24 November 14, 2021The Sunday Times
Travel UK
the 16th-century châteaux
of the Loire Valley, with
which the couple were
enamoured. It’s similarly
intriguing inside, with its
wood-panelled banqueting
room by Alfred Waterhouse,
painted ceilings and Indian-
inspired fireplaces, while the
views over the Menai Strait
to Snowdonia are equally
impressive. The 16 château
rooms combine period-style
furniture with bold-coloured
fabrics and contemporary
bathrooms, while the AA-
rosette restaurant showcases
local produce.
Details B&B doubles from
£159 (chateaurhianfa.com)
BEST FOR ARCHITECTURE
LOVERS
LANGLEY CASTLE
NORTHUMBERLAND
Every day after breakfast
guests staying at this grade I
listed, four-storey, H-shaped
tower house are invited
to join a tour of its rooftop
chapel, multiple garderobes
(medieval lavatories) and
impressive battlements
with views to Hadrian’s Wall.
The 7ft-wide, 14th-century
walls now house nine very
traditional-style luxury rooms
with four-poster beds,
heraldic carpets, pelmeted
drapes and deep-set window
seats. There is a magnificent
fire-lit drawing room for
afternoon tea and a two-AA-
rosette restaurant with a glass
extension for tasting and table
d’hôte dinners.
Details Room-only doubles
from £135 (langleycastle.com)
BEST FOR FAMILY
ADVENTURES
AUGILL CASTLE CUMBRIA
Sitting pretty in 15 acres
between the Yorkshire Dales
and the Lake District, this
famously family-friendly
neo-gothic extravaganza has
all the battlements, towers and
secret staircases you could
wish for from a moneyed
Victorian gentleman intent
on upstaging his brother.
The focus is on comfort,
friendliness and informality,
which translates into the Great
British Bar; wholesome, tasty
food that prioritises local
suppliers; and big adventures
from ghyll-scrambling to
stand-up paddleboarding.
The 13 eclectically furnished
rooms, suites and estate
cottages include grand castle
rooms with four-poster beds
and turret wardrobes.
Details B&B doubles from
£200 (stayinacastle.com)BEST FOR FUN AND GAMES
LUMLEY CASTLE
CO DURHAM
Overlooking the River Wear,
this battlemented castle is
named after the knight who
built it in 1389, but was
executed soon afterwards for
conspiring against Henry IV.
A residence for Durham
University students in the
1800s, it’s now run by No
Ordinary Hotels, which has
introduced staff in medieval
clothes and special events
including murder-mystery
dinner parties and escape
room games (the latest
involves releasing a resident
ghost from an ancient curse).→Continued from page 23Queen Victoria
remarked in 1873
that she ‘had never
seen a lovelier spot’
LIVE LIKE A QUEEN A room at Leeds Castle, Kent, a former residence of Catherine of AragonInverlochy Castle Hotel, HighlandsThe flamboyantly medieval
castle rooms include the King
James Suite: James I stayed
here in 1603, en route to his
coronation in London.
Details Room-only doubles
from £107 (lumleycastle.com)BEST FOR PLAYING AT
HARRY POTTER
DALHOUSIE CASTLE HOTEL
MIDLOTHIAN
Edward I and Mary Queen of
Scots both spent a night at this
13th-century castle outside
Edinburgh, the former before
defeating William Wallace at
Falkirk. Today it’s a luxury
hotel with 29 grand periodDetails B&B doubles from
£338 (inverlochy
castlehotel.com)BEST FOR SPA BREAKS
KILLEAVY CASTLE ESTATE
CO ARMAGH
Midway between Belfast and
Dublin, this category A listed
castle started life as a
farmhouse, and only got its
four towers and Tudor-style
windows in 1836, because
its owners wanted it to
resemble nearby Gosford
Castle. Rescued from a
near-ruin, it now houses
four gothic-style rooms with
four-poster beds, and is part
of a 350-acre estate that also
includes a 46-room boutique
hotel with a fabulous spa, an
outdoor hot tub and a fine-
dining restaurant. It’s all set
in the glorious wooded
countryside around Slieve
Gullion; the local walks are
wonderful.
Details B&B doubles from
£170 (killeavycastle.com)rooms and a modest spa;
secret staircases lead to book-
lined lounges, suits of armour
still haunt the candlelit
dungeon restaurant, and at
weddings one of the falconry’s
owls delivers wedding rings to
the chapel. It’s set in 11 acres of
parkland beside the River Esk.
Details B&B doubles from
£178 (dalhousiecastle.co.uk)BEST FOR THE LUXURY
EXPERIENCE
GLENAPP CASTLE AYRSHIRE
This 19th-century baronial pile
may not be as ancient as other
castle hotels, but it certainly
looks the part with its
sandstone battlements, towers
and turrets. Set in 36 acres
of Gertrude Jekyll-designed
gardens overlooking Ailsa
Craig in southwest Scotland,
it also has an impressive array
of luxury experiences, from
shooting and fishing to forest
bathing and Hebridean sea
safaris. The 17 opulent, period-
style suites include a brand-new, super-size penthouse;
and three or six-course
dinners can be enjoyed in the
new glasshouse.
Details B&B doubles from
£268 (glenappcastle.com)BEST FOR TRADITION
INVERLOCHY CASTLE HOTEL
HIGHLANDS
Named after a medieval ruin
near by, this 19th-century
baronial mansion is so
beautifully framed by Ben
Nevis and co that Queen
Victoria was prompted to
remark in 1873 that she had
“never seen a lovelier or more
romantic spot”. A hotel since
1969, it is now an undisputed
classic, with 17 supremely
comfortable, traditionally
furnished rooms, and Michel
Roux Jr overseeing five-course
dinners with wines to match.
Impeccable staff deliver a vast
menu of activities, from a
round at the Fort William golf
course to wildlife photography
on the Achnacarry Estate.