Least Visited Scottish Castles

When people think of Scotland they inevitably think of castles. There are the remains of at least 1500 Scottish castles so trying to figure out which to visit on a short trip isn’t easy. Most people will gravitate towards Edinburgh, Stirling and Urquhart Castle with maybe a visit to Eilean Donan or Crathes if you’re heading a little further afield.

All of these are wonderful places and definitely worth visiting, but I want to shine a spotlight on some of the least visited castles. Some of these are ruins, some are furnished but they are all underappreciated and deserve to be seen. I get that some castles might have a good story but are just a pile of stones or others might involve cross country hiking but not these. Each one has been handpicked by me (and Molly).

I won’t go into too much detail about each castle’s story otherwise this might end up the longest article in history. This is just enough to get you interested and the information you need to get there!

Auchindoun Castle – Moray

High up on a mound near Dufftown, Auchindoun Castle was one of the many Gordon strongholds around the North East. I’m convinced that the only reason this is one of the least visited Scottish Castles is because it only recently got a car park.

This is a recycled Iron Age Hillfort and you can see why it’s perfect for defense. The Gordons of Auchindoun were much more into attacking though. Adam Gordon burned Corgarff Castle with everybody inside and then his son Patrick murdered the Bonnie Earl of Moray. The Mackintoshes got their revenge and even Auchindoun’s excellent position couldn’t save it from being destroyed.

Be prepared for sweeping views and a surprisingly sturdy castle to wander around.

Necessary Details: Don’t be alarmed when you turn off the main road onto what looks like a farmtrack heading uphill. I hadn’t realised until too late but there is a small car park on the right hand side for the castle. It’s a little bit of a walk after that but fairly flat and you’ll eventually come to an obvious gate on the left by the cluster of houses. Maintained by Historic Scotland but free to enter.

Gight Castle – Aberdeenshire

Gight might be one of the lesser visited Scottish castles for a reason, it happens to be cursed. You can read about the curses in much more detail here – Three Curses of Gight Castle.

Necessary Details: To visit Gight Castle, there is a large forestry commission car park off the road. It’s a bit of a trek through the woods above the gentle Ythan River from there but on a well kept track. Eventually you come out in a large clearing and you can’t miss the ruined castle. There are DANGER signs but if you do choose to ignore them be very careful for both the unstable building and any spirits still lurking inside. Not maintained so no charge to visit.

Castle Tioram – Lochaber

One of the most spectacular island castles in Scotland, I’m sure the regulars want this to remain a well kept secret. As well as being a scenic looking fortress, it has also been home to some dangerous characters.

John, the 12th Chief of Clanranald, was an evil man. He even named his gun “Cuckoo” because it would quickly appear and fire from nowhere. John liked to stand at the highest point of Castle Tioram and take shots at whoever he could, including his own clansmen.

The chief was so hated that he even manifested a spirit believed to be from the Devil himself. A terrifying, black frog. No matter where he sailed, this frog would be waiting for him. When John died in his bed, the frog suddenly disappeared with a crack that sounded just like a shot from the Cuckoo.

Necessary Details: Castle Tioram is found at the end of a long and winding single track road with excellent parking. If you’re looking for a camping spot then there is lots of space to set up a tent on the flat ground above the beach. The island is accessible by a causeway during low tide although you can’t get inside the castle anymore.

Strome Castle – Wester Ross

Strome Castle is an isolated ruin near Applecross, just off the North Coast 500 and was part of the wide network of sea based, Scottish castles linked to the MacDonald Lords of The Isles. As Royal power increased through the 15th and 16th centuries, that Lordship fell apart.

The Mackenzies besieged Strome Castle in 1602 with an explosive result. The besiegers were actually ready to give up and head home when they had a stroke of luck. One of the castle servants accidentally poured water into their last barrel of gunpowder. A Mackenzie prisoner overheard and shouted to his friends outside that the castle was defenceless!

The defenders had no choice but to make a deal, surrender and watch Strome Castle be destroyed. You can still see huge chunks of masonry right where they landed when the Mackenzies blew the castle up 400 years ago.

Necessary Details: There isn’t dedicated parking for Strome but I pulled up just next to the postbox with plenty of space to manoeuvre around me. If you’re lucky then the friendly dog from the house next door will come down and visit. No charge to visit and a great pebble beach to paddle.

Craigmillar Castle – Edinburgh City

Hundreds of thousands of people visit Edinburgh Castle every year but a fraction of those visit the city’s “other castle”. Craigmillar was much more of a traditional Scottish castle than the big one on Castle Rock so you can wander around the great hall, the kitchens and the bedrooms. It was built by the Preston family and there is even the remains of a P-shaped pond in the grounds.

It was here that the deadly Craigmillar Bond was agreed between the leading supporters of Mary Queen of Scots. Her husband Lord Darnley had become a problem so a plot was hatched to do away with the King consort. A few months later, the house that Darnley was staying in exploded in the middle of the night. Darnley himself was found in his nightgown, strangled to death in the garden.

Necessary Details: Craigmillar Castle is run by Historic Scotland, open all year round – £6 per Adult. There is a fairly small car park but it’s also not a long walk away through a field from some on street parking.

Kellie Castle – Fife

Hidden away in Fife, Kellie Castle is like a time capsule and it also made it onto the list of Fife’s Hidden Sites. It was built by the Oliphant family in the 14^th century and steadily added to and expanded until it was sadly abandoned. The decorated ceilings were left for the rooks and the owls to enjoy. The great hall was used by farmers to store their grain.

As luck would have it, Kellie Castle was given a second chance in the 19th century by one of the most artistic families in Scotland. Professor James Lorimer fell in love with the romantic ruin on a holiday in Fife and tracked down the owner. He set about restoring it as the family summer home, away from the noise and pollution of Edinburgh. What you see today is much like it would have been when the Lorimers lived here.

Like many Scottish castles, there are plenty of ghostly goings on inside. A housekeeper heard pacing in the bedrooms above before the castle opened. A guest of the Lorimers once fled in the night after waking to find a presence lying next to her. Anne Erskine either fell or was pushed from a high window in the oldest tower and her shoes have been spotted running up and down the staircase.

Necessary Details: Well signposted near Anstruther with a large car park and a nice wee tea room. Kellie Castle is owned by the National Trust for Scotland and open seasonally from the end of May to end of October – £10.50 per adult.

Crichton Castle – Midlothian

Crichton Castle might be the best kept secret in southern Scotland. Perched on its mound, isolated in a peaceful little stretch of Midlothian, nothing has changed here for hundreds of years. Inside, this Scottish castle is incredible while outside you would barely know you were in the 21st century with no development to be seen for miles. Crichton had a string of unfortunate owners, all drawn in to the politics of nearby Edinburgh.

William Crichton organised the murder of the Earl of Douglas during the Black Dinner and in retaliation, Crichton castle was destroyed by the Douglases. William’s grandson then lost Crichton Castle to Patrick Hepburn after rebelling against James III. Hepburn’s son Adam died at the Battle of Flodden in his early twenties and Adam’s grandson Lord Bothwell had to flee the country after abducting Mary Queen of Scots!

Necessary Details: Fairly easy to find, when you see a small church then the car park is just around the side of that. Make sure to close any gates behind you once you’re parked since there are often cows in the field. Crichton is run by Historic Scotland and open between early April to Late September – £6 per adult.

Castle Sween – Argyll

Castle Sween is the oldest of all stone Scottish castles. Built in the 12th century, it’s easy to imagine dozens of birlinn ships pulled up on the beach behind you. Sween was built by the man who founded Clan MacSween – Suibhne (or Sven) the Red. He founded a small personal empire but his descendants were less adept and slowly lost more and more land.

By 1310, Castle Sween was firmly in the hands of a Stewart by the name of John Menteith. King Edward II of England invited disinherited clans like the MacSweens to join him in his war against Robert the Bruce. A great fleet was assembled to assault Castle Sween but the attempt to gain back their home had failed. The MacNeils and then the MacMillans became keepers of the castle for the MacDonalds until it was abandoned.

Necessary Details: Castle Sween is down a long winding road although not single track the entire way. There’s actually a holiday park in the way between the road and the castle so you need to park up by a telephone box. It’s not a long walk down and the way is signposted between the buildings. The castle is run by Historic Scotland but free to access and wander around. Don’t miss the latrine tower and checking out a seat with a view!

Edzell Castle – Angus

Edzell Castle really shouldn’t be one of the least visited Scottish castles. Along with the beautiful red sandstone and interesting history, it has a beautiful ornate garden. Unsurprisingly, it also has a ghost.

Lady Katherine of Edzell had been unwell for a while when she was laid to rest in the nearby burial aisle along with all of her jewellery. Some grave robbers wasted no time, deciding to break in the very same night. They struggled to get her golden rings off but since she was already dead, just took a knife to Katherine’s finger. To their horror, the corpse sat bolt upright and let out a high pitched scream!

A very confused but definitely alive Katherine stumbled from the burial aisle to Edzell Castle, in the depths of winter after losing a lot of blood. It was the castle guards turn to be terrified when a lady dressed in white and covered in blood appeared in the dead of night. Instead of letting their mistress inside the gates, the guards legged it indoors.

Poor Katherine died outside the walls and it seems her spirit is still there, trying to get to safety.

Necessary Details: The village of Edzell itself is lovely and just off the main A90 between Dundee and Aberdeen. The castle is a short way up what seems like a backroad but you can’t miss the track up to it on the right side where there is a large car park. Edzell Castle is run by Historic Scotland and open early April to late September – £6 per Adult.

Castle Campbell – Clackmannanshire

Perched above the Burn of Care and the Burn of Sorrow, this towerhouse used to be called Castle Gloom until the Earl of Argyll changed it. It does have a gloomy story though to do with the Maiden Well not far up the hill behind it. It’s said to be haunted by the spirit of a Pictish princess from long before this Scottish castle was built.

She would only appear at night and was so striking that many had tried to carry her off home to keep for themselves but were struck down where they stood. Edwin, the son of the McCallum chief living in the castle decided on his 21st birthday that he would win over this maiden.

When she finally appeared he was lost for words at her beauty, but there was only pain and anger in her eyes. He panicked and reached for his sword but the Maiden just placed one hand on his shoulder and he froze. Foolish Edwin collapsed face forward into the well and sank down to his doom.

Necessary Details: The castle is above Dollar Glen and does have a car park but the walk up from the town below is excellent. The glen is a little steep and narrow in places but the pathways make it easier and the view is rewarding. Historic Scotland manage Castle Campbell and although currently closed for renovations is usually open early April to late September – £6 per Adult.

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