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. Nearest first.
Map
Every castle on this list - 40 in total, 6 free to enter, 6 you can stay overnight in
Edinburgh Castle
City of Edinburgh · 1 mi away
Crown Jewels and Stone of Destiny; pre-booking advised
Craigmillar Castle
City of Edinburgh · 3 mi away
Mary Queen of Scots refuge; Edinburgh's other castle
Lauriston Castle
City of Edinburgh · 4 mi away
16th-century tower house with an 1820s Jacobean extension; grounds free daily, interior by guided tour only.
Melville Castle Hotel
Midlothian · 5 mi away
1791 castellated mansion near Edinburgh
Dalhousie Castle Hotel
Midlothian · 8 mi away
13th-century castle; falconry; non-residents can dine
Preston Tower
East Lothian · 8 mi away
15th-century tower house of the Hamiltons of Preston, burned in 1544, 1650 and 1663 and abandoned thereafter.
Aberdour Castle and Gardens
Fife · 8 mi away
Among Scotland's oldest standing castles; walled garden and dovecot
Crichton Castle
Midlothian · 11 mi away
Castle fenced for conservation; grounds remain open
Ravenscraig Castle
Fife · 12 mi away Free entry
Early artillery castle; grounds open, tower interiors restricted
Blackness Castle
Falkirk · 13 mi away
Ship-shaped artillery fortress on the Forth; Outlander location
Dirleton Castle
East Lothian · 17 mi away
Medieval fortress with famous gardens
Lochleven Castle
Perth and Kinross · 19 mi away
Island prison of Mary Queen of Scots; boat access
Hailes Castle
East Lothian · 20 mi away Free entry
Free riverside fortified manor, open year-round
Burleigh Castle
Perth and Kinross · 21 mi away Free entry
Free; open Apr-Sep on set days
Tantallon Castle
East Lothian · 22 mi away
East tower stair, doocot and vaults currently closed
Thirlestane Castle
Scottish Borders · 24 mi away
Guided tours Apr-Oct 2026; pre-booking recommended
Balvaird Castle
Perth and Kinross · 24 mi away Free entry
Complete late-medieval tower house; exterior open year-round
Scotstarvit Tower
Fife · 24 mi away
Tower currently closed; exterior viewable
Castle Campbell
Clackmannanshire · 24 mi away
Lowland seat of Clan Campbell, above Dollar Glen; also listed under National Trust for Scotland
Clackmannan Tower
Clackmannanshire · 25 mi away
Exterior viewable year-round; interior not regularly open
Kellie Castle
Fife · 25 mi away
14th-century castle restored by the Lorimer family
Alloa Tower
Clackmannanshire · 26 mi away
Medieval tower house of the Erskines; seasonal opening
Menstrie Castle
Clackmannanshire · 29 mi away
NTS Nova Scotia exhibition rooms only; rest private flats; by appointment
Elcho Castle
Perth and Kinross · 30 mi away
Remarkably complete roofed 1560s tower house; seasonal
Greenknowe Tower
Scottish Borders · 30 mi away Free entry
Free 16th-century L-plan tower near Gordon
St Andrews Castle
Fife · 31 mi away
Siege mine, counter-mine and bottle dungeon
Stirling Castle
Stirling · 31 mi away
Renaissance royal palace; pre-booking advised
Craignethan Castle
South Lanarkshire · 32 mi away
Currently closed for conservation work
Balhousie Castle (Black Watch Castle & Museum)
Perth and Kinross · 33 mi away
Regimental museum; open year-round
Huntingtower Castle
Perth and Kinross · 34 mi away
Twin towers with rare painted ceilings
Smailholm Tower
Scottish Borders · 34 mi away
Roofed Border peel tower; seasonal opening
Cadzow Castle
South Lanarkshire · 35 mi away
Exterior view only; fenced, within Chatelherault Country Park
Bothwell Castle
South Lanarkshire · 37 mi away
Finest 13th-century castle ruin in Scotland
Doune Castle
Stirling · 37 mi away
Monty Python, Outlander and Game of Thrones location
Floors Castle
Scottish Borders · 37 mi away
Seasonal; Scotland's largest inhabited castle
Broughty Castle
Dundee City · 37 mi away
Free museum operated by Leisure & Culture Dundee
Drummond Castle
Perth and Kinross · 37 mi away
Formal gardens open seasonally; castle interior closed
Roxburgh Castle
Scottish Borders · 38 mi away Free entry
Once one of Scotland's most important royal castles; only a large mound and fragmentary wall stumps remain.
Claypotts Castle
Dundee City · 38 mi away
Interior open free on four dates yearly; exterior year-round
Crossbasket Castle
South Lanarkshire · 38 mi away
16th-century tower plus mansion; luxury hotel
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.
Common questions
How many castles are there within 40 miles of Edinburgh?
This roll lists 40 visitable castles, fortresses and tower houses within 40 miles of Edinburgh. Of those, 6 are free to enter and 21 charge admission.
Which castles within 40 miles of Edinburgh are free to visit?
6 of the 40 castles within 40 miles of Edinburgh are open-access sites with no admission charge, namely Ravenscraig Castle, Hailes Castle, Burleigh Castle, Balvaird Castle, Greenknowe Tower and Roxburgh Castle.
What is the best-rated castle within 40 miles of Edinburgh?
Blackness Castle carries the strongest public rating of any castle within 40 miles of Edinburgh on this roll - 4.7/5 from 4,624 Google reviews.
Can you stay overnight in a castle within 40 miles of Edinburgh?
Yes - 6 of the castles listed here offer overnight stays, including Melville Castle Hotel, Dalhousie Castle Hotel, Thirlestane Castle and Floors Castle.
Can you reach any castle within 40 miles of Edinburgh by train?
16 of the 40 sit within 1.5 miles of a railway station, the closest being Aberdour Castle and Gardens (Aberdour, 0.1 miles), Preston Tower (Prestonpans, 0.2 miles), Broughty Castle (Broughty Ferry, 0.3 miles) and Alloa Tower (Alloa, 0.4 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 within 40 miles of Edinburgh?
Not all of them on the same terms. 13 of the 40 restrict what a visitor can see. Melville Castle Hotel, Dalhousie Castle Hotel and Crossbasket Castle are hotels, so there is no way in without booking a room or a table. At Lauriston Castle, Preston Tower, Crichton Castle and Scotstarvit Tower you get the grounds or a booked tour rather than free run of the building.