Historic castles in the United Kingdom

Historic Castles & Fortifications

A selection of 20 fortified sites across the United Kingdom, spanning Iron Age hill forts, Roman forts along Hadrian’s Wall, medieval castles and ruined 19th‑century estates. Entries highlight surviving curtain walls, motte-and-bailey earthworks, Renaissance state apartments, national‑trust properties and coastal artillery forts, with locations from Shetland to Cornwall.

Mactographer / Attribution

Edinburgh Castle

Historic fortress and national monument with a history dating back to the 9th century, featuring royal artifacts and panoramic views of the city.

Ludi Ling / CC BY-SA 3.0

Palace of Holyroodhouse

Historic royal palace featuring Renaissance architecture, state apartments, gardens, and abbey ruins. It serves as the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland.

Astrid Horn / CC BY-SA 2.0

Invergarry Castle

Invergarry Castle in the Scottish Highlands was the seat of the Chiefs of the Clan MacDonell of Glengarry, a powerful branch of the Clan…

Trolez Stephanie / CC-BY-SA

Thurso Castle

Thurso Castle is a ruined 19th-century castle, located in Thurso, Caithness, in the Scottish Highlands.

Ikiwaner / CC-BY-SA-3.0

Drum Castle

Drum Castle is a castle near Drumoak in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. For centuries it was the seat of the chief of Clan Irvine.

Ikiwaner / CC-BY-SA-3.0

Crathes Castle

Crathes Castle is a castle, built in the 16th century, near Banchory in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Stephen McKay / CC BY-SA 2.0

Winchester Castle

Winchester Castle is a medieval building in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded in 1067.

Beata May / CC BY-SA 4.0

Wolvesey Castle

Ruined medieval bishop’s palace and castle-keep beside Winchester Cathedral; substantial masonry remains of 12th–14th century structure managed as an English Heritage site.

Rwendland / CC BY-SA 3.0

Castle Drogo

Castle Drogo is a country house and mixed-revivalist castle near Drewsteignton, Devon, England.

Eric Jones / CC BY-SA 2.0

Dundrum Castle

Dundrum Castle, a ruin standing over the town of Dundrum, County Down, Northern Ireland, must not to be confused with Dundrum Castle in…

CC-BY-SA-3.0

Brough Castle

Brough Castle is a ruined castle in the village of Brough, Cumbria, England.

Teknad / CC BY-SA 4.0

Featherstone Castle

Featherstone Castle, a Grade I listed building, is a large Gothic style country mansion situated on the bank of the River South Tyne about…

Ardfern / CC BY-SA 3.0

Clough Castle

Clough Castle is an 11th century Anglo-Norman motte-and-bailey castle located in Clough, County Down, Northern Ireland.

Dot Potter / CC BY-SA 2.0

Denbigh Castle

Denbigh Castle and town walls were built to control the lordship of Denbigh after the Conquest of Wales by Edward I of England in 1282.

Errol Edwards / CC BY-SA 3.0

Denbigh Castle

Built after Edward I’s 1282 conquest of Wales to control the lordship of Denbigh; notable for its extensive town walls, gatehouses and surviving masonry defenses.

Mike Peel / CC BY-SA 4.0

Birdoswald Roman Fort

Birdoswald Roman Fort was known as Banna in Roman times, reflecting the geography of the site on a triangular spur of land bounded by…

British_camp_central_mound_2005.jpg / Public domain

British Camp

British Camp is an Iron Age hill fort located at the top of Herefordshire Beacon in the Malvern Hills.

Fort Charlotte

Fort Charlotte in the centre of Lerwick, Shetland, is an artillery fort, roughly five sided, with bastions on each of three landward…

Old Winchester Hill Iron Age Fort

Iron Age hillfort on chalk downland with visible ramparts and Bronze Age barrows; open access via public footpaths and notable for unimproved grassland habitat.