Near a city · The Castle Rolls
Castles near Glasgow
21 castles are within 40 miles of Glasgow - fewer than Edinburgh's count, and the city's own castle didn't survive, but Bothwell and Crookston are both a short trip out and genuinely worth it.
Map
Every castle on this list - 23 in total, 1 free to enter, 3 you can stay overnight in
Crookston Castle
Glasgow City · 5 mi away Free entry
Glasgow's only medieval castle; free entry; also listed under National Trust for Scotland
Bothwell Castle
South Lanarkshire · 7 mi away
Finest 13th-century castle ruin in Scotland
Crossbasket Castle
South Lanarkshire · 7 mi away
16th-century tower plus mansion; luxury hotel
Cadzow Castle
South Lanarkshire · 12 mi away
Exterior view only; fenced, within Chatelherault Country Park
Dumbarton Castle
West Dunbartonshire · 13 mi away
Fortress rock on the Clyde; over 500 steps
Newark Castle
Inverclyde · 17 mi away
Well-preserved Clyde castle at Port Glasgow; seasonal
Craignethan Castle
South Lanarkshire · 18 mi away
Currently closed for conservation work
Dean Castle
East Ayrshire · 19 mi away
Council leisure-trust run; free entry; restored 14th-century keep
Stirling Castle
Stirling · 21 mi away
Renaissance royal palace; pre-booking advised
Doune Castle
Stirling · 24 mi away
Monty Python, Outlander and Game of Thrones location
Kelburn Castle
North Ayrshire · 24 mi away
Country centre daily; castle by pre-booked guided tour; graffiti murals
Dundonald Castle
South Ayrshire · 24 mi away
Visitor centre run by Friends of Dundonald Castle; also listed under Friends of Dundonald Castle SCIO
Alloa Tower
Clackmannanshire · 25 mi away
Medieval tower house of the Erskines; seasonal opening
Menstrie Castle
Clackmannanshire · 25 mi away
NTS Nova Scotia exhibition rooms only; rest private flats; by appointment
Clackmannan Tower
Clackmannanshire · 25 mi away
Exterior viewable year-round; interior not regularly open
Portencross Castle
North Ayrshire · 28 mi away
Mid-14th-century tower house on the Firth of Clyde, former seat of the Boyd family, restored by a volunteer trust.
Blackness Castle
Falkirk · 30 mi away
Ship-shaped artillery fortress on the Forth; Outlander location
Castle Campbell
Clackmannanshire · 31 mi away
Lowland seat of Clan Campbell, above Dollar Glen; also listed under National Trust for Scotland
Rothesay Castle
Argyll and Bute · 31 mi away
Unique circular moated castle on Bute
Drummond Castle
Perth and Kinross · 36 mi away
Formal gardens open seasonally; castle interior closed
Lauriston Castle
City of Edinburgh · 38 mi away
16th-century tower house with an 1820s Jacobean extension; grounds free daily, interior by guided tour only.
Aberdour Castle and Gardens
Fife · 39 mi away
Among Scotland's oldest standing castles; walled garden and dovecot
Brodick Castle
North Ayrshire · 40 mi away
Isle of Arran; castle, garden and country park
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 Glasgow?
This roll lists 23 visitable castles, fortresses and tower houses within 40 miles of Glasgow. Of those, 1 is free to enter and 14 charge admission.
Which castles within 40 miles of Glasgow are free to visit?
Crookston Castle is the one open-access castle within 40 miles of Glasgow with no admission charge.
What is the best-rated castle within 40 miles of Glasgow?
Blackness Castle carries the strongest public rating of any castle within 40 miles of Glasgow on this roll - 4.7/5 from 4,624 Google reviews.
Can you stay overnight in a castle within 40 miles of Glasgow?
Yes - 3 of the castles listed here offer overnight stays, namely Crossbasket Castle, Drummond Castle and Brodick Castle.
Can you reach any castle within 40 miles of Glasgow by train?
11 of the 23 sit within 1.5 miles of a railway station, the closest being Aberdour Castle and Gardens (Aberdour, 0.1 miles), Alloa Tower (Alloa, 0.4 miles), Stirling Castle (Stirling, 0.4 miles) and Newark Castle (Port Glasgow, 0.5 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 Glasgow?
Not all of them on the same terms. 8 of the 23 restrict what a visitor can see. Crossbasket Castle is a hotel, so there is no way in without booking a room or a table. At Cadzow Castle, Craignethan Castle, Menstrie Castle and Clackmannan Tower you get the grounds or a booked tour rather than free run of the building.