Castle Hotels Near Edinburgh You Can Stay In

Ever dreamed of staying in a Scottish castle?

There’s something completely different about waking up somewhere that feels like it belongs in another century. Stone walls, grand rooms, winding staircases and centuries of history around you – yet you’re there not just to look around, but to actually stay the night.

Staying in a castle isn’t just another place to sleep. It can turn a trip to Scotland into a much more memorable experience – the kind of stay you’ll still talk about years later. Whether it’s waking up in a four-poster bed, having breakfast in a historic dining room or simply stepping outside and realising you’re surrounded by ancient grounds, it gives you a completely different feeling from a conventional hotel.

And you don’t have to travel deep into the Highlands to experience it. There are some wonderful castle stays in and around Edinburgh, making it possible to combine the atmosphere of a Scottish castle with a trip to the city.

I’ve personally stayed/visited at two of the properties featured here, so I’ll share what I loved about them, what makes each stay different, and the practical details worth knowing before you book.

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Dalhousie Castle, castles to stay near Edinburgh

Before you book: what actually differs between these stays

A castle stay can mean very different things depending on the property. Some are full-service hotels in historic castles, some are intimate stays inside a much smaller historic building, while others are grand country estates where the accommodation is as much about the setting as the building itself.

Don’t choose based on the photos alone. Four-poster beds, stone walls and dramatic interiors can make very different properties look surprisingly similar online. The size of the property, number of rooms, atmosphere and level of service can make the actual experience quite different.

Think about location as well. If you want to spend most of your time sightseeing in Edinburgh, staying in the city may make more sense. If the castle itself is part of the experience, travelling a little further can give you a much more secluded countryside setting.

Think about who you’re travelling with. A romantic overnight stay for two is a very different proposition from renting a larger property for a family or group. Some are designed around hotel stays, while others work particularly well when the accommodation and grounds become part of the trip.

And finally, check the practical details before booking. Historic buildings can have steep or narrow staircases, uneven floors and, in some cases, no lift. This is especially important if accessibility is a consideration.

Getting around varies a lot across this list. Melville Castle and Prestonfield House are close enough to the centre for a taxi or public transport. The others — Carberry, Dalhousie, Faside and Thirlestane – are easiest with your own car, so if you don’t already have one booked, Discover Cars is worth using to compare hire options and find the best price for your dates.

Castle hotels and stays in Edinburgh

Melville Castle

A castle hotel stay without leaving the city – good for anyone who wants the atmosphere without adding driving to the trip.

Melville Castle is one of the few genuine castle hotels actually inside Edinburgh’s city boundary, rather than a drive away. The building dates back centuries, was rebuilt into its current form in the 1780s for Henry Dundas, and reopened as a hotel in 2003 after a long restoration.

You don’t have to book a room to get a taste of it, either – Melville Castle takes afternoon tea bookings, so it’s worth knowing about even if a full stay isn’t what you’re after. It’s a good way to see the castle and get the atmosphere without committing to a night away.

If you do stay, the rooms lean into the setting – four-poster beds, stone walls, some looking out over the grounds – and there’s a restaurant and bar on site for dinner and drinks afterwards.

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Melville Castle Edinburgh, Castle Hotels Near Edinburgh

Prestonfield House

The choice if you want five-star luxury with the character of a grand historic house.

Prestonfield isn’t technically a castle – it’s a grand mansion built in 1687, designed by Sir William Bruce (the same architect behind the Palace of Holyroodhouse). One thing that sets it apart from most historic properties: it’s had only three owners in over 300 years. One family held it until 1958, then friends turned it into a hotel, and it changed hands once more in 2003 when James Thomson (the man behind The Witchery) bought it. Because it stayed in so few hands for so long, very little inside has been altered – it feels lived-in rather than restored.

Every room leans into that history – deep reds, green velvet, carved wood, a room lined floor to ceiling in gilded Spanish leather, another with Italian landscapes painted straight onto the walls. Even the powder room is an event: pink damask, leopard print, gilt mirrors everywhere.

I stayed in one of the Classic rooms as a staycation, and separately had dinner at Rhubarb, the on-site restaurant named after the rhubarb an early owner introduced to Scotland – still grown in the garden and served on the menu today. The grounds run to twenty acres of parkland, with a small herd of Highland cows and a peacock called Colin who has the run of the place.

It’s the kind of property people book for a proper occasion – weddings, anniversaries, big birthdays – as much as a simple night away, and it sits just below Arthur’s Seat, minutes from the city centre, so it never feels like a detour. And like Melville Castle, you don’t have to stay over to experience it – dinner or afternoon tea both work as a taste of it on their own.

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Castle stays near Edinburgh

Carberry Tower

A historic castle stay with plenty to do without leaving the estate.

Carberry Tower sits on a private estate in East Lothian, just a short drive from Edinburgh – close enough for an easy trip into the city, but far enough to feel properly away from it. The building’s foundation stone dates back to 1480.

The main mansion is where to book if you want the castle experience itself, with suites set within the historic building and more than 50 acres of gardens and grounds to explore.

What sets Carberry apart is the range of experiences you can add to your stay without leaving the estate – from whisky tastings and afternoon tea to in-room wellness treatments, as well as dining on site.

If you’re travelling as a larger group, there are also separate Estate Houses on the grounds, although these are self-catering accommodation rather than part of the castle stay itself.

I’d choose Carberry if you want the convenience of being close to Edinburgh but would also like plenty of space and things to do once you return to the estate.

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Carberry Tower, Castle Hotels Near Edinburgh

Dalhousie Castle

The fullest “proper castle” experience on the list – suites with real castle features, a short drive from the city.

Dalhousie sits in Midlothian, about 11 miles from Edinburgh – close enough for a night away without it feeling like a big trip. It’s had a rocky reputation in the past (older reviews weren’t kind), but the castle has since been through a renovation – I visited while some areas were still being finished, and the spa wasn’t yet open to guests, so it’s worth checking current status before you book if that’s a dealbreaker for you.

I visited the caste as part of one of my day trips and was truly impressed by the Castle Feature Room with Vaulted Well – a living room downstairs, then stairs up to a bedroom that somehow holds a four-poster bed, a copper freestanding tub, and the castle’s original vaulted well, viewed through a glass panel in the floor (read my full review here).

Castle Feature Room with Vaulted Well at Dalhousie castle, Castle Hotels Near Edinburgh

I also asked to be shown round some of the other rooms while I was there, including the Castle Suite – a deep red bedroom with a carved four-poster and an antique dressing table (with an unexplained portrait of two women in period dress hanging above it – nobody could tell me their story), opening into its own turret living room with stone walls and an old leather armchair.

The best part of the visit, though, was the Library – an oak-panelled, book-lined whisky room with leather armchairs and a fireplace, used for private tastings. One of the bookshelves hides a door leading to a small round room lined floor to ceiling with lit whisky bottles.

Dining here comes in two very different moods. The Dungeon Restaurant sits in the castle’s original barrel-vaulted cellars – candlelight, rough stone walls, suits of armour and medieval weaponry around you, the kind of setting I could easily see coming back for a special occasion. The Ramsay Restaurant is the opposite feel: still in a historic room, but done out with modern furnishings, green leather banquettes and bright lighting, serving a Scottish grill and seafood menu. There’s also afternoon tea, served in some of the castle’s other rooms – worth setting time aside for even if dinner isn’t part of your plan.

Dalhousie is the pick on this list if what you want is the full castle fantasy rather than a polished hotel room with castle styling – genuine architectural features built into the stay itself, not just décor.

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The Library at Dalhousie castle, The Dungeon Restaurant , Castle Hotels Near Edinburgh

Faside Estate / Fa’side Castle

The smallest and most intimate stay on the list – you have the tower to yourself rather than staying in a traditional hotel.

Faside is a 14th-century castle tower about 10 miles from Edinburgh, offered as a single-room bed and breakfast rather than a conventional hotel. The bedroom has a barrel-vaulted ceiling, a seven-foot Emperor bed and an en suite slipper bath, reached by a steep spiral staircase – something to bear in mind if stairs are a concern.

You also have access to the Great Hall, with its original stone fireplace and log burner, while the rooftop battlements give views towards the Forth Rail Bridge, Arthur’s Seat and the Fife coast.

There are two practical things I’d check before booking. Faside Estate is currently on the market, so I’d confirm availability directly for your dates and check that the accommodation is still operating as normal.

And, rather unusually, you could actually go one step further and buy the place. The entire estate is currently being marketed for sale – so if you’ve ever fancied owning your own Scottish castle, this is one listing you might want to look at.

Because there is only one guest booking at a time, availability can naturally be limited. I’d check directly with the estate rather than assuming that a full calendar on a booking site means there are no dates available.

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Thirlestane Castle

For turning a castle stay into a proper Scottish countryside experience.

Thirlestane Castle is in Lauder, in the Scottish Borders, about 28 miles south of Edinburgh. You can book individual suites within the castle, or, for a larger group, take the South Wing.

What makes Thirlestane particularly interesting is how much you can add to your stay. Guests can arrange experiences on and around the estate, including horse riding, fishing, whisky tasting, Highland Games, falconry, archery, spa treatments and bagpipe experiences. You can also arrange a guided tour of the castle or a private tour for a more in-depth look at its history and interiors.

And you don’t necessarily have to stay overnight to experience it. Thirlestane offers castle tours, and Afternoon Tea & Tour experiences are available on selected dates.

For a special occasion or group trip, this makes it more than simply somewhere historic to spend the night. You can make the castle and its surrounding estate part of the trip itself.

The castle dates back centuries and remains the home of the Maitland family, adding another layer to the experience – you’re staying in a historic Scottish castle that is still a living estate, rather than simply a building preserved as a visitor attraction.

If you want to make the castle itself the focus of your stay, rather than simply use it as somewhere to sleep, Thirlestane is a particularly good choice.

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Which castle stay is right for you?

If you want to stay in a genuine castle without leaving Edinburgh, Melville Castle is the obvious choice. If you want something more luxurious and theatrical, while still being in the city, Prestonfield House offers a very different take on the historic-stay experience.

For a quieter escape outside Edinburgh, you have more choice. Faside is the most intimate, with just one guest room and the whole tower to yourself. Dalhousie Castle is the one I’d choose if the castle itself is the main event – and it’s the one on this list where you will really felt immersed in the building’s history. Carberry Tower gives you a spacious estate setting with plenty to do on site, while Thirlestane Castle is particularly interesting for a special occasion or group stay where you can build activities and experiences around the castle.

Whichever you choose, I’d look beyond the photographs and think about what you actually want from the stay. Do you want to remain close to Edinburgh? Have the castle almost entirely to yourself? Spend a night somewhere with centuries of history? Or turn the whole trip into a countryside escape?

That’s what makes a castle stay worth doing. You’re not just booking a different kind of hotel, you’re just choosing a completely different experience.