RENT A CASTLE

What is it like to stay in a castle?

Staying in a castle in the UK combines history and grandeur with modern day comfort and design.  Each castle, usually situated within acres of private gardens and grounds, offers plenty of space and complete privacy for guests.  The grandeur of the best castles to stay in the UK quietly surrounds guests with roaring log fires, large dining rooms, beautiful drawing rooms and ample space for relaxing. 

Where can you rent a castle in the UK for vacations, retreats or special occasions?

Loyd & Townsend Rose specializes in curated castle rentals in the UK & Ireland.  We offer exclusive UK castles to stay in for vacations, retreats and special occasions.  Each of these private castles has been lovingly restored including all the modern luxuries one would expect. They can be hired fully staffed and catered with world class cuisine using local organic ingredients usually from the estates themselves.

Why Choose a UK Castle Stay?

A UK castle stay has historic significance, privacy, exclusive and bespoke services such as private chefs and tailor-made guided experiences which sets staying in a private UK castle apart from a hotel. 

What is the service like in a UK castle private rental?

The service is second to none with staff who care deeply about the wellbeing of their guests. We have Irish castles to rent, historic and contemporary Scottish castle rentals and castles to stay in England, all with excellent service.  

Is a castle too large for a small group?

Some of these exclusive use castles are more intimate and cozy than you might imagine and can happily sleep fewer than 10 people without feeling too big. Having been restored and fully modernized, they offer contemporary, modern living. They can be ideal for weekend breaks, family vacations with a difference or a milestone celebration for a special birthday or anniversary.

How do you know which castles will suit our group?

Using over 25 years of experience in the business, we carefully help to find the perfect castle for you and your guests.  Depending on the size of the group, preferences around location, activities and amenities, with our knowledge and expertise, we make sure that we match you with the perfect UK castle.

Are Luxury Castle Rentals in the UK popular?

Since 1999, when LTR Castles began, the demand for UK castle rental has grown.  Every year, more UK castles and estates are restored and modernized for high-end accommodation creating a wider variety of options. The majority of them have been around for hundreds of years and have bundles of history and stories to be told as well as some very interesting facts about castles that you probably don’t know.

Staying in an historic UK Castle is a completely unique way to re-live history. With fine portraits on the walls and beautiful antique furniture filling each room, everything tells a story and it is a first hand way to be able to experience and absorb such information.

How can we find the perfect castle for our UK vacation?

Let us help you to find the perfect castle rental in Scotland, England or Ireland – contact our team on info@ltrcastles.com or + 44 (0) 1835 824642. 

Our guests experience complete privacy as all these private castles are surrounded by acres of private land and you can rent the entire castle for your break.

In the UK we are spoilt for choice with impressive locations for historic castles.  Scotland and Ireland have an especially large number with many of them available to rent for an exclusive, private and bespoke vacation.  Here we look at the various different settings for a castle and show how each setting provides a unique experience.

The Rugged Highlands of Scotland – Dramatic Scenery & Outdoor Adventure

The Highlands of Scotland are home to mountain peaks, deep fresh water lochs and some of the most beautiful and romantic scenery in the country.  There are also many historic Scottish castles in the Highlands that have been beautifully renovated and are available for an exclusive castle rental.  Aldourie Castle is one such castle, situated on the shores of Loch Ness, surrounded by beautifully kept gardens and grounds and just 30 minutes drive from Inverness Airport.  It is undoubtedly one of the best castles to stay in the UK.  Cluny Castle in Aberdeenshire, is just 20 minutes from Aberdeen Airport and sleeps an impressive 30 people in 15 bedrooms.  It is surrounded by 300 acres of private gardens and woodland which offers endless opportunity for activities on the estate.  The Highlands of Scotland offer lots of outdoor adventure such as hiking, fishing and visits to the many whisky distilleries.  If you are staying in a Scottish castle in the Highlands, it is worth doing a trip over to the Scottich Islands to experience the stunning scenery and local culture. 

West Coast of Scotland – Moody and Fairytale Strongholds

The West Coast of Scotland was a very popular place for castles to be built because having them high above the water meant that clans could be on the look out to prevent invasions from enemies across the water.  Theses towers and castles have some of the most scenic and dramatic settings of any castles in the UK.  Dunskey Castle, situated in a beautiful spot on the Dumfresshire coast, sleeps up to 50 people in 25 bedrooms.  There are beautiful gardens, waterfalls, lochs and a glen that stretches for miles.  Guests can enjoy kayaking, watching seals, fishing expeditions and picnics as well as playing on Dunskey Golf Course which is just 20 minutes walk away.

LTR can arrange for you to rent a castle for a party if you are looking to throw one on a grand scale. A castle in England, Scotland or Ireland can be the ideal place to do this. We can organize everything from start to finish to ensure that you are able to relax in the entire castle and enjoy your guests. Whether your party is to last days or just one evening or perhaps a combination of both, we can take care of every detail using our expert local knowledge. We can organize activities during the day for everyone, regardless of age and interest. In the evening we can get the very best entertainers to come and keep you and your guests amused. A castle rental gives the feeling that you are ‘entertaining at home’ and an opportunity to have a large number of guests as you have the entire castle to take advantage of without any of the worries of actually owning the castle.

We offer the very best castles for rent in England, Scotland and Ireland. Two fabulous Irish castles for rent, which are ideal for wonderful family vacations, are Crom Castle and Ballinlough Castle. It is difficult to find a more magical spot than Crom Castle and it’s surrounding area, with Lough Erne and it’s secluded islands, along with the old ruined castle and other hideaways to explore. Ballinlough Castle is also in a beautiful area and has many activities to do on the estate to keep the whole family busy.

There are many castles for rent in Scotland but not all the castles for rent and stately homes we offer are ancient, there is one fabulous contemporary Scottish castle which is very popular among our clients. Situated among the wilderness in one of the most beautiful parts of Scotland, it would be hard to find anywhere in the world like this and anyone who stays there is extremely lucky. Other fabulous Scottish castles for rent include historic Gordon Castle, which has been wonderfully renovated, and is situated in a beautiful location on the banks of the famous salmon fishing river, the River Spey. It is an ideal castle to hire if you’re a keen fisherman with guests who enjoy it too. 

There are also many historic castles in Scotland that are full time family homes and not available to rent.  However, some are open to the public during the day for visitors to enjoy the gardens and perhaps explore some of the state rooms.  Find out which are the best castles to visit in Scotland according to LTR Director, Andrew Loyd.

Castles to rent in England tend to be on the large size with some of them open to the public during the day. However, we have extensive knowledge of the best places to stay and can ensure that we find you the ideal castle to rent for your vacation.  If you’re looking for luxury castle accommodation in England, Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire has 12 exquisitely designed bedrooms, many with wonderful views over the Malvern Hills.

Alternatively, if your aim is to visit lots of different castles, an English castle tour can be a great fun holiday.  We have some wonderful country houses you can stay in, and base yourselves at, so that you can visit historic English castles nearby.  If you stay at Farleigh Wallop in Hampshire you could visit both Highclere Castle (30 minutes drive) and Windsor Castle (50 minutes drive).  There are also three ruined castles nearby that are well worth a visit, Hurst Castle (1 1/4 hours drive), Portchester Castle (1 hours drive) and Odiham Castle (20 minutes drive). 

If you are avid fans of Netflix’ “The Crown”, you could stay at Somerleyton Hall which doubles up as the Royal residence of Sandringham in Series 4.  They have magnificent formal gardens and grounds to explore.  From Somerleyton you can visit various castles in Suffolk and nearby such as Framlingham Castle (1 hours drive) which is now a ruin but has a museum explaining the history of the castle and is a fun morning or afternoon out. 

Have a look at our English country houses and mansions that you can stay in, once you have made your choice, we can design a bespoke English castle tour for you.

Castle vacations are a unique way of entertaining family and friends in serious style. With many to choose from, having Jonathan or Andrew from LTR help you find the perfect one for you, can be invaluable. Their knowledge of these castles is outstanding and they know exactly which ones are the best castles to stay in for your castle break. The LTR Service is second to none and by the time our clients return home after their stay in a castle, they often feel more like friends than clients.

There are many castles to rent in the UK and if you are planning a very special family vacation or celebration it is important to find the castle that will suit you, your family and your requirements best. This is where our specialist travel consultants at LTR come into it. We know the castles for rent well and we are able to advise our clients on which is the best castle rental for them. You can read more about the services we offer to find out how LTR can help you plan your family vacation from start to finish.

Is it possible to rent just one room in a castle?

All our castles, stately homes and country houses are available to rent for exclusive use only.  Therefore, it is not possible to rent just one room in a castle without having the whole property for your personal use.  However, if you are travelling alone or as a couple we do have several boutique hotels that we highly recommend and we love organizing tours of Scotland, England and Ireland staying in wonderful places that we have discovered.  We pride ourselves on our local knowledge and make sure that we find the best hotels for you to stay in.

Do you organize the chef and catering staff for our stay in a castle?

All our castles come staffed and catered as per your requirements.  LTR will organize all of this for you, taking into account all your needs and wishes.  Menus and wines are generally arranged in advance of any castle stay in full consultation with the chef and LTR.  We can also arrange for any additional staff that you might like.

How do we arrange for entertainment for our guests in the evenings?

LTR can arrange all of this and we have a wide range of entertainment that we offer from a Scottish Piper to pipe guests into dinner to full blown mini-concerts with bands such as The Red Hot Chili Pipers.  We organize magicians, folk story tellers, Highland dancers, Ceilidhs, pianists, harpists, Clan battles being re-enacted, whiskey and gin tastings to name but a few.  LTR will organize everything for you so that we remove any stress and worry from you, the client.