They were used by kings for hunting, and ladies for hosting lavish events – but now, castles could be owned by you after going on sale across the UK.
From historic ruins to ready-made lodgings, castles once associated with the country’s most rich and famous are incredibly affordable.
Prices start at £130,000 but range up into the millions for the incredible castles on the market.
Most of the buildings are based in Scotland where rolling hills and lakes can be enjoyed by the new occupants.
Features from open fireplaces to hidden staircases and portcullis doors are bound to wow buyers looking to make the move from an ordinary home to a resplendent residence.
Among those on the market is Mains Castle in East Kilbride for £495,000 – less than a London flat – or the same as a three bedroom home in Birmingham.
Many of the castles being marketed by Savills have drawing rooms, ballrooms and en-suite bedrooms and some date back to the Middle Age.
Cassillis Castle
Price: Offers over £3.9million (or the same as a three bed flat in London’s Canary Wharf)
With a ballroom, a library and a portcullis door, this castle has everything a new owner could need to feel like a king.
Overlooking the River Doon the five-floor building is a medieval dream with a hidden staircase, grand fireplaces and immaculate grounds.
In all, there are currently thirteen bedrooms on various floors, in the Ayrshire castle, seven of which are en-suite.
Through unusual arched passageways and original 15th century walls, and a secret staircase the stunning castle offers a window back in time.
Cassillis Estate is set over five floors and features include a ballroom an unusual arched passageway and a secret staircase
For all its historical charm the home also has state of the art facilities such as an iPod controlled seven seat cinema room with fully reclining seats, surround sound, Sky HD television and projector screen
The kitchen features fitted walnut cabinets and an ancillary scullery and pantry in the home which towers above the River Doon
The spiral staircase is part of the original Keep of Cassillis, and is built clockwise to ensure an easy defence by a right-handed swordsman.
Steeped in history, the former home of the Earls of Cassillis provides a window back in time – but with plenty spaces to fulfill modern needs.
In the basement, former store rooms have been remodelled to create an iPod controlled seven seater cinema room with fully reclining seats, surround sound, Sky HD television and projector screen.
The two adjoining rooms provide an ideal space for a gymnasium and studio. Across the passage are a well equipped laundry room and a wine cellar with vaulted ceiling.
It also comes with three cottages on the grounds, a coach house and stable block and access to 1.8miles of river for fishing.
The castle, with attendant gate lodge, garden cottage and walled garden, coach house and stable block, stands in 310 acres of policies and grass parks in rolling South Ayrshire countryside
Mains Castle
Price: £495,000 (or the same as three-bedroom apartment in Birmingham)
It has been labelled ‘Lanarkshire’s most romantic residence’ for its stunning views and historic interior but Mains Castle is also known for its survival against the odds.
The battle-worn building withstood being fired on by Claverhouses Dragoons after the Battle of Bothwell Brig in 1679 and weathered the great storm of 1922.
Despite the damage the four-bedroom castle was restored as a stunning residence before being named the winner of a Saltire award for its reconstruction and renovation.
The 15th century keep of Mains Castle is one of South Lanarkshire’s most familiar landmarks – and is being sold for £495,000
The castle was first occupied in 1478 when Princess Euphemia Stewart married David Lindsay who was the provost of Glasgow
The castle in East Kilbride was badly damaged by cannonballs and was also hit hard by a storm but was lovingly restored
The grounds surrounding Mains Castle extend to approximately 3.8 acres which border the northern bank of the James Hamilton Heritage Loch
There are three bedrooms and three bathrooms in the property, as well as a former prison pit underneath one of the toilets
The land the castle stands on dating from 1450 is believed to been given as a gift from Robert the Bruce
Rising through the height of the building in the southwest corner is a spiral turnpike stair, cunningly designed to turn in a clockwise direction, giving a right-handed swordsman the advantage over an intruder trying to fight his way up
The 15th century keep, a Category A Listed tower house which once contained a pit prison, is believed to have been built on land gifted from Robert the Bruce.
It was first occupied in 1478 when Princess Euphemia Stewart married David Lindsay who was the provost of Glasgow.
The castle has an original ladies’ quarters with an exquisite hand painted ceiling, as well as a banqueting hall and guardroom (now a bathroom).
The Parapet allows access around all four sides of the castle, with splendid views of the surrounding 3.8 acres which border the northern bank of the James Hamilton Heritage Loch.
The tower has five floors, The first two of which are enclosed in the stone barrel-vault, designed to protect the upper floors from fire attack at ground floor level.
Illieston Castle
Price £950,000 (or the same as a fourth floor apartment in Mayfair, London)
Illieston Castle on the edge of the River Almond was once visited by kings – but could soon be owned by you.
The late 15th or early 16th century was once a Royal hunting seat of the kings of Scotland, James II and James IV, but it’s lands have been mentioned as far back as the 1200s.
The elegant Illieston Castle in Broxburn, West Lothian, dates from the late 16th century and the grounds were frequented by the Stuart Kings of Scotland. Kings James II and James IV, both of whom came to the throne in the 15th century, would ride out from the magnificent Linlithgow Palace.
From the hall a stone spiral staircase leads up to the first floor where a double bedroom, bathroom and formal drawing room are located
Once owned by the Earl of Hopetoun, of nearby Hopetoun house, the property was altered in the 1850s by famed Scottish architect William Burn. It was then purchased in 1950 by the current owners who have used it as a private residence and, more recently, an Airbnb.
Lord Hamilton’s former home at the bottom of a tree-lined avenue has been gradually restored and upgraded over the last nine years by the current owners
A stone spiral staircase is a spectacular feature, along with unspolied views of the countryside from The King’s Room.
There is a secondary spiral staircase which leads up to a small turret room, currently used as a study and spare bedroom.
A former shelter known as a ‘bothy’ transformed into separate accommodation sits outside the courtyard, along with a garden shed.
Illieston Castle residents enjoy the right to fish of the River Almond, including salmon, trout and sea trout.
Dalmoak Castle
Price: Offers over £750,000 (or the same as four bed home is Wolseley in Manchester)
An unusual Victorian Gothic mansion is being sold with incredible, original details.
The 14-bedroom home in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, has 9500 square ft of accommodation, a wine cellar, two tower rooms and a roof terrace on the fourth floor.
Dalmoak Castle is a Category A Listed castellated Tudor style Gothic mansion built circa 1866 1869 by the architect Alexander Watt
During the Second World War the Royal Air Force used Dalmoak Castle as its local headquarters. In 1989 It became a nursing home and was fully restored in the 1990s
The lavish public rooms include a drawing room, study, music room and formal dining room and there are tower rooms on the second and third floors with a roof terrace on the fourth floor
Fourteen-bedroom Dalmoak Castle sits in a prime elevated position between Dumbarton and Renton in West Dunbartonshire
The home, on land which was part of the Royal hunting ground of King Robert the Bruce, doubled up as the headquarters for the Royal Air Force in World War II and was later used as a nursing home.
Corinthian columns, a hardwood imperial staircase and three beautiful round arched stained glass windows on the landing depicting Celtic mythological scenes give the castle a regal feel.
The owners will be able to enjoy a large drawing room, a study, a music room and formal dining room – as well as former stables which are now privately owned cottages.
Knockhall Castle
Price: £130,000 (or the same as a parking space in Kensington, London)
One castle which hasn’t quite kept the grandeur of its competitors is Knockhall Castle – but for the right buyer – it is a blank canvas.
The remains in Foveran, in picturesque Newburgh, stand on the site of the castle believed to have been built in 1565.
Knockhall Castle in Newburgh in Aberdeenshire is being sold for £130,000 after the outside of the building was made structurally safe
Windows show where gunloops were in the sides of the castle which can be turned into a home when it sells to a new owner
Fifteen miles from Aberdeen Airport and near to the River Ythan, the towerhouse will offer it’s new owners plenty of space to explore, while being easily accessible.
The tower with three stories and an attic has undergone significant alteration, probably in the second quarter of the 17th century and has been externally stabilised for internal development.
The earlier windows have a typical roll moulding of mid 16th century type, and some appear to have had gunloops in their sills.
The basement is pierced by a number of wide-mouthed gunloops and the lintel of the door is inscribed with the date 1565.
Fetteresso Castle – South Range
Price: £475,000 (or the same as a three-bed terraced home in Barkingside)
The stunning grounds of Fetteresso Castle are nestled among the rolling countryside and a woodland valley – and a slice of it could be yours for less than £500,000.
The four-bed, two-bath castle home is being sold for less than a flat in London. For £475,000 this castle near Stonehaven in Scotland could be yours
The home comes with vaulted cellars and ‘versatile’ rooms which can be transformed by the new owners
The three storey castle offers a double garage, a large entrance hall, a drawing room and a separate dining room, as well as a separate laundry room
The luxury property has high ceilings, large windows and panelled doors. The castle sits nestled among trees and wildlife
The South Range, once a grand ballroom in the castle has been transformed into a four-bedroom home.
Current occupants of the castle carved into separate homes have formed a tight knit community.
The welcoming reception hallway gives independent access to the original and historic vaulted cellars. South facing windows give glorious views of the associated land and there are twin aspect windows.
Window seats and high ceilings give the occupants the opportunity to enjoy sunshine, as well as the south facing drawing room.
Devizes Castle
Price: £2.5million (or the same as a three-bed mews house in Marylebone)
Devizes Castle is a stunning Grade I listed building once the property of the Queens of England, including Henry VIII’s wives.
Once destroyed in the 17th Century Civil War between King and Parliament, the castle enjoyed by Henry III and Edward I was rebuilt from the rubble in the 1830s.
Grade I listed Devizes Castle was once used by the wives of King Henry VIII. King John was also known to be a lover of the castle between 1204 and 1216
By 1645 the Castle was held by the Royalists and was largely destroyed during the 17th Century Civil War between King and Parliament. It was rebuilt from the rubble in 1830
The Long Gallery leads to the Drawing Room, a beautifully light and airy room with stone mullioned windows offering sweeping views of the gardens, open fire, a fine ceiling with ornate carved and gilded decoration
The magnificent features of the castle include a floor to ceiling stone, a banqueting room, a canopied fireplace and exceptional views of the grounds.
An exquisite wide wooden central staircase leads to long hallways and beautifully detailed stone archways, impressive fireplaces, oak floor boards, working shutters, high ceilings throughout, an unusual bowed Fernery with elegant wooden ceiling.
In the library decorative bookcases line two walls while the rear garden provides for sheltered walks through important and interesting specimen trees, and in the en-suite for the master bedroom there are twin baths.
Devizes Castle took its name from the Medieval Latin castrum ad divisas, meaning the castle at the boundaries’, because it stood at the central point of three Manors. It is believed the entire area of Devizes began to accommodate the castle
Rothes Glen House
Price: £1.1million (or the same as a four-bed home in Ascot, Berkshire)
The restored Scots Baronial mansion, dominated by its square central tower, is perfectly situated in the countryside for peace and tranquility off the beaten track.
Four-storey, Rothes Glen House has features only those in high society could have dreamed of having in their home – from a gun room, a ballroom and a smoking room to a rose garden.
With eleven bedrooms and east and west wings the home has plenty of space for a family.
Other features include a snooker room, a turnpike staircase, en-suite bedrooms and extensive and private grounds and gardens to be enjoyed by the new owners.
Rothes Glen House has an entire wing at the back for nursery rooms and a bathroom and a playroom – as well as office space
The gardens and grounds at Rothes Glen House are extensive and private. The house is approached by a cherry tree lined tarmac driveway which forks by the house. On the western side of the house is a rose garden
The spacious castle kitchen has modern appliances and bare brick walls. There is another kitchenette along with office space
Large windows let light into the lavish rooms at the eleven bedroom property built from red sandstone with polished ashlar stonework
The current Rothes Glen House was designed in 1893 by Alexander Ross as the replacement of a burnt out 1871 summerhouse of the DunbarsFormerly known as Birchfield House and built in 1893 as the summer residence for the Dunbar-Dunbar family
The plan shows multiple sitting rooms and an inner courtyard enclosed by the rest of the building, as well as a gun room and a smoking room
At the back of the house is a nursery wing with a nursery, bathroom and playroom, together with a housekeeper’s store.
Arranged off the inner courtyard are stores, a game larder with walk in fridge, flower room and boiler room housing an Hoval oil fired boiler.
Property agent Ruaraidh Ogilvie said: ‘Rothes Glen is without a doubt one of the most exceptional private houses of this size that I have encountered.
‘Its superb refurbishment has been achieved without compromising the extraordinary period features and detailing – it is truly a quite outstanding property and I’d be surprised if there were another house of similar scale and quality on the northeast Scottish market today.’