County guide · The Castle Rolls
Best castles in Perthshire
10 castles across Perthshire, in the historic heartland of Scotland - Scone, nearby, was where Scottish kings were crowned for centuries, and the great formal terraces at Drummond Castle rank among the finest gardens in the country.
Map
Every castle on this list - 10 in total, 2 free to enter, 2 you can stay overnight in
Blair Castle
Perth and Kinross
Seasonal Apr-Oct; Atholl Highlanders private army
Balhousie Castle (Black Watch Castle & Museum)
Perth and Kinross
Regimental museum; open year-round
Drummond Castle
Perth and Kinross
Formal gardens open seasonally; castle interior closed
Fonab Castle Hotel
Perth and Kinross
Victorian baronial, Pitlochry; spa hotel
Castle Menzies
Perth and Kinross
Seasonal Apr-Oct
Huntingtower Castle
Perth and Kinross
Twin towers with rare painted ceilings
Lochleven Castle
Perth and Kinross
Island prison of Mary Queen of Scots; boat access
Balvaird Castle
Perth and Kinross Free entry
Complete late-medieval tower house; exterior open year-round
Burleigh Castle
Perth and Kinross Free entry
Free; open Apr-Sep on set days
Elcho Castle
Perth and Kinross
Remarkably complete roofed 1560s tower house; seasonal
Common questions
How many castles are there in Perthshire?
This roll lists 10 visitable castles, fortresses and tower houses in Perthshire. Of those, 2 are free to enter and 6 charge admission.
Which castles in Perthshire are free to visit?
2 of the 10 castles in Perthshire are open-access sites with no admission charge, namely Balvaird Castle and Burleigh Castle.
What is the best-rated castle in Perthshire?
Blair Castle carries the strongest public rating of any castle in Perthshire on this roll - 4.7/5 from 3,539 Google reviews.
Can you stay overnight in a castle in Perthshire?
Yes - 2 of the castles listed here offer overnight stays, namely Drummond Castle and Fonab Castle Hotel.
Can you reach any castle in Perthshire by train?
3 of the 10 sit within 1.5 miles of a railway station, namely Blair Castle (Blair Atholl, 0.2 miles), Fonab Castle Hotel (Pitlochry, 0.4 miles) and Balhousie Castle (Black Watch Castle & Museum) (Perth, 0.8 miles). Those are straight-line distances from the station to the castle, so the walk on the ground is longer than the figure.
Can you go inside every castle in Perthshire?
Not all of them on the same terms. 2 of the 10 restrict what a visitor can see. Fonab Castle Hotel is a hotel, so there is no way in without booking a room or a table. At Drummond Castle you get the grounds or a booked tour rather than free run of the building.