The UK is home to over 4,000 castles. Some of these belong to the royal family, some are used as historical museums for a window into the past and, for a very small handful of them, some are up for sale.
And surprisingly, you don’t need some secret connection to put in your bid. Lots of castles are available to buy online, ranging from crumbling ruins to recently modernised massive estates.
They don’t exactly come cheap, but that will come as no surprise. However, in some cases they're not as pricey as you might think. Some come with hundreds of acres, others with their own islands and some are dripping with historical importance.
We’ve searched the internet to pick out the most impressive castles for you to buy… if you’ve got a cool spare few million lying around, of course.
Glengorm, Isle of Mull - £9,000,000
If you’ve grown tired of life in the city, looking for some peace and tranquility by the sea, this first property will be perfect.
Found perched on the coast of the small Isle of Mull in Scotland, it offers historical charm and a whopping 3,702 acres.
The entire castle has been recently renovated and includes over three miles of rugged coastline just for you.
You could retire here, or you could make use of the fully equipped livestock farm, coffee shop and holiday letting business that you will also be acquiring with this purchase. In total, the property comes with 17 different estate properties including the castle.
If the multiple full-time businesses that you’ll be taking on suddenly become too much for you, there are three local lochs and over 260 acres of woodland to go hide out in.
So how much will this all cost you? Offers over £9 million are being accepted. That might seem high but somehow it almost feels like good value with everything you’re getting.
Cloncaird Castle, South Ayrshire - £3,000,000
Sure, not everybody needs nearly 4,000 acres, 17 estate properties and multiple lochs. If you’re looking for a slightly smaller castle, this one might be more your speed.
It has origins dating back to the late 16th century, originally constructed as a fortified tower house. The castle was held by the Mure family of Auchendrane, a prominent family closely linked with the turbulent history of the region.
Located in South Ayrshire (just outside of Glasgow), this castle includes seven reception rooms, 15 bedrooms and eight bathrooms. Like Glengorm above, this castle has been recently renovated, offering a modern interior.
Also like Glengorm, you’ll be acquiring a business opportunity at the same time. The property comes with nine cottages, an event space, multiple outbuildings and some farmland.
Nestled in the local woods, this property prioritises peace and privacy.
Haltwhistle, Northumberland - £2,000,000
Moving out of Scotland, Haltwhistle is a castle with immense history. It is a Grade 1 listed property. That, for reference, makes up 2.5% of the most important properties in England and Wales, putting it in the same realm as the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey.
It also means that if you do have the £2 million needed to buy it, there are very little changes that you can make to the building, requiring incredibly strict regulations to be met.
But hey, enough about rules and regulations, what are you getting here? The property includes 4.51 acres of protected parkland, a 17th century castle and lodge and eight bedrooms.
The property is believed to date all the way back to the medieval times with one section being built in roughly the 12th century.
While this is one of the cheaper castles in the UK, it is also one of the most complicated to buy. It comes loaded with building regulations, rules to follow and parts of the building that have survived many centuries.
Tawstock, Barnstaple - £1,350,000
Surprisingly, this is one of the smaller castles you can buy right now, limiting you to just 8.41 acres and only four bedrooms. Those acres are used in a more unusual way, wrapping the property in a circular road, similar to a moat but easily crossable.
The castle is a blend of old and new on the inside, offering an eclectic mix of new furniture and period-dated ornaments.
Not many properties out there can include the list of features that this has. A King Arthur-esque round table, ornate fireplace, turret office, hidden rooms, a roof terrace on the castle tower, and even underground full-speed fibre.
Brechin Castle, Brechin - £1,600,000
This sale comes packed with a lot of history. The castle was originally constructed in the 13th century, but the majority of what is left of the building is from the 18th century.
Over the years, the castle has hosted famous poets, powerful clans, Earls and even King James at one point.
Along with the history lesson, this property also comes with 16 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms and a whopping eight living rooms.
Outside of the castle, there is 40 acres of land, five estate cottages and a renowned walled garden. Despite feeling remote, the castle is just outside of the town of Brechin, giving you access to all of the amenities you might need.
Unlike some of the other castles available right now, Brechin has kept all of its older internal decoration. That means you’ll feel like stepping back in time when living here.
Pottens Mill Lane, Heathfield - £2,250,000
Okay, so this one is cheating… slightly. It is not so much a castle, and more a dedication to one. This property was built roughly 25 years ago using reclaimed materials to give that medieval feel.
The end result is a charming riverside property, complete with all of the feel and charm of a castle. It looks a bit more like a combination of a cottage and castle. It includes 7-8 bedrooms, six bathrooms and four living rooms.
On top of that, there is 10 acres of land to explore and, miles of countryside surrounding you.
It is a blend of new and old, and while it lacks the authenticity of a real castle, it makes up for that with all of the modern amenities you would normally be missing.
Holmes Chapel Road, Lower Withington - £25,000,000
Look, we can all dream, right? £25 million is a lot of money that very few people will ever have access to. But, in the land of make believe and fun, this property is hard to say no to.
A historic 94 acre parkland including a 5 acre lake, a large stable and garage, a paddock, two separate castles and a absolutely massive country estate.
Inside, there are swimming pools, billiards rooms and realistically, too many different living rooms for the average person.
While it isn’t necessarily the largest on this list, it is the most glamorous, completely re-done inside and out to the highest level. This looks like the kind of property you only see in films.
