Near a city · The Castle Rolls
Castles near Edinburgh
37 castles sit within 40 miles of Edinburgh, from the fortress on the doorstep to Rosslyn-country ruins out toward the Pentlands. Sorted by real distance, not a blogger's rough guess.
37Castles listed here
Map
Every castle on this list — 37 in total, 5 free to enter, 3 you can stay overnight in
| Castle | Distance | Access | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh Castle | 1 mi | Ticketed | 4.6 (107,504) | The Crown Jewels and Stone of Destiny — the two objects reviewers travel specifically to… |
| Craigmillar Castle | 3 mi | Ticketed | 4.7 (3,081) | The 360-degree view from the roof — reviewers say you can pick out Edinburgh Castle, the… |
| Melville Castle Hotel | 5 mi | Hotel guests only | 4.5 (1,040) | Afternoon tea in front of the lobby fire - repeatedly singled out by reviewers as worth… |
| Dalhousie Castle Hotel | 8 mi | Hotel guests only | 4.3 (1,162) | The falconry on the grounds - a genuine extra rather than a gimmick, and one of the few… |
| Aberdour Castle and Gardens | 8 mi | Ticketed | 4.6 (1,334) | The walled garden and courtyard, which visitors consistently single out as the equal of… |
| Crichton Castle | 11 mi | Grounds only | 4.5 (223) | The diamond-faceted Renaissance range from the 1580s - reviewers describe it as one of… |
| Ravenscraig Castle | 12 mi | Free | 4.3 (775) | The view from the bluff over the Forth - reviewers who came for the castle end up… |
| Blackness Castle | 13 mi | Ticketed | 4.7 (4,624) | The 1800s pier extending out into the Forth - an unexpected addition to a medieval… |
| Dirleton Castle | 17 mi | Ticketed | 4.6 (1,264) | The gardens — reviewers rate them consistently, and they're accessible even to those who… |
| Lochleven Castle | 19 mi | Ticketed | 4.7 (486) | The boat crossing itself, followed by the dungeons and what reviewers cheerfully call the… |
| Hailes Castle | 20 mi | Free | 4.4 (383) | The riverside setting — reviewers rate the walk to reach the castle, along the river, as… |
| Burleigh Castle | 21 mi | Free | 4.2 (159) | The restored tower with new windows and roof - a small but genuine glimpse of what the… |
| Tantallon Castle | 22 mi | Ticketed | 4.7 (2,763) | The view out to Bass Rock — reviewers repeatedly cite the sightline from the ruins as one… |
| Thirlestane Castle | 24 mi | Ticketed | 4.7 (593) | Guided access to rooms that aren't cordoned off, with a tea break included at the end of… |
| Balvaird Castle | 24 mi | Free | 4.5 (257) | The completeness of the tower house itself - reviewers repeatedly note it's an unusually… |
| Scotstarvit Tower | 24 mi | Grounds only | 4.2 (19) | The tower's proportions from the approach path - a stark, upright silhouette with little… |
| Castle Campbell | 24 mi | Ticketed | 4.7 (1,000) | The approach through Dollar Glen — reviewers rate the walk up, past waterfalls and… |
| Clackmannan Tower | 25 mi | Grounds only | 4.5 (189) | The panoramic view over the Forth, Falkirk, and the Ochil Hills — reviewers say it's as… |
| Kellie Castle | 25 mi | Ticketed | 4.5 (874) | The guided tour of the Lorimer interiors - reviewers consistently credit the guides… |
| Alloa Tower | 26 mi | Ticketed | 4.4 (272) | The staff's stories — reviewers repeatedly mention the ghost stories and family curse… |
| Menstrie Castle | 29 mi | Limited tours | 4.3 (70) | The Nova Scotia exhibition — a specific, unusual piece of history housed in a building… |
| Elcho Castle | 30 mi | Ticketed | 4.6 (100) | The rooftop walkway - reviewers are pleasantly surprised that a tower house this old… |
| Greenknowe Tower | 30 mi | Free | 4.5 (94) | The tower's L-plan silhouette against open countryside, best appreciated from the walk… |
| St Andrews Castle | 31 mi | Ticketed | 4.5 (4,393) | The siege mine and counter-mine - a rare chance to walk through tunnels dug by attackers… |
| Stirling Castle | 31 mi | Ticketed | 4.6 (34,809) | The reconstructed royal tapestries, with a small building nearby explaining the… |
| Craignethan Castle | 32 mi | Grounds only | 4.5 (224) | When open, the under-croft passages and gorge views; for now, the walk to the gorge… |
| Balhousie Castle (Black Watch Castle & Museum) | 33 mi | Ticketed | 4.7 (1,482) | The depth and respect of the regimental history on display - reviewers repeatedly… |
| Huntingtower Castle | 34 mi | Ticketed | 4.5 (700) | The painted ceiling - visitors are handed a blanket so they can lie down and view it… |
| Smailholm Tower | 34 mi | Ticketed | 4.5 (342) | The 360-degree views from a compact, easy-to-explore tower - reviewers rate it among the… |
| Cadzow Castle | 35 mi | Grounds only | 3.6 (48) | The gorge-side setting and country park walk, rather than the castle fabric itself, which… |
| Bothwell Castle | 37 mi | Ticketed | 4.3 (886) | The circular donjon tower - the feature reviewers return to again and again. |
| Doune Castle | 37 mi | Ticketed | 4.5 (7,568) | The audio tour, narrated in part by Terry Jones, which reviewers across the board rate… |
| Floors Castle | 37 mi | Ticketed | 4.6 (1,392) | The walled garden, singled out by reviewers ahead of the castle interior itself. |
| Broughty Castle | 37 mi | Ticketed | 4.5 (1,700) | The coastal setting — reviewers consistently rate the sea views from the castle, paired… |
| Drummond Castle | 37 mi | Grounds only | 4.7 (1,247) | The Saltire-patterned terraced gardens - widely rated among the best formal gardens in… |
| Claypotts Castle | 38 mi | Limited tours | 4.2 (163) | The twin-tower design — a genuinely distinctive silhouette that reviewers say stands out… |
| Crossbasket Castle | 38 mi | Hotel guests only | 4.7 (796) | Sleeping in one of the original 16th-century castle rooms rather than the newer mansion… |
Distances are straight-line ("as the crow flies"), not driving or train time — check the operator's own site for real travel options before you go.