Turrets, great halls and the whole place to yourselves.
A short list, because there are not many castles you can actually book for a weekend. These are the ones on Landed Houses you hire on an exclusive basis, from Aberdeenshire and the Scottish Borders down to Cornwall. No other guests, no hotel reception, and you deal with the owner directly.
6 houses, sleeping 16 to 31, with weekends from £4,500.
North Yorkshire
Carlton Towers is a magnificent Grade 1 listed country house, it is the family home of Lord and Lady Gerald Fitzalan Howard, younger brother of the 18th Duke of Norfolk.
Weekends From £14,000
Weeks From £49,000
Special Offer
Cornwall
A stunning Grade Two Listed 17th Cornish Castle with award-winning accommodation and beautiful grounds.
Weekends From £4,550
Weeks From £12,440
Norfolk
This historic 15th Century moated castle is in an impressive setting with panoramic views over the lawned gardens and rolling farmland of Norfolk.
Weekends From £8,000
Weeks From £15,000
Special Offer
Cumbria
Augill Castle is a 19th century castle nestled between the Yorkshire Dales and Cumbria’s Lake District, run in a deliciously informal style.
Weekends From £12,480
Weeks From £35,000
Special Offer
Aberdeenshire
An enchanting, thousand year old Castle, wrapped in history, legacy and celebrity.
Weekends From £6,500
Weeks From £9,500
Scottish Borders
Lovingly restored castle in the Scottish Borders.
Weekends From £4,500
Weeks From £9,000
Most people who search for a castle to stay in end up in a castle hotel: a room, a restaurant and other guests in the corridor. Renting the whole castle is a different thing. You get the great hall for dinner, the tower rooms for whoever bags them first and the grounds to yourselves, with nobody else checking in.
The castles here range from Wardhill Castle in Aberdeenshire to Middleton Castle in Norfolk. Ferniehirst is in the Scottish Borders, Augill is in Cumbria and Pentillie is in Cornwall. Carlton Towers in North Yorkshire is strictly a country house rather than a castle, but with its towers and battlements it does a convincing impression of one.
Shared between a big group, the cost per head is less than most people expect.
Filter by region, dates, and group size to find available stately homes.
Each listing shows history, capacity, period features, and modern amenities.
Discuss your plans with owners who know their properties intimately and take pride in hosting.
Castles get booked for the big occasions. Milestone birthdays, anniversaries, family reunions and small weddings are the usual reasons, and Hogmanay at the Scottish ones goes early. With so few castles to choose from, popular dates are taken a long way ahead, so it is worth enquiring with two or three at once.
Castle life comes with a few quirks. Walls are thick, so phone signal and wifi can be patchy in places. Spiral stairs and long corridors are part of the charm but not ideal for anyone unsteady on their feet. Old stone buildings also take time to heat in winter, so ask the owner how they handle it. If you want something grand with fewer of those trade-offs, have a look at our stately homes and mansions.
Great website; easy to navigate and good filter system. Prices look really competitive
Richard Chalmers
Really pleased with my experience with landed houses, was searching for a large house to celebrate my 50th and landed houses had lots of good options...managed to secure somewhere for a good price and looking forward to our dates, many thanks to Edmund and the house owner for their friendly correspondence and help, Steve
Stephen Alexander
Some great houses on offer here /all new to me! Now we are planning our next big family getogether!
Tina Metcalfe
Barbara Ryan
When I was faced with having to find a large house with a pool for a family celebration at relatively short notice, Edmund at Landed Houses came straight to my aid. He responded promptly to my email enquiries, even on a Sunday, putting me in direct contact with someone who managed a property that fitted my needs; the outcome being that a superb house, with everything I need, was secured within 24 hours of my first enquiry. Many thanks, Edmund, for making the task so straightforward. If you’re looking for that special house for a party or family gathering I can recommend Landed Houses as your first port of call.
Mrs Manors
Most castle weekends cost between £5,000 and £12,000, depending on the size of the castle and the time of year. Shared across a big group, that usually works out at roughly £200 to £400 each. A full week is usually one and a half to two times the weekend price. Each listing shows its own prices, and you book direct with the owner, so there are no booking fees on top.
Some of these castles take weddings and some do not, and those that do usually have rules on numbers, music and suppliers. Check each listing and ask the owner early. Our wedding houses page lists houses that are set up for them.
The ones that let to groups have mostly sorted their heating, but thick stone walls and big rooms still take time to warm up. Ask the owner how the heating works, whether there are open fires you can use and whether every bedroom is heated. Packing an extra jumper is never a bad idea.
A castle hotel sells you a room, with restaurant meals and other guests. Renting a castle gets you the whole building for your group, usually self-catering, though many owners can put you in touch with a local chef. It suits groups who want to be together without strangers around.
