors. You can explore the adjoining 12th-century ruins of Holyrood Abbey, the magnificent throne room, regal state apartments and the Great Gallery.

Balmoral Castle, meanwhile, is based in the heart of Aberdeenshire and is famously the favoured summer retreat of the Royal Family. It has been owned by the family since it was purchased as a gift to Queen Victoria in 1852. You can visit Balmoral Castle in the spring and summer seasons but be sure to ask your travel consultant to check dates as the visiting times can change depending on whether The King is in residence.

Yes, you’re able to visit royal castles and palaces in Scotland. The Palace of Holyroodhouse is open to the public all year round and Balmoral is open in the spring and summer months but closed when The King is in residence. You can also visit former royal homes, such as:

Mary Stuart, known popularly as Mary, Queen of Scots, lived in many well-known Scottish castles and palaces before she was sent into exile, and later executed, in England. You can still visit them today, and experience the same stunning scenery she would have seen. Here’s a list of her former royal homes: 

Ireland has more castles than Scotland. Historically the Emerald Isle was home to approximately 30,000 castles. The majority of these are now ruins with the number of complete, visitable castles sitting at around 380.

If you're having trouble deciding where to go, check out this blog on visiting Scotland or Ireland. Altnernatively, for the ultimate Celtic getaway why not go on a combined tour of Scotland and Ireland? 

Yes, your self-drive tour with Nordic Visitor includes car rental with our tried-and-tested hire car suppliers in Scotland.

You receive a collision damage waiver (CDW) and an excess waiver to reduce liability to zero. On top of that, you enjoy unlimited mileage and the authorisation for two drivers. We don’t cover your road trip music: that is all up to you!

When you rent a car for your self-drive tour of Scotland with Nordic Visitor, there are some requirements that you should be aware of.

To rent a car in Scotland, you must hold a valid and full driving licence for a minimum period of 4 years. This reduces to 1 year if you are over 23 years of age.

Drivers aged 23 or 24 can take a self-drive tour with Nordic Visitor, subject to a young driver surcharge of £25 per day. You can hire vehicles in our rental car groups A, B, C or F.

The minimum age to rent a car in Scotland is 21. So if you're aged 21 or 22, we would be delighted to arrange your tour and provide you with information on how you can arrange your own car rental with specific suppliers who can cater to those aged 21 and 22.

If you are aged 80 or above, you can rent a car in Scotland so long as you provide medical proof that you are fit to drive. Please note this should be issued no earlier than 4 weeks before your travel date. You can hire vehicles in our rental car groups A, B or C.

Learn more about vehicle groups and car rental in Scotland on our travel guide.

Alternatively, you could leave the driving to a local expert when you pick one of our privately guided trips or guided small group tours of Scotland.

In most cases, yes. Many of our packages have flexible dates with daily departures. The exceptions are our guided small group tour packages, which have pre-set start dates.

Our local experts have a wealth of knowledge to pass on to you, ensuring every sight or attraction you visit is one that you won’t forget. When creating packages, routes are extensively planned with this in mind so that our guests see the best of Scotland.

However, if there are any areas or attractions in particular you’re keen to see, we can help add them to the itinerary depending on package. We can also add on extra nights in Edinburgh so you can see more of Scotland.

On a guided group tour, you’ll get to experience the sights in the company of an expert local guide and fellow like-minded travellers (a maximum of 15 per group). On these tours, you can add on days at either end of your journey to see more of the capital city, Edinburgh.

On self-drive tours and privately guided tours, you get to set the pace, meaning there’s plenty of time to explore. These tours are also very flexible, meaning you can stay longer at areas and viewpoints along the route.

We’d advise that you look over flights for timings and dates, but hold off purchasing until you’ve booked your preferred tour.

Once you’ve had a confirmation email from your personal travel consultant, you should then choose and pay for your flights. The reason for this is once you have all the details, you can make an informed choice on timings.

Also, you will have been introduced to your travel consultant who will answer any questions you may have regarding timings.

When you pack for Scotland, remember that the country has countless words and expressions for the weather, including over 400 for snow. This gives you an indication of the ever-changing climate so with this in mind, we recommend that you pack and dress sensibly and bring the following items to keep you safe and dry:

For a comprehensive list on what to pack as well as travel tips, check out our Scottish travel information pages.