It doesn’t always rain in Scotland – but when it does it can feel particularly dreich. That’s no reason to stay at home though – we’ve got a fine selection of roofed castles that will almost let you forget the weather outside. Here are my five favourites.
Aberdour Castle
This castle boasts some beautiful chambers, including one with a painted ceiling, and it’s also close to the pretty town if you’d like a pub meal by a fire afterwards.
The picture gallery in the east range of Aberdour Castle.
Doune Castle
Doune’s very good on a rainy day – once you’re inside, you can wander about the castle for ages acting out Monty Python and exploring the kitchen where Outlander was filmed. There are some lovely thrones to sit on in the Great Hall as well.
The Lord’s Hall at Doune Castle
Elcho Castle
Step inside the well-preserved, roofed interior and imagine the comfortable life of the laird and lady of this fine house.
It has lots of spiral stairs and nooks and crannies where my sister and I used to play Robin Hood when we were kids. It’s also a bit out of the way so you can get it to yourself if you’re lucky which is pretty sweet.”
Ali George, Communications Officer
The main staircase, looking down towards the front door at Elcho Castle. Behind it is the yett
Huntingtower Castle
Look for the delicately painted ceiling dating from about 1540 and seek out the secret hiding place used for Ruthven treasures – a cupboard within a cupboard, hidden behind a stone.
A hare painted on the ceiling and the hidden compartment
Stirling Castle
You can easily spend several hours at Stirling Castle: wander through the royal apartments, meet costumed performers and see how the Stirling Tapestries were made. There are some great hands-on activities for children as well, including costumes to dress up in!
Dressing up at Stirling Castle
What sites do you recommend for rainy days? Let us know on social media or in the comments below.
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