3 Castles You Must Visit in Scotland in 2023

With the new year fast approaching it’s hard not to think about what we want to do in the year ahead! Where do we want to spend most of our time? What do we want to explore? What are we itching to see?!
One thing we know for sure is that our years are jam packed full of castle visits - we can’t get enough of them!

With over 3,000 castles in Scotland (some being literal ruins) you’re not likely to run out of ones to see anytime soon! So today we thought we’d share 3 castles we feel are absolutely worthy of a visit in 2023.

Ready to dive into our 3 reccomendations for your Scottish castle itinerary?
LET’S GO!

1. NEWARK CASTLE

Perched by the sea in Fife, this beautiful ruin has been one of our most favorite to explore. Although unfortunately much of collapsing into the sea, there are still large sections of this beautiful castle intact and worthy of a visit! The walk to the castle is easy and also continues to the Doocot and down the coast which is perfect for a leisurely morning stroll!

2. FINDLATER CASTLE

Found up north, this seaside ruin (can you sense a trend here?) is another magnificent castle worthy of visiting. Perched on a 15ft high cliff It’s hard to imagine how people built this structure 1246 which is when the earliest record of the castle can be found.
Although it may seem like a bunch of rocks, being able to walk up close (and carefully!) to this castle and into some of the rooms that still hold shape, really helps you feel connected to the people who walked it’s halls so many years ago.

3. CAERLAVEROCK CASTLE

Sitting close to the border of England and Scotland, this medieval triangular shaped fortress is unique among British castles and has a bloody history as it was captured and besieged on numerous occasions. The first was in July 1300 and the second in 1640 (which was it’s last!) After the 1640 siege the castle was stripped of its defensive fixtures and its south curtain which meant it was no longer used as a place of defence.

Another unique feature of Caerlaverock is the attention to detail in the beautification of the castle - take a look at the decorative elements around the facade of the castle - they’re absolutely gorgeous!

There you have it! Plenty of inspiration to get you started for 2023 (and beyond!) If you’re looking for more Scottish travel inspiration, check out the rest of our blogs or grab yourself a copy of Spellbinding Scotland, your 7 day transcendent Scotland itinerary!