23-07-2025
Live like royalty: 7 castle stays where history becomes your home
Glenapp Castle, Scotland
Glenapp Castle, a 19th-century Scottish Baronial masterpiece on Scotland's southwest coast, invites guests for a multi-day Hebridean Sea Safari: explore remote islands by private boat, then glamp luxuriously on secluded isles with private chef and butler service. The castle itself blends five-star grandeur with rugged adventure and features one of Scotland's largest hotel suites—the 4,500 sq ft Castle Penthouse—complete with its own chef and dedicated butler. Ashford Castle, Ireland
Live like a member of the Guinness dynasty in a luxury hotel that was a major film set for the John Wayne classic, The Quiet Man . This 800-year-old castle offers a huge range of estate activities, but is most famous for being home to Ireland's first School of Falconry. Guests can also enjoy private screenings of The Quiet Man in the castle's 32-seat cinema. The castle has hosted royalty like King George V and is consistently named one of the best hotels in the world. Umaid Bhawan Palace, India
Check into one of the world's largest private residences, a stunning Art Deco palace that is still home to the royal family of Jodhpur. At the Umaid Bhawan Palace, guests can swim in the magnificent subterranean Art Deco Zodiac Pool, a truly unique and glamorous experience. The palace also features a museum, lush gardens and a vintage car collection belonging to the maharaja. This is a chance to experience living royalty, as guests may encounter the maharaja himself in the corridors.
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Stay in a 19th-century baronial mansion at the foot of Ben Nevis that has hosted royalty, including Queen Victoria, along with luminaries such as Sean Connery, Liam Neeson and Mel Gibson. Inverlochy Castle Hotel offers world-class dining overseen by renowned chef Michel Roux Jr and features period grandeur in every room. Guests can enjoy a variety of classic country pursuits such as fishing, stalking and wildlife tours, arranged in the surrounding Highlands and on nearby historic estates. Ozu Castle, Japan
Ozu Castle's fully immersive cultural experience begins with a torch-lit ceremony featuring actors dressed as samurai, celebratory gunfire and the blowing of a conch shell trumpet. Guests wear traditional kimonos or samurai armour and enjoy a private performance of sacred kagura music and dance. The castle's main keep, authentically rebuilt in 2004 using traditional timber methods, is available to only one group per night, ensuring absolute privacy during the stay. Dalhousie Castle, Scotland
Sleep in Scotland's oldest continually inhabited castle, a fortress that has hosted centuries of royalty, from King Edward I to Mary, Queen of Scots. Guests can dine in the atmospheric Castle Dungeon Restaurant, try their hand at falconry and archery on the castle grounds or relax in the Aqueous Spa. The castle's history is its main draw—guests can stay in suites named for famous historical figures who stayed there, including Mary, Queen of Scots and Queen Victoria. Oliver Cromwell also used the castle as a base for his invasion of Scotland.
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