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The best British castle hotels to stay in 2025


Millions of us are glued to the finale traitors The first celebrity series – and the lavish setting is as key to the show as its round table duels.

As a country that is completely loyal to its residency, many tend to rule over a castle in Britain like Claudia.

Ardros Castle, the 19th-century house and estate where the BBC reality show is filmed, is used as a wedding and conference venue, as well as film and TV, but rooms are not available individually. Fortunately, places like this gothic castle in the Scottish Highlands, from Fife to Bristol, welcome fans.

It’s possible to hire an entire castle and stay in turret rooms or sleep in affordable four-poster beds.

These paranoia-free pads are home to nooks made for gossip, acres of play space and breakfast spreads your whole party can enjoy.

We’ve discovered the best fortified places from Scotland to Cumbria – where shields are decor, not lifelines – to make your booking mission easier.

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Lumley Castle, Durham

The faithful can live out their legend in the former chapel of Lumley Castle

The faithful can live out their legend in the former chapel of Lumley Castle (Getty Images)

Lumley Castle Chester-le-Street is perched above the River Wear and its luxurious four-star suites echo a bygone era. Baroque four-poster queens clash with the wallpaper in the bishop’s suite, and the bed rooms in the castle’s former chapel are fit for a faithful to live in a fairytale.

Watch out for murder mystery dinner dates to find your stronghold, tied to a three-course meal at Night Restaurant and a royal sleepover.

Ascon Palace, Perthshire

Snuggle up in the three-bedroom Balvaird wing of Scone Palace

Snuggle up in the three-bedroom Balvaird wing of Scone Palace (Skunk Palace)

In the heart of Perthshire, Scotland, the traditional Balvaird Wing at Scone Palace welcomes six guests to sleep and dine at the home of the Earls of Mansfield. It is steeped in heritage dating back fifteen hundred years to the Pictish Kingdom particle for direct object A place to don a satin cape and delve into the great mysteries of the Lost Stone before heading to a culinary feast in a grand state dining room that rivals the Round Table.

Two nights for six people Balvard Wing Apartment From £1200

Read more: The best luxury hotels in Scotland – where to stay for style and scenery

Glenap Castle, Ayrshire

Glenap Castle is set in 36 acres of South Ayrshire woodland

Glenap Castle is set in 36 acres of South Ayrshire woodland (Glenap Castle)

Tucked away in acres of Ayrshire woodland, Glennap Castle’s 17 period suites promise a cozy castle stay, replete with crystal chandeliers, bold red four-poster beds, and sweeping sea views.

Start the day with a full Scottish breakfast and set your mission to leave the oak-panelled halls for a Hebridean sea safari. traitors Stick to your big Glennup weekend.

Read more: A bottle of whiskey made me a Scottish landowner – here’s how

Birkill Castle, Fife

Hire Birkhill Castle for The Traitors with up to 28 of your closest loyalists

Hire Birkhill Castle for The Traitors with up to 28 of your closest loyalists (Birkill Castle)

This ancestral Scottish castle on the shores of the Khor Tay is filled with oil paintings, grand pianos and baronial bedrooms – and you can rent the whole thing for a stay. Traitors-Retreat style with up to 30 of your closest loyalists. At Birkhill Castle, there’s a beautiful drawing room and library with quiet nooks for nibbles, 1,500 acres of private property to roam and roaring fireplaces to sip evening cocktails from.

Three nights sleep until people in Birkill Castle From £15,000

Read more: This is why rail travel in Scotland is the best in the world

Thornbury Castle, Bristol

The magnificent suites at Thornbury Castle are luxurious

The magnificent suites at Thornbury Castle are luxurious (Thornbury Castle)

If you’re looking for Tudor luxury within the stone walls of an English castle, exile yourself to Bristol for the bed rooms at Thornbury Castle. The 1520s hotel offers suites that are nothing short of magnificent, with period details winding up the 77 spiral staircases to the majestic Catherine of Aragon Tower Suite and the unparalleled grandeur that spills into the 3 AA dining room.

High-profile guests include royalty – namely Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn – so we’re sure the rugged accommodations are up to Claudia Winkleman standards.

Read more: A Cotswolds lodge where you can play your traitor game

Dunskey Estate, Stranraer

This Edwardian castle has beautiful rooms fit for a queen

This Edwardian castle has beautiful rooms fit for a queen (Dansky estate)

Tucked away in the bushland of the Dunskey Estate on the west coast of Scotland, this Edwardian castle invites guests to linger under its spell. Spacious four-poster beds ooze luxury, claw-foot tubs offer muscle-melting baths and 25 rooms, with original features and sea views, are naturally fit for a queen. There’s even archery, ax throwing and wild swimming on site for traitors in training to fine-tune their most treacherous skills.

Three nights for four people Fawn Velvet Lodge From £495 plus fees.

Avgill Castle, Kirkby Stephen

To experience life in a castle, visit Avgill Castle in Cumbria

To experience life in a castle, visit Avgill Castle in Cumbria (Avgil Castle)

A night’s sleep at Avgill Castle in Cumbria combines antique with contemporary, as stained glass windows and mahogany wardrobes meet smart bathrooms and the innovative flavors of The Music Room restaurant.

Forget the formalities of the stately home, this is a castle that stands for authenticity, hospitality and lively conversation around the table when it’s time to tuck the kids back into their four-poster beds.

Read more: Are the Cotswolds accessible? A wheelchair user’s guide to where to go

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