There’s certainly no shortage of castles in Scotland, and The Scotland Castle trail in Aberdeenshire hosts all the best kinds! Home to the queen’s royal residence, abandoned castles, fairytale castles that still have the original furnishings, and even pink castles, Scotland’s castle trail may just be the best place to see castles in Scotland!
While it pains me to admit, when we were living in Scotland, we always wanted to just get out of Aberdeen. We were on the highlands and islands vibe for the entire two years in Scotland, which left many castles near Aberdeen unexplored. Only after moving out of Aberdeen did we realize the Aberdeenshire Castle trail aka Scotland’s castle trail is well worth the time to visit!
Did you know Aberdeenshire has more castles per acre than any other place in Scotland?! Talk about Castle Country! If visiting castles in Scotland is high on your bucket list, Aberdeenshire is the best place to see the most!
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Map of Scotland’s Castle Trail
Scotland’s Castle Trail Along the A93
The A93 just so happens to be one of our favorite roads in Scotland. Heading out towards Braemar from Aberdeen, the A93 is one of the most well-kept Scottish roads, maybe because the Queen comes and resides at a castle on it?!
Anywho, not only is the A93 a lovely drive, it has beautiful views, distilleries, and is home to multiple castles of Aberdeenshire. The castles are listed in proximity to Aberdeen, the closest being first.
Drum Castle | Drumoak, Banchory AB31 5EY, United Kingdom
Website | Drum Castle
One of our first proper Scottish Castles, Drum Castle is straight out of a fairytale. When we visited Drum Castle back in 2016, workers had just discovered secret hidden rooms within the walls of the tower house! How dreamy is that?!
Drum Castle is only 13 miles west of Aberdeen and is open year-round, though at some points in the year you cannot visit the top of the tower as bats roost there. With the pink hues of the castle and the gorgeous walled garden, you’ll feel like you stepped back in time visiting this Scottish Castle.
Crathes Castle | Crathes, Banchory AB31 5QJ, United Kingdom
Website | Crathes Castle
18 miles west of Aberdeen, Crathes Castles is the perfect place to enjoy a picnic in the spring. The grounds are full of families and couples just sitting enjoy the gorgeous garden and fairytale castle as a backdrop to a lunch in the park!
Touring the inside of the castle comes at a cost for all those who are not National Trust of Scotland members, however, the inside of this Scottish Castle is worth the price! Marvel at the painted ceilings, historic furniture and amazing history of Crathes Castle on one of their guided tours.
You may even get the chance to see the ghost of The Green Lady. She is said to be seen sitting by the fireplace with a baby in her arms.
Knock Castle | Ballater AB35 5SQ, United Kingdom
More On Knock Castle
Free to enter, and simply castle ruins, Knock Castles along the Scotland castle trail is seldom visited. However, castle ruins are some of our favorites to explore, as you can sit in them and only imagine what life in the castle was when it wasn’t in the ruined state.
The Laird of Knock Castle was believed to have collapsed and fallen to his death in the castle after getting news his sons were murdered. This may just be a haunted castle in Scotland!
Abergeldie Castle | Ballater AB35 5SY, United Kingdom
More on Abergeldie Castle Here
Whilst you cannot visit this castle, as it’s still home to the 21st Laird, you can see the castle from afar as you drive down the A93. Abergeldie Castle was in the same clan for over 600 years.. one of the longest stretches of time a castle belonged in one family.
We never actually pulled over for a picture of this castle, and instead just enjoyed it while driving, but we wanted to include it in case you fancy stopping here!
Balmoral Castle | Balmoral Estates, Ballater AB35 5TB, United Kingdom
Website | Balmoral Castle
Just over an hour from Aberdeen, this castle on Scotland’s castle trail is home to the Queen when she visits Scotland! Balmoral Castle is only open at certain times of the year, and you can even visit the castle grounds while the queen is staying there!
The estate grounds are open April through August, with intermittent closures in the summer due to the royal family visiting the queen.
Traveler’s Tip.. If you’re into whisky, The Royal Lochnagar distillery is right around the corner from Balmoral Castle, go ahead and tour Royal Lochnagar for free while you’re in the area!
Braemar Castle | Braemar, Ballater AB35 5XR, United Kingdom
Website | Braemar Castle
Right in the heart of Cairngorms National Park, Braemar Castle is extremely easy to access right off of A93. Just a few miles down the road from Balmoral Castle, Braemar Castle can be toured, though in all the times we’ve stopped and even camped there, it’s never been open!
We wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to visit this castle, as it’s about 1 hour 30 minutes from Aberdeen, however, if you’re on the Scotland Castle trail down the A93, heading west further, you may as well make the stop!
If you’re truly looking to stay in the Aberdeenshire region, then looping back to Aberdeen via Cock Bridge is one way to see more castles. However, if you want to see more of Scotland than just Aberdeenshire, continue from Braemar to Blair Athol or continue south from Braemar leading you right into Edinburgh via Perth.
You can also head towards Cock Bridge and then continue northwest towards Inverness and get up into the true Scottish Highlands.
READ MORE | 15 Tips for Renting a Car in Scotland
Looping Back to Aberdeen via Cock Bridge
The following castles along the Scotland castle trail are in order from Cock Bridge to Aberdeen (the last one on the list is the closest to Aberdeen).
Corgarff Castle | 8m W of Strathdon on the A939, Strathdon AB36 8YP, United Kingdom
Website | Corgarff Castle Historic Scotland
Not necessarily a castle that’s on anyone’s “Scotland bucket list”, but one to simply see if you’re in the area. Corgarff Castle is in the middle of the Scottish Highlands and can be toured at rates starting from £6 per adult April-September.
We simply stopped to see this castle from a lookout along A939, and felt that brought us close enough to this all white medieval tower house.
Kildrummy Castle (ruined) & Hotel | Kildrummy Castle, Alford AB33 8RA, United Kingdom
Websites | Kildrummy Castle + Kildrummy Hotel
Kildrummy Castle, not to be confused with the Kildrummy Castle Hotel, are remarkable ruins of what the castle once was. Historic Scotland runs this castle, and during the tourist season (April-September) there’s a £6 fee to enter.
Otherwise, just let yourself through the gate and explore the ruins on your own.
Craigievar Castle – 57FJ+Q7 Craigievar, Alford, United Kingdom
Website | National Trust Craigievar Castle
The iconic pink castle of Scotland. Craigievar Castle is probably the most fairytale like castle we’ve seen in Scotland. With the pink colors, lovely garden, and turrets this castle is on the top of everyone’s must see castles in Scotland.
Hours for the castle are quite strange, so be sure to check if they’re open if you do plan to tour the inside of the castle (containing loads of artifacts and historic weapons). Even if you cannot view the inside of the castle, just seeing the outside is stunning in itself!
Castle Fraser | Sauchen, Inverurie AB51 7LD, United Kingdom
Website | National Trust of Scotland Castle Fraser
Castle Fraser is only 30 minutes outside of Aberdeen. It’s free to explore the garden and 300 acres of castle grounds known as the woodland trails, though you must book and pay for a tour to visit the inside of the castle.
With its proximity to Aberdeen and the interesting layout of the castle itself, Castle Fraser is a great castle to visit on the Scotland Castle Trail!
READ MORE | The Ultimate Guide to Castles in Scotland
Hallforest Castle | Kintore, Inverurie, AB51 0XR, United Kingdom
Hallforest Castle or the Castle of Hallforest, is a privately owned castle just outside of Kintore. While you can ask permission from the owners to get close to the castle, the views we had were simply from the road, and that suited us just fine.
It’s believed that the castle itself was six-stories and did not have any stairs. To get to the upper floors they used a ladder system latching to the different floors of the castle.
From Hallforest Castle you can either return back to Aberdeen, or head north to visit New Slains Castle. One of our favorite castles in Scotland, and the first place we camped overnight in our campervan!
Scotland’s Castle Trail | Aberdeenshire Castles on the Water
The following three castles are in no particular order of closeness to Aberdeen. They should instead be visited as side trips from Aberdeen or in some cases just simply on their own.
New Slains Castle | A975, Cruden Bay, Peterhead AB42 0NE, United Kingdom
Learn More About New Slains Castle Here
New Slains Castle is our favorite Scotland Castle Trail castle ruins! There’s something mysterious about this castle no the water! With nobody else around when we visited, and no extra signage or anything bringing tourists in, this is a fantastic castle to visit!
It’s relatively unknown compared to other castles along Scotland’s castle trail, it’s 100% free to visit, and it makes for some of the best wild camping in Scotland!
Be sure to visit New Slains Castle, though be warned, it’s said to be haunted, you may see a ghost or two while there!
Dunnottar Castle | Stonehaven AB39 2TL, United Kingdom
Website | Dunnottar Castle
We’re going against the norm here and saying Dunnottar Castle isn’t all it’s talked up to be. We know of people that have visited over and over again, simply falling in love with the castle.. but we’ve seen better!
Though, we can’t argue the fact that spending a day in Stonehaven and walking to Dunnottar Castle, eating deep fried Mars bars, and enjoying the quaint Scottish village makes for a perfect day trip from Aberdeen.
Dunnottar Castle may be the most famous castle on the Scotland Castle trail, but don’t let that suggest that you have to pay it a visit. If you do feel like you want to visit the castle, to save money, honestly Dunnottar is more impressive from afar than it is walking throughout the actual castle grounds!
READ MORE | Going Inside Dunnottar Castle
Red Castle, Angus | Arbroath DD11 5ST, United Kingdom
Read More On Red Castle Here
Red Castle has been in an extreme state of danger since 1999, however, it still stands today. This castle is most easily viewed from the road, but its best view is from down on the waterfront looking up.
Don’t confuse this castle with the more impressive Red Castle up on the Black Isle.
Other Castles of Aberdeenshire
Glamis Castle | Forfar DD8 1RJ, United Kingdom
Website | Glamis Castle
In our opinion, this castle is a bit expensive to visit. With payments for entering the grounds, visiting the inside of the castle, and parking, Glamis Castle isn’t for those on a budget.
Though, if you can afford it, Glamis Castle is one of Scotland’s most dramatic castles, gorgeous on the outside with lovely grounds to wander. And between you and I, we visited this castle for free during an event. So check if Glamis Castle is hosting events during your trip to Scotland and try and visit on one of those days!
Tolquhon Castle | Tarves, Ellon, AB41 7LP
Website | Historic Scotland’s Tolquhon Castle
Though we visited more than 70 castles in Scotland, if you can remember back to the beginning of this post, we were always quick to get out of Aberdeenshire, and unfortunately, we did not visit Tolquhon Castle.
However, given the chance, we’d surely visit this castle, as the photos of Tolquhon remind us of Kildrummy Castle.
Huntly Castle | Huntly AB54 4SH, United Kingdom
Website | Huntly Castle by Historic Scotland
Heading north out of Aberdeenshire, along A96 is Huntly Castle. This castle is technically in ruins, but you can still see the major layout of the castle. It reminds me a bit of Kildrummy Castle. Historic Scotland runs Huntly Castle, so having their membership and visiting multiple other Historic Scotland sites is the best band for your buck.
Fyvie Castle | Fyvie, Turriff AB53 8JS, United Kingdom
Website | National Trusts Fyvie Castle
Fyvie Castle is a very grand castle of Aberdeenshire. It’s absolutely massive and is still very well up-kept. You can walk the gardens and grounds of the castle, or go in and see old portraits and get a glimpse of what life was like while this castle was more lively!
National Trust of Scotland runs Fyvie Castle, and with a pretty hefty entrance fee of over £13/person, you’re better off getting the National Trust of Scotland pass to visit this place and more. (This is the pass we recommend for castles in Aberdeenshire.. more on that below!)
Things You Need When Exploring The Scotland Castle Trail
When exploring castles in Scotland, you don’t “need” much! However, there are always a few things that will make a Scotland castle tour more enjoyable, cheaper, and easier!
Travel Apps
The Castles of Scotland map above has loads of pins on it. And honestly, it may be a bit overwhelming looking at the map as a whole! Since there’s no possible way you can get to all the castles on the map in a normal trip to Scotland, we suggest downloading maps.me and “pinning” the castles you do wish to visit!
It will help you be much more organized!
Don’t worry, we talk more about “pinning” and maps.me, along with nine other free travel apps that we recommend for anyone traveling abroad in this post here!
Membership Passes for Castles in Scotland
While there are several castles in Scotland to visit for free, there are also a large amount of them that are paid for entries. These paid-for castles can add up quickly and completely wreck any kind of travel budget!
But there’s a way to make these visits cheaper! During the first few months of living in Scotland, we weren’t cardholders to any of the Scotland memberships. However, we quickly realized to explore the castles in Scotland and its historic sites, we needed to become members of many different places!
We spent the first year as members of the National Trust of Scotland, and in the second year, we became members of Historic Scotland. This allowed us to dive into the rich historic places offered throughout Scotland!
Now, you could just go to Scotland and enjoy the free castles and historic sites (all of which are lovely too), or just pay for one or two you’d like to visit. But, if you’re planning to spend all your time in Aberdeenshire, we fully recommend the National Trust for Scotland Pass. It grants access to most of the castles in this post, and is the biggest bang for your buck!
National Trust for Scotland Castles + More Membership
The National Trust of Scotland (NTS) hosts many of the castles in Aberdeenshire and is the best bang for your buck if you plan to visit two or more castles near Aberdeen. Coming in at only £30 per year for ages up to 24, this membership is a rather good deal!
While the National Trust for Scotland membership is much cheaper than Historic Scotland’s membership, they do not have as many places to visit. If you’re going to purchase this membership, be sure it’s worth your while, by making sure the castles are under the NTS! Again, many, but not all of the castles around Aberdeen and within Aberdeenshire are included in this membership!
So plan out where you’re wanting to go and see which castles are under which membership or if they are privately paid for or free.
Other food for thought. If you think that you will be going to other countries that also host NTS sites within the same calendar year, well then this membership ups the ante that much more. Making it more attractive and much cheaper per site you visit within that year. Just do your homework on where you’ll be going and if there are NTS sites where you’ll be going!
Check out the National Trust for Scotland’s website here for more details.
Historic Scotland / Historic Environment Scotland
It’s two names and is used interchangeably.
Historic Environment Scotland is one of the more popular membership offers available, mainly because of its wide range of properties. It is a year-long pass and can be purchased all at once or monthly if you have a bank in Scotland/UK.
Castles under this membership include Stirling Castle, Edinburgh Castle, Urquhart Castle, Caerlaverock Castle, and a few in Aberdeenshire. If you are simply visiting Aberdeenshire castles, then the Historic Scotland membership isn’t the best option for you! If planning on visiting places like Scottish abbeys and castles outside of Aberdeenshire– then this pass is great! Especially when you consider getting into Edinburgh Castle alone is nearly £20 at the gate!
This Historic Scotland membership is a bit more expensive for an annual pass, coming in at £58 for the year.
If you’re planning a visit to Scotland for less than 14 days, do not buy this pass, check out the Explorer Pass Scotland below!
Get more detailed pricing on the Annual Historic Scotland pass here.
Explorer Pass Scotland / Historic Scotland Explorer Pass
If you know, without a shadow of a doubt, that you’ll be in Scotland for only 3-14 days, then the Explorer Pass Scotland is the pass for you. While this does run cheaper than the annual Historic Scotland pass, the price difference isn’t all that great.
The Explorer Pass starts at £26.50 (October 31st – March 31st) and starts at £33 for “high season” (April – October). They offer family pricing, student pricing, and senior pricing as well. Be sure to check out their website for more details on pricing plans!
Treasure Ticket Bundle for 3 Castles in Scotland
The Treasure Ticket Bundle is a unique offer to three private and popular castles in Scotland that teamed up together. They don’t fall under the Historic Scotland membership or National Trust for Scotland.
If you plan on visiting Blair Castle, Glamis Castle, and Scone Palace, the Treasure Ticket Bundle offers a 15% discount on the entry to the three places. You can purchase your treasure ticket at any of the three participating locations: Adult £36.00, Child £24.00, Senior Citizen £29.00, Family Ticket £110.00 (2 adults + 3 children).
Where to Stay When Exploring The Scotland Castle Trail
Whether you’re looking for a hotel stay in Scotland, a country cottage, a glamping pod, or a stay at one of the many lodges in Scotland, we always recommend staying outside of major cities. This way you can truly enjoy the Scottish countryside – one of the prettiest we’ve seen across the globe, and often you’ll find rates cheaper than the big city pricing!
Aberdeen Hotels
In big Aberdeen, you’ll find big hotel chains to stay at. However, with prices up around 100 USD, staying at a big fancy hotel in Aberdeen isn’t best for any budget.. and you won’t get a proper British stay at a lot of large hotels.
If however, hotels are the kind of stay you’re looking for, our favorite website to search for hotels is Momondo. They compare sites like Booking, Agoda, Expedia, and more, showcasing the best prices and the best days to stay! Check out current Scotland Hotel prices here.
You can also find cottages, bnbs, and lodges in Scotland on Momondo, they aren’t just for hotels!
Aberdeen Bed and Breakfasts
To really get a true sense of Scotland, we recommend staying at a proper bed and breakfast in Aberdeen. You’ll get a much more intimate experience with the hosts, and wake up to a lovely breakfast spread each morning.
Here are 5 Aberdeen Bed and Breakfast we recommend you check out. Each one offers a little something different, and is in a different part of the city.
We’ve stayed at the Marcliffe Hotel and Spa and can fully recommend it for not just the amazing food and staff, but it’s also perfectly located on the edge of Aberdeen.
Wild Camping / Sleeping in Campervan in Scotland
It’s free and legal to wild camp in Scotland, and there are often places near the castles to do so! Just be sure to pack out whatever you pack in — this includes your used toilet paper! And if you don’t have a toilet with you, be sure to dig a hole 6 inches deep, and 100 feet away from water to do your duty!
Check Out Europe’s Biggest RV and Campervan Rental Company Here
If you have a campervan and would like to stay overnight at a castle that doesn’t have a gate for the entrance / that isn’t occupied with overnight residents, chances are you can! We “stayed” at numerous (Ardvreck Castle, Bothwell Castle, & New Slains Castle) castles in Scotland just by parking in their parking lots or pitching our tents right near the castle!
Getting Around Scotland
There are many ways of getting around Scotland. Some of these include renting a car or van, using public transportation like buses, trains, ferries, and even flying.
READ MORE | Prepare for Driving in Scotland Before you Land!
Renting a Car in Scotland
Hiring or renting a car in Scotland is one of the best possible ways to get out on the open road and see the masses of castles in Scotland.
Let me explain…
Being able to rely on no one else than you or the people you are traveling with free’s up so much. You have more freedom of choosing when to get to a castle, how late to stay, how many you can see in one day, or being able to get to those hard to reach castles. Like the castles that do not have public transportation to.
Many castles have their grounds open year-round. However, if you can beat the crowds to get some pictures before the “tourists” photobomb your epic photo, wouldn’t that be worth it right there?!
Check rental car prices in Scotland before you go!
Or read our post about getting a free rental car in Scotland through RyanAir!
Renting a Van in Scotland
Now the previous option seems pretty legit.
But imagine everything about hiring a car in Scotland and then adding accommodation to it!
Hiring a van in Scotland that is all kitted or built out with a bed, a place to cook, and even a place to go potty is pretty much a dream come true!
And that isn’t even the best part about it all.
The best part is being able to park anywhere you feel like, within good reason, and camp there without being told to move on.
In Scotland, there is a thing called the freedom to roam and that gives you the most freedom to be able to explore even the most difficult to get to and far out castles around Scotland.
We personally have never rented a van in Scotland. However, we do know and understand the benefits of utilizing a camper van in Scotland–we lived that van life in Scotland for 2.5 years.
So that is why we can so highly recommend going down this route!
We saw many companies during our time in Scotland. However, two companies stick out to us the most.
SpaceShips Campervan and Motorhome Rentals – You can get a quote for your trip to see if they work for you. Only thing for this company is that you have to pick-up or drop-off in one of two UK cities: Edinburgh or London.
IndieCampers – Give them a check to see if they work for you and your price range. They provide the best rate guarantee–BTW.
The next options seem pretty lousy in comparison to renting a van in Scotland, but they are options, and not traveling around in a camper van in Scotland isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, so I must include the others.
Public Transportation in Scotland
Bus
Taking a bus is a great option when not choosing to venture too far out of the city, or just sticking to castles down the A93. Just make sure the bus stop takes you within reason of your Scottish Castle destination. You can take a bus straight from Aberdeen to Drum Castle, and Dunnottar Castle, both making great day trip from the city!
Sometimes when looking at a map, it may seem like you’re a 5 or 10-minute walk away, however, maps can be deceiving sometimes and you could ultimately be a 30 or 40-minute hike away. So just be aware!
If this is your option, make sure to check out https://www.firstgroup.com/south-east-and-central-scotland or use the widget below.
You’re now ready for a trip along Scotland’s Castle Trail!
We’re so excited for you to #visitScotland! It’s truly one of our favorite countries in the world and we feel so blessed to have lived there for over two years! Don’t forget to tag us (#arboursabroad) in your photos! We love to see where our readers travel to!
Now, check out cheap flights to Scotland from your destination and begin planning the trip of a lifetime!
