FAQ

Why use Celtic Castles?

Celtic Castles has been online since 1998 and is now the biggest and best value castle booking company in the world! We currently feature over 100 castle properties on our website, catering for every taste and location throughout every corner of the UK, Ireland and France. We also have an extensive knowledge of other many castle properties throughout the British Isles and so are confident that we will be able to find a castle to meet your requirements. We visit all of the castles featured online on a regular basis and have developed an extensive knowledge about each. So, rather than you contacting the castles directly, we can give you an unbiased and honest assessment on each castle property and identify the one that would be most suited to your needs.

We're passionate about castles, watch Roger, our very own Castle Man, take a look around Borthwick Castle...

Does Celtic Castles add fees or commissions to the price of the stay?

No. Celtic Castles is not a travel agent and does not add any fees or commissions on top of the normal castle tariffs. Our service is completely free of charge to our customers. We take our commission from the castles themselves and so you pay no more booking through us than you would if you contacted the castle directly. In many instances we are able to offer discounted tariffs to our customers based on the exceptional relationships that we have with each castle property.

How does Celtic Castles choose the castles featured on the web site?

For a castle to be featured within our portfolio it has to demonstrate that it meets the high standards we set for our properties. We personally visit all of the castles featured within our site and our team makes regular checks to ensure that our high standards are being maintained! All of our customers who stay at a castle are asked to fill in a feedback form where they can raise any issues or concerns they may have had and we always follow these up directly with the castles themselves. In the past, properties have been removed from our site on the basis that they fall short of our expectations. We’re happy to say that we consistently receive good feedback on all of the properties currently featured.

How does the booking process work?

For your convience, many of our castles can be booked quickly and easily online. Just follow the "Check Availabilty" link alongside the castle of interest. Terms and conditions vary per property, but we always endeavour to make payment and cancellation policies very clear during the process. If you have any questions regarding any aspect of booking a castle online, please contact us.

Alongside this we're also proud to be able to offer a free, personal service where you can benefit from our expert knowledge and first-hand experience, 7 days a week. You can book with a human, ask a question about a property, or receive our unbiased guidance on the best option for you.

Whether you are planning a short break or a large event, we'd love to hear from you. Learn more.

When should I book my castle stay?

We get asked this question all the time.

Our best advice is to book your castle stay as soon as possible; quite simply the sooner you make your plans in advance of your stay, the more choice you will have. Remember, castles are a lot smaller than large corporate hotels, so the number of rooms in each property is fewer and, as a result, the demand for these rooms always outstrips supply.

The lead time for booking a castle stay varies slightly between the different property types. For castle hotels, weekend stays (Friday and Saturday for peak weekends from Easter to mid-September) will be filled with wedding bookings, which are typically booked 18 to 24 months in advance. Not all of the hotels will have weddings every weekend, but many do. They do tend to be quieter from Sunday through to Thursday outside the peak summer season (June July and August), so if your dates are flexible, this will offer you more choice.

For exclusive-use castles, the peak season is mainly June, July and August and they tend to get booked up 12 months in advance. The bookings for these castles are usually full weekly lets or long weekends. Weddings do get booked in these properties too, so some of the weekends will be booked out 18 to 24 months in advance.

The peak season for self-catered castles is linked to school holidays, as families often favour this type of property. The peak booking season for these castles is between October through to February the year before the stay. School holidays in the UK tend to be a week in February; 2 weeks at Easter; a week in May; the July and August summer break; a week in October and 2 weeks over Christmas and New Year.

When should I book my castle stay for Christmas and New Year?

Mentioning Christmas or New Year in late January seems very strange, but this is the time to book for the end of that year. If you have your heart set on an exclusive-use castle for this popular period, the sooner you book it the better. We do have clients booking exclusive-use castles 24 months in advance.

The castle hotels mainly offer set 3-day festive packages and these sell out very very quickly when they are made available; we can put you on a wait list in some instances. We promote the packages when they become available in our Christmas and New Year areas of the website. Many customers leave their festive bookings until after they have returned from their summer holidays, but the choice is then limited. Our advice…always book early!

Always contact us no matter what your lead in time is, as we can search our database to find the options open to you. There can sometimes be cancellations at the properties which affect availability; we always have up-to-date information on where the gaps are.

If you would like a self-catered castle, these are booked mainly during January to March for the festive season that year and remember they tend to offer full-week lets only.

If I want to cancel a booking who do I contact?

Cancellation policies vary greatly from castle to castle and we will always inform you of the particular castle's policy when you confirm. If you need to cancel a booking for any reason, you should contact Cetlic Castles using this cancellation form. Once we have received the form, we will confirm your booking cancellation by email. If you do not receive this within 24 hours, please contact us. We are not able to take cancellations over the telephone.

Can I bring my children?

This depends on the individual castle, but many castles do welcome children.

Do castle properties cater for disabled guests?

Due to the age of castles, many feature narrow, winding stairways and smaller doorways that may not always be suitable for disabled visitors. Some castles do, however, have special accommodation that would be more suited to guests who have greater access requirements. We have created a Disabled Access page highlighting what is available.

Can I hold my wedding at a castle?

Yes. More and more of our properties are acquiring both civil and religious licences meaning you can stage your choice of ceremony, plus reception, at the castle. For more information on what each castle has to offer, please visit our Weddings page .

What does 'exclusive use' mean?

Exclusive use means that you and your party will be the only guests in the castle on a particular day. If you book a large group into a castle without taking exclusive use, there may be guests staying in other rooms or other guests dining at the castle with whom you would be sharing the castle's facilities.

What does 'self-catering' mean?

Self-catering (otherwise known as vacation rental) means that you will be hiring the property on an accommodation only basis. Meals and other services are not included in the price and will generally not be available to self-catering guests. Typically self-catering properties come with their own kitchen facilities, allowing you to prepare meals yourself.

What's the price in US Dollars (and other currencies)?

Prices on our website are listed in the currency of the country where the castles are located. Castles within the UK are priced in pounds sterling; castles/châteaux within Ireland or France are priced in euros. Conversions from pounds or euros to any currencies around the world can be calculated simply using the Universal Currency Converter at www.xe.com. The exchange rates are regularly updated meaning prices will always be current.

What is VAT?

Value Added Tax (or VAT) is levied on most purchases in the UK. The current rate is 20% on top of the goods or services being sold, however, nearly all goods already include VAT in the retail price and so you won't be hit with any surprise costs when you reach the check-out! The majority of castle tariffs on our website are inclusive of VAT and we clearly state any cases where this is not so.

What is the dress code for dinner?

This varies again from castle to castle but smart/casual attire would typically be suitable for most castle properties. If you want to know the dinner dress code for a specific castle in advance of your stay, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to advise you!

What's the difference between a double room, twin room and a single room?

A double room features a large bed suitable for two people to share. A twin room has two separate beds that are suitable for one person in each. A single room has one bed, suitable for one person.

What is the difference between a standard, superior and a deluxe room type?

This again will vary from castle to castle, but generally speaking, the higher grades of rooms are often larger, have superior furnishings and will offer better views over the surrounding area.

Do all the castles have four-poster bedrooms?

Whilst the majority of castles do have four poster rooms, not every room in the castle will feature a four poster bed and there are castles which don’t have any at all. If you specifically want a four poster room and it is not immediately obvious that the room you are requesting has such a bed, drop a note in the additional information section of your booking/enquiry form and we will do our utmost to secure one for you.

What is the oldest castle on your web site?

The oldest property currently on our website is Traquair Castle in Innerleithen, Scotland. The exact dates of its construction are unconfirmed, but it is believed that a building stood on the site as early 950AD! The first confirmed record of the castle in history was in 1107 when King Alexander I stayed there. A royal visit suggests that by this stage it must have already been quite a substantial building! Traquair Castle is not only the oldest castle on our site; it is actually the oldest inhabited house in the whole of Scotland!

Do you have any advice on travelling within the UK?

For directions, Google Maps is always useful to map out your journey beforehand. For rail travel, take a look at the National Rail Network webpage. If you plan to fly between cities British Airways , British Midland , EasyJet, Ryanair, Aer Lingus will be useful.