1. Edinburgh Castle
In the battle for castle supremacy, this Scottish stalwart lands a blow against the Tower of London on account of some particularly venerable crown jewels — older than those of England and Wales, in fact. They join St Margaret’s Chapel (Edinburgh’s oldest building) and the medieval bombard Mons Meg, or “the great iron murderer”, as the castle’s must-see three attractions. Steady yourself come 1pm, when another cannon’s blast shudders through Castle Rock’s flowery gorse and across the Royal Mile below. Hold out on a visit until the Fringe leaves town and hotel rates dip.
Details Adults from £18 (edinburghcastle.scot)
2. Tintagel Castle, Cornwall
With a setting of crashing waves, ruinous slopes and the crumbled arches through which King Arthur and his mighty magician Merlin reportedly once ducked their heads, you can’t knock Tintagel for drama. It might only be a short walk from local village car parks, but this mythical spot does require some legwork. Those who make the aching ascent are rewarded with a peek inside Merlin’s Cave (with a subsequent descent; check tide times before visiting), a selfie alongside an 8ft-tall Excalibur-wielding King Arthur statue and a walk across Tintagel’s symbolic bridge — the 40mm gap at its centre marks the transition between past and present.
Details Adults from £17 (english-heritage.org.uk)
3. Windsor Castle, Berkshire
Fancy a glimpse into the childhood of a queen? One of three official royal addresses in the UK, Windsor Castle is also home to one of the royal family’s quaintest toys. After being ushered along a separate queue, you’ll enter a darkened room where Queen Mary’s 1924 doll’s house — which took three years to build — is spotlit in magnificent detail (it even has working lifts for those miniature chambermaids; children, meanwhile, will have to keep their hands off the figurines). Later, swing by St George’s Chapel to spy Henry VIII’s tomb and the spot where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex got hitched.
Details Adults from £27 (rct.uk)
4. Alnwick Castle, Northumberland
You don’t have to love Harry Potter to enjoy Alnwick Castle, but it does help. This 14th-century riverside residence (Ralph Percy, the 12th Duke of Northumberland, and his family still call the castle home) is best known for its cameos in the franchise flicks and, perhaps, most of all, as the spot that a young Harry Potter took to his trusty broom. Today little ones can undertake broomstick training in the outer bailey for no extra fee (although big kids won’t be refused a go on quieter days) — first come, first served.
Details Adults from £20 (alnwickcastle.com)
● The best castle hotels in UK
● Best family days out in the UK
Anzeige
5. Warwick Castle, Warwickshire
Frankly, there’s almost a little too much going on at Warwick Castle for a day trip, but that makes it perfect for families. For parents there is a history lesson told via the might of clashing swords at Wars of the Roses Live! — a jousting battle running until September 4. For children there is a ride on the dragon wing zip line at a mega-playground dedicated to all things Zog, everyone’s favourite accident-prone dragon, and a trip back to the castle’s darkest times inside the Castle Dungeon.
Details Adults from £24 (warwick-castle.com)
6. Caerphilly Castle, Caerphilly
Thought Pisa was the only leaning tower worth your while? Considerably closer to home, Caerphilly’s topsy equivalent slants at 10 degrees to the vertical, even wonkier than its Italian counterpart. It’s “held up” by a wooden statue of the 4th Marquess of Bute, who saved the castle from ruin in the early 1900s (head to the Great Hall for ghost stories galore). The estate is undergoing a £5 million makeover scheduled for completion next year, but in the meantime you can still say hello to the lifesize dragons and go alfresco beside the castle’s enchanting lake.
Details Adults from £10 (cadw.gov.wales)
7. Highclere Castle, Hampshire
Highclere is one of the world’s most recognised stately homes, since becoming the on-screen home of the Crawley family in Downton Abbey. Off screen this castle is home to the Carnarvon family (Lady Carnarvon is known for documenting life at home on her blog). Alongside the perfectly manicured gardens and afternoon tea, a fascinating Egyptian exhibit becomes all the more clear when you realise that it was the 5th Earl of Carnarvon who, with Howard Carter, unearthed Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922.
Details Adults from £21 (highclerecastle.co.uk)
Sign up for our Times Travel newsletter and follow us on Instagram and Twitter
