List of castles and chateaux in Scotland

In the English language, and thus also in Scotland , a so-called castle describes a fortified building that was built for defense purposes or for residential purposes. The distinction between castle and palace that is common in the German language is usually not made. On the other hand, fortifications ( fortress ) or palaces ( palace ) are delimited , whereby the transitions between the individual definitions are often fluid.

The sites listed here mainly include the classic castles and palaces built in Scotland since about AD 1100. Of course there were also much older fortifications, e.g. B. Roman forts or the so-called Brochs and Duns , which are not listed here. The Scottish Castles Association estimates the total number of fortified buildings in Scotland to be about 1,400, including those castles of which only sparse remains remain.

The first castles were built in the 11th and 12th centuries based on the model of Norman fortifications ( motte ). These were replaced by the first stone castles around 1200. The fortified with protective walls and moats were replaced from 1400 by the new type of tower house . Although these tower houses were less suitable for defense, they offered considerably better living comfort. This type of building was particularly popular with the landed gentry until the late 17th century. After that, people thought about the old construction methods of the castles and mixed them with the architectural style of the more modern tower houses; this is how modern castles and palaces were created without any military value.

The structure of the list is based on the Scottish Council Areas .

Aberdeenshire

Surname	location	year	builder	Remarks	image
Aberdeen Castle	Aberdeen (location)	13th Century	N / A	No remains received
Abergeldie Castle	at Crathie (location)	1550	Sir Alexander Gordon of Midmar
Balmoral Castle	at Braemar (location)	14th Century	Sir William Drummond	Private property of the British royal family , today's building dates from 1853 to 1855
Balquhain Castle	at Inverurie (location)	14th century, but before 1340	Clan Leslie	Castle ruins
Braemar Castle	Braemar (location)	1628	John Erskine, 18th Earl of Mar
Corgarff Castle	near Corgarff (location)	1550	John Forbes of Towie
Craigievar Castle	at Alford (location)	1457
Drum Castle	at Drumoak (location)	13th Century	Richard Cementarius / Clan Irvine
Dunnideer Castle	at Insch (location)	before 1260	Lords of Balliol	Castle ruins
Dunnottar Castle	near Stonehaven (location)	14th Century		Castle ruins
Durris Castle	near Aberdeen (location)	13th Century	N / A	Only castle hill is preserved, as well as remains of the foundation in the ground
Ecclesgreig Castle	at St Cyrus (location)	1844	William Forsyth Grant
Fetteresso Castle	near Stonehaven (location)	14th Century	Clan Keith
Findlater Castle	at the Moray Firth (location)	13th Century	Alexander III	Castle ruins
Castle Forbes	at Alford (location)	19th century	James Forbes
Castle Fraser	near Kemnay (location)	1575	Michael Fraser
Fyvie Castle	in Fyvie (location)	1211	William I of Scotland
Glenbuchat Castle	at Kildrummy (location)	1590	John Gordon of Cairnbarrow	Ruin, bad condition.
Huntly Castle	in Huntly (location)	12th Century	Clan Gordon	Castle ruins
Kildrummy Castle	at Kildrummy (location)	1250	Uilleam	Castle ruins
Kindrochit Castle	Ballater (location)	11th century	Malcom III.	Castle ruins
Knock Castle	at Ballater (location)	17th century	Clan Gordon	Castle ruins
Knockhall Castle	near Newburgh (location)	1565	Lord Sinclair of Newburgh	Castle ruins
New Slains Castle	at Cruden Bay (location)	1597	Francis Hay, 9th Earl of Erroll	Castle ruin
Old Slains Castle	at Collieston (location)	13th Century	Earl of Buchan	Castle ruins
Tolquhon Castle	near Pitmedden (location)	1584 to 1589	William Forbes, 7th Laird of Tolquhon	Castle ruins

Angus

Surname	location	year	builder	Remarks	image
Brechin Castle	near Brechin (location)	13th Century		Residence of the Earl of Dalhousie
Cortachy Castle	at Kirriemuir (location)	before 1473		Seat of the Earl of Airlie
Edzell Castle	near Edzell (location)	around 1520	David Lindsay, Lord Edzell, 9th Earl of Crawford	Ruin, well-kept park
Ethie Castle	at Arbroath location	14th Century		Headquarters of the Forsyth clan
Glamis Castle	in Glami's location	11th century ?		Residence of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore

Argyll and Bute

Surname	location	year	builder	Remarks	image
Ardchonnel Castle	at Inveraray (location)	early 13th century	Clan Campbell	Castle ruins
Barcaldine Castle	near Benderloch (location)	17th century	Sir Duncan Campbell	used today as a hotel
Carnasserie Castle	at Kilmartin (location)	around 1560	Bishop John Carswell	Castle ruins
Carrick Castle	Carrick (location)	15th century	Clan Campbell of Lochawe
Duart Castle	Isle of Mull (location)	13th Century
Dunderave Castle	at Inveraray (location)	16th Century	Clan Macnaghten
Dunollie Castle	near Oban (Scotland) (location)	early 15th century	Clan MacDougall	Castle ruins
Dunstaffnage Castle	near Oban (location)	13th Century	MacDougall Lords of Lorn
Dunyvaig Castle	Lagavulin (location)	13th to 16th centuries	Clan MacDonald	Castle ruins
Gylen Castle	Kerrera (location)	16th Century	Clan MacDougall	Castle ruins
Inveraray Castle	Inveraray (location)	1457	Colin Campell
Kilchurn Castle	at Loch Awe (location)	around 1420	Colin Campbell of Glenorchy	Castle ruins
Kilmahew Castle	at Cardross (location)	after 1290	Clan Napier	Castle ruins
Moy Castle	Isle of Mull (location)	early 15th century	Clan MacLean	Castle ruins
Old Breachacha Castle	on Coll (location)	around 1430	John Maclean
Old Lachlan Castle	Cowal Peninsula (location)	around 1450	Clan MacLachlan	Castle ruins
Rothesay Castle	Bute (location)	12th Century		Castle ruins
Saddell Castle	East coast of Kintyre (location)	1508	David Hamilton, Bishop of Argyll
Skipness Castle	at Skipness (location)	early 13th century	Clan Lord MacSween (?)	Castle ruins
Castle stalker	at Port Appin (location)	1440	House of Stuart
Castle Sween	at Kilmory (location)	early 12th century		Castle ruins
Torosay Castle	at Duart Bay (location)	1856 to 1858	John Campbell of Possil

Outer Hebrides

Surname	location	year	builder	Remarks	image
Kisimul Castle	Castlebay Bay (location)	early 15th century	Clan MacNeil of Barra	First system before 1200

Clackmannanshire

Surname	location	year	builder	Remarks	image
Alloa Tower	in Alloa (location)	early 14th century
Castle Campbell	at dollar (location)	15th century
Clackmannan Tower	at Clackmannan (location)	14th Century	Crown / Clan Bruce
Sauchie Tower	near Sauchie (location)	before 1440	Sir James Schaw

Dumfries and Galloway

Surname	location	year	builder	Remarks	image
Caerlaverock Castle	at Dumfries (location)	1260	Sir John Maxwell	served u. a. at Who is the bride? as a film set
Cardoness Castle	at Gatehouse of Fleet (location)	15th century
MacLellan's Castle	in Kirkcudbright (location)	1582
Sanquhar Castle	near Sanquhar (location)	13th Century	Clan Crichton	Castle ruins
Threave Castle	at Castle Douglas (location)	1370	Archibald Douglas, 3rd Earl of Douglas	Ruin on an island, only accessible by boat

East Ayrshire

Surname	location	year	builder	Remarks	image
Dean Castle	at Kilmarnock (location)	around 1350	Thomas Boyd
Loudoun Castle	at Galston (location)	from 1804	Flora Mure-Campbell, Marchioness of Hastings	Castle ruins, not accessible

East Lothian

Surname	location	year	builder	Remarks	image
Fa'side Castle	near Musselburgh (location)	1189 and 15th centuries	Saer de Quincy, 1st Earl of Winchester
Tantallon Castle	at North Berwick (location)	1358	William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas	Castle ruins
Dirleton Castle	at North Berwick (Location)	from 13th century	John (II) de Vaux	Castle ruins

East Renfrewshire

Surname	location	year	builder	Remarks	image
Mearns Castle	Newton Mearns (location)	1449	Clan Maxwell	Castle ruins
Polnoon Castle	at Eaglesham (location)	1388	John Montgomery	Castle ruins

Edinburgh

Surname	location	year	builder	Remarks	image
Duddingston House	in Edinburgh coordinates: 55 ° 56 ′ 21 ″  N , 3 ° 8 ′ 12.7 ″  W.	1760s	James Hamilton, 8th Earl of Abercorn	First mansion in Scotland to be built in the Palladian style
Edinburgh Castle	in Edinburgh (location)	12th Century
Holyrood Palace	in Edinburgh (location)	17th century		Official residence of the British Queen in Scotland

Falkirk

Surname	location	year	builder	Remarks	image
Blackness Castle	at Blackness (location)	around 1440	Clan Crichton
Castlecary Castle	at Castlecary (location)	around 1485	Henry Livingston of Middilbyning
Linlithgow Palace	in Linlithgow (Location)	from 1425 (newly built)	James I	Castle ruin
Torwood Castle	at Torwood (location)	1566	Clan Forrester	Castle ruins

Fife

Surname	location	year	builder	Remarks	image
Aberdour Castle	in Aberdour (location)	around 1200
Crawford Priory	at Cupar (location)	1758
Falkland Palace	in Falkland (location)	12th Century	Clan MacDuff
Fernie Castle	in Letham (location)	16th Century

Highland

Surname	location	year	builder	Remarks	image
Ardvreck Castle	at Loch Assynt (location)	around 1490	MacLeod of Assynt	Seat of a branch of the MacLeods
Armadale Castle	near Armadale, Skye (location)	1790	MacDonald	Manor house of the McDonalds
Ballone Castle	near Portmahomack, Tarbat Peninsula (location)	2nd half of the 16th century	Probably Clan Dunbar	Crumbled to the ground, completely restored from 1990 onwards
Brochel Castle	near Inverarish, Raasay (location)	15th century	Clan MacLeod	Castle ruins
Carbisdale Castle	at Bonar Bridge (location)	1917	Mary Caroline Blair ("Duchess Blair"), widow of George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 3rd Duke of Sutherland	1945 to 2011 used as a youth hostel
Cawdor Castle	at Cawdor (location)	1380	William, Thane of Cawdor
Dunrobin Castle	near Golspie (location)	13th Century
Dunscaith Castle	on the Isle of Skye (location)	from the 11th century	Clan MacDonald	Castle ruins
Duntulm Castle	on the Isle of Skye (location)	14th and 15th centuries	Clan MacDonald	Castle ruins
Dunvegan Castle	on the Isle of Skye (location)	13th Century	MacLeod clans	Ancestral home of the Scottish MacLeod clan
Eilean Donan Castle	at Dornie (location)	around 1220	Alexander II of Scotland	The setting for many feature films, including Highlander
Girnigoe and Sinclair Castle	at Wick (location)	15th century
Knock Castle	near Armadale, Skye (location)	before 1500	Clan MacLeod	Castle ruins
Castle of Mey	at John o 'Groats (location)	16th Century	George Sinclair, 4th Earl of Caithness
Mingary Castle	at Kilchoan (location)	13th or 14th century	MacIan	Castle ruins
Castle Moil	in Kyleakin , Isle of Skye (Location)	late 15th / early 16th century	Clan MacKinnon	ruin
Skelbo Castle	near Golspie (location)	14th Century		Castle ruins
Skibo Castle	near Dornoch (location)	12th Century	Gilbert de Moravia , Bishop of Caithness
Castle Tioram	at Loch Moidart (location)	13th Century	Clan MacDonald of Clanranald	Castle ruins
Urquhart Castle	at Drumnadrochit (location)	around 1230	Alan Durward	Castle ruins, lies on the west bank of Loch Ness

Inverclyde

Surname	location	year	builder	Remarks	image
Newark Castle	Port Glasgow (location)	1478	George Maxwell

Midlothian

Surname	location	year	builder	Remarks	image
Dalhousie Castle	at Bonnyrigg (location)	12th to 17th century		used today as a luxury hotel
Roslin Castle	near Roslin (location)	14th to 17th century		semi-habitable ruin

Moray

Surname	location	year	builder	Remarks	image
Balvenie Castle	at Dufftown (location)	12th Century		Above Glenfiddich Distillery
Brodie Castle	at Forres (location)	1567	Brodie	First mentioned in 1160
Rothiemay Castle	near Rothiemay (location)	15th century
Spynie Palace	at Elgin (location)	between 1150 and 1250	Bishop of Moray	For over 500 years the bishopric of Moray, today a castle ruin

North Ayrshire

Surname	location	year	builder	Remarks	image
Brodick Castle	near Brodick , Isle of Arran (location)	15th century
Lochranza Castle	Lochranza , Isle of Arran (location)	13th Century	the MacSweens or Stewarts of Menteith	Castle ruins

North Lanarkshire

Surname	location	year	builder	Remarks	image
Cambusnethan House	at Wishaw on the River Clyde (location)	1820	James Gillespie Graham	Bad condition

Orkney

Surname	location	year	builder	Remarks	image
Bishop's Palace	Kirkwall , Mainland (Orkney) (Location)	12th Century	Bishop Wilhelm the Old	Castle ruins
Earl's Palace (Birsay)	near Birsay, Mainland (Orkney) (location)	from 1569	Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney	Castle ruins
Earl's Palace (Kirkwall)	Kirkwall , Mainland (Orkney) (Location)	before 1600	Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney	Castle ruins
Noltland Castle	on Westray (location)	between 1560 and 1572	Gilbert Balfour	Castle ruins

Perth and Kinross

Surname	location	year	builder	Remarks	image
Blair Castle	in Blair Atholl (location)	1269	John Comyn	Seat of the house of Murray , head of the family is the Duke of Atholl
Elcho Castle	near Perth (location)	16th Century		Uninhabited, outer walls and roof intact
Finlarig Castle	at Killin (location)	1629	'Black' Duncan Campbell	Castle ruins
Huntingtower Castle	at Huntingtower (location)	15th century		Ruin, outer walls and roof intact
Loch Leven Castle	in Loch Leven , near Kinross (location)	13th Century		Castle ruins, partly in good condition
Castle Menzies	near Weem (location)	16th Century	Clan Menzies
Scone Palace	near Perth (location)	1808	William Atkinson
Taymouth Castle	at Kenmore (location)	19th century

Scottish Borders

Surname	location	year	builder	Remarks	image
Ayton Castle	at Eyemouth (location)	1851	Mitchell-Innes family
Floors Castle	in Kelso (location)	around 1720
Hermitage Castle	at Newcastleton (location)	around 1240	Nicholas de Soulis	Castle ruins
Jedburgh Castle	in Jedburgh (location)	1823 (reconstruction)
Mellerstain House	at Kelso (location)	between 1725 and 1778
Neidpath Castle	at Peebles (location)	between 1263 and 1266	Simon Fraser	Castle ruins, ancestral seat of the MacIans
Thirlestane Castle	near Lauder (location)	16th Century
Traquair House	near Innerleithen (location)	12th Century

Shetland

Surname	location	year	builder	Remarks	image
Muness Castle	on Mainland (Shetland) (location)	1598	Laurence Bruce	Castle ruins
Scalloway Castle	in Scalloway , Mainland (Shetland) (Location)	around 1600	Patrick Stewart, 2nd Earl of Orkney	Castle ruins

South Ayrshire

Surname	location	year	builder	Remarks	image
Culzean Castle	near Maybole (location)	18th century
Dundonald Castle	in Dundonald (location)	1371	Robert Stewart, 1st Duke of Albany	ruin

South Lanarkshire

Surname	location	year	builder	Remarks	image
Bothwell Castle	at Bothwell on the River Clyde (location)	12th Century		ruin
Douglas Castle	near Douglas (South Lanarkshire) (location)	before 1190	Douglas	ruin

Stirling

Surname	location	year	builder	Remarks	image
Culcreuch Castle	at Fintry (location)	1296	Maurice Galbraith
Doune Castle	at Doune (location)	13th Century	Robert Stewart	Parts of the film The Knights of the Coconut were filmed here
Lanrick Castle	near Stirling (location)	1790	James Gillespie Graham
Stirling Castle	in Stirling (location)	between 1496 and 1583

West Dunbartonshire

Surname	location	year	builder	Remarks	image
Dumbarton Castle	Dumbarton (location)	around 1220	Alexander II	first plant around 600

Explanation of the list

• Name : Name of the building, if applicable, alternative name
• Location : Shows the city in which the building is located or which city is in the immediate vicinity and also contains a map link to the property
• Year : Shows the year of manufacture.
• Builder : Shows the builder.
• Remarks : Contains remarks about the building.
• Image : Displays a picture of the building, if available.

literature

• Martin Coventry: The Castles of Scotland. A comprehensive reference and gazetteer to more than 2700 castles and fortifies sites . 3. Edition. Goblinshead, Musselburgh 2001, ISBN 1-899874-26-7 .
• Cristina Gambaro: Scotland - Castles and Palaces. Culture and landscape . K. Müller, Cologne 2003, ISBN 3-89893-075-0 .

Web links

 Map with all coordinates: OSM | WikiMap

Commons : Castles in Scotland  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Commons : Castles of Scotland  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Commons : Historic houses in Scotland  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Interactive map: all preserved Scottish castles (from tourist magnets to inconspicuous piles of stones) in one map with a link to the (mostly) English Wikipedia page of the castle and a geolink on Google Maps (Earth View)
• CastleStories (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Aims & objectives ( memento of January 6, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) on the Scottish Castles Association website, accessed on October 15, 2012