Best Castles to Visit in the UK — 16 Fortresses Worth a Day Out

Nobody does castles like Britain — thousands of them, from windswept ruins to fully-furnished palaces. Here are 16 of the best to actually visit for a day out, sorted by what you're in the mood for.

The great intact castles

• Edinburgh Castle — on its volcanic rock above the city; Scotland's most-visited paid attraction.
• Warwick Castle — the most family-friendly, with jousting, birds of prey and daily shows (it's run like a day-out attraction).
• Windsor Castle — the oldest occupied castle in the world, and a proper royal day out.

Spectacular settings

• Bamburgh (Northumberland) — a colossal fortress above a wild beach.
• Conwy & Caernarfon (North Wales) — walk the walls of two of Europe's best-preserved medieval castles.

Fairytale ruins

• Bodiam (Sussex) — a moated, picture-book ruin.
• Dunnottar (Aberdeenshire) — a dramatic clifftop wreck above the North Sea.

Practical notes

If you plan to visit more than two or three, a heritage membership (National Trust, English Heritage, Cadw in Wales, Historic Scotland) usually pays for itself and gets you free parking too. Wear proper shoes for spiral stairs and uneven ground, and check for event days — jousts, re-enactments and light trails turn a good castle visit into a great one.