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We are sooo excited to go to the UK. We'll be flying to heathrow airport. We'll be there for 10 days. We want to go visit as many castles as possible. What's the best way to get around in the UK?. What places to go visit?.we want to go to scotland also......please any help will be great!
Thanks!!!
If you can afford it and aren't affraid to try it, I would say to rent a car, plot your path and off you go.
I enjoyed Blenheim Castle, there is an American connection there in that an heiress from the Vanderbilt family married into the family AND Winston Churchill was born in Blenheim.
Of course Windsor Castle is gorgeous as well. There are so many that are fabulous, you sort of need to decide which ones your interested in.
Renting a car is the best way to see castles, since they can sometimes be in hard-to-reach places.
This website provides a map of castles in the UK and photos, history, etc. You should look around and find castles that are most interesting to you.
If I may make some suggestions, however - Northwest Wales has some of the finest castles in the UK, all in a relatively small area: Harlech, Caernarfon, Beaumaris, and Conwy. These are four castles that simply cannot be missed!
South Wales also has some very nice castles - I'm fond of Raglan, Caerphilly, and Castell Coch (*very* unique).
In Sussex (south of London along the Channel), Arundel Castle, Herstmonceux Castle, and Bodiam Castle are all very grand and picturesque, although the latter two are a bit off the beaten path. However, Arundel is definitely worth a trip. It's stunning!
Leeds Castle in Kent (also in Southeast England) has an absolutely beautiful grounds. It's worth a visit when the weather's nice.
As for Scotland, Eilean Donan Castle can't be missed! It's in one of the most breathtaking areas of the country.
Hi,
Sounds like a great trip. You must try and see Leeds Castle in Kent, www.leeds-castle.com . A beautiful place. In May, the gardens there should look outstanding. I was always partial to the castles in Scotland, in fact we were married in Comlongon Castle in Dumfries and Galloway, just over the English border. (It is supposedly haunted). Dunnotar Castle is an outstanding one as well. Edinburgh Castle is another wonderful one. A little one that we stayed at that was smaller, but haunted I am sure, was Culcreuch Castle in Fintry, near Stirling, Scotland, castle hotel accommodation Scotland near Stirling Culcreuch Castle hotel . It is close by the Wallace monument, which is worth travelling to as well. Those are just a few of my favorites. When I lived in England, I was always on the lookout for a good castle. If you can do travel into Scotland. It is worth the trip. Have fun!
Scotland seems quite ambitious if you only have 10 days and you land in Heathrow. It is perfectly feasible but you will spend most of your time on the road and will see very little of either England or Scotland.
The castles most foreign tourists love are the obvious, Windsor castle, Warwick castle ( near Stratford upon Avon , Shakespeare's birthplace), the Tower of London ( more of a fortress but fascinsting history and architecture) and Blenheim Palace ( close to Oxford, not a city to be missed/ beautiful medieval architecture and gorgeous historical colleges) . Britain though has hundreds and hundreds of little treasure historical homes and castles .
Websites to consider would be the National Trust ( hundreds of historical homes around England) and English Heritage ( mostly medieval ruined castles and abbeys etc...).
There are also still plenty of privately owned historical homes dotted around the UK countryside.
In Scotland the best Castles are Stirling and the ones in the Highlands such as Eilean Donnan, Castle Stalker etc.. Edinburgh castle is Ok but not as good as it looks.
Many of the grand English castles are larger in scope and more luxurious than the Scottish ones. The Scottish ones are notorious for their positioning in the landscape and their dramatic aspects. One or two of each kind would probably suffice. Windsor is beautiful and important in that it is still a current royal residence. Warwick is a fun day out. Two Scottish castles are famous for sitting on rocks, Edinburgh and Stirling. Stirling may be a little better, but with time constraints Edinburgh may be a better bet as you can enjoy the castle, Royal Mile and Holyrood House (the queens residence in Edinburgh) all at the same time. Plus there are some nice museums in Edinburgh which show how "other" people lived, such as Gladstones Land on the Royal Mile. There is also a sunken street which was closed during the Black Death and then rediscovered which is suitably creepy.
For dramatic landscape, aging castles then either Dunnottar or Eilean Donan. Dunnottar is high on a cliff just outside of Stonehenge - they filmed the modern Hamlet there. Eilean Donan is close to Skye and is very famous, sitting on a little island with a bridge leading up to it.
If you like architecture then you should also check out some of the Cathedrals, many of which are just outstanding.
If you can give a better idea of itinerary and exactly what you want to get out of the trip (apart from castles) then you may be able to get more precice help.
The National Trust owns, protects (and keeps open to the public) many of the castles and stately homes in the UK. You can get a good value 14 day pass via their website National Trust | Overseas visitors | Touring pass
It's a great asset to have as you can always stop at an NT for excellent lunches, or tea and cakes on your tour!
A visit to York is fascinating. 2000 year old Roman walls go all round the inner city and you can walk along them. Cliffords Tower and the wonderful York Minster are must sees too. The Shambles is an incredible old street from @16th C where the houses opposite each other are almost touching. Castle Howard is quite close and is a step back in time with an atmosphere all of its own. York is about 250 miles north of London.
One of the things I find the most fascinating are the ruins. In Abingdon where we stayed, there were ruins in the middle of town, they were amazing and I was so drawn to them. To be near something so old, to walk the streets that so many generations have walked before was wonderful.
I agree, Warwick Castle is wonderful. Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland has a fantastic setting. It sits above the town and overlooks the glorious Bamburgh beach which is quite wild and rugged. Bamburgh as a town is also lovely, with very nice pubs and beer gardens. Have fun! Oh, I nearly forgot about Alnwick Castle which also has FANTASTIC gardens. This is also in Northumberland.
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