Fenton Tower is a magnificent, fortified 16th-century tower, located just 20 miles east of Edinburgh between Gullane and North Berwick. Offering 5-star accommodation for up to 12 guests, the tower offers unrivalled hospitality, whether you’re looking for a perfect Scottish golf trip, family gathering... or perhaps a base for attending Edinburgh’s renowned summer festivals?

Since the Edinburgh International Festival burst onto the scene in 1947 to engender "a flowering of the human spirit", Edinburgh has been synonymous with festivals and presents an unforgettable mix of cultural experiences in this iconic and beautiful city.

This August, if you haven’t yet booked your accommodation linked to attending one of the festivals, we are delighted to offer a 20% discount on all exclusive-use bookings made for stays between 7 and 31 August 2013 (based on a minimum of 8 adults staying for a minimum 3 night stay).

Following on from our Family Friendly Logo Competition, we are very pleased to announce that we have a winner!

The competition was for children to design a logo that would appear on the family-friendly page of the Celtic Castles website and also on the properties that are high up on our list of recommendations for customers with children.

The prize was a stay at the amazing Bovey Castle, set in the heart of Dartmoor National Park, which is one of our best castles for families with children and highly recommmended by the team.

Would you like to escape to the Scottish Boarders this August, whiling away your time in a castle once used as a retreat by King James VI of Scotland (son of Mary Queen of Scots and Lord Darnley) who took refuge there as he fled from the rebel army in Fife across the Firth of Forth? You could share this 16th-century castle with your friends and family this August, or keep the secret to yourselves and enjoy a night or two away!

Fenton Tower, located near the coastal town of North Berwick, allows guests to choose from the best of both worlds. Offered on an exclusive-hire option on weekends, indulging guests who enjoy the company of friends and family and sharing their castle expereince, during the week the castle also opens as a bed and breakfast for couples or small groups hiring individual bedrooms.

During the Middle Ages, England and Scotland were frequently at war. These wars devastated the areas along the border and ultimately led to a zone known as the “Debatable Lands”; sections of land ruled by local clans that both the English and Scottish governments struggled to hold any control over. During a period between approximately 1450 and 1610, Border Reivers (Reiv coming from the old English “to steal”) based in the Debatable Lands, indiscriminately terrorised regions of southern Scotland and northern England , stealing horses, cattle gold and silver from farms and estates.

Brackenhill Tower was built in 1584 by the clan member and infamous border reiver Ritchie Graham. Security and defence were essential, hence the fortified nature of the building. Graham was a notorious horse thief, believed to have stolen up to 80 horses on a single raid. On one raid south of the border, he was believed to have stolen £5000 worth of gold and silver (well over £1 million by today’s standards!) and on the top floor of Brackehill Tower, he employed a counterfeiter who created counterfeit coins from the retrieved metals.

Do you want to relax in the best bed and breakfast in Cumbria? Set in the Upper Eden Valley at the foot of the North Pennines, Augill Castle is quite simply breathtaking, with views of the Yorkshire Dales and Lakeland fells beyond.

The castle was constructed back in 1841, on behalf of John Bagot Pearson, as a gentleman’s country residence. John had a vision of a weekend retreat where he could entertain his friends in true style. The result of Pearson’s vision, was a charismatic and extravagant building, which boasts huge turrets and arched fairytale windows. To this very day, the magic of John’s vision lives on in the castle, thanks to the current owners Simon and Wendy Bennett.

Would you like to be able to cook like a chef who has his own Michelin star? If so, then read on…

Based at the foothills of the Ben Nevis mountain range, Inverlochy Castle has a stunning location and as well as the 18 bedrooms which offer luxury overnight accommodation, the castle’s restaurant is rated highly in the Mobile Food Guide, who describe its menu as seriously ambitious and elaborate.

The culinary expert behind the restaurants standard of excellence is Phil Carnegie, who won a Michelin star of his own, maintaining, on his own terms, an honour that the restaurant has held for a decade. 

Here Phil takes time out of the kitchen to share with us his recipe for Black Olive-Crusted Sika Venison with Salsify and Parsnip.

Let me take you on a little adventure, a dip into the history of Forter Castle, a small stroll through the local area .

Have you ever wondered upon a cluster of stones, and wondered what stories they could tell…?

Imagine enjoying a stroll through the tranquil countryside of Glen Isla and stumbling across the ruins of stone walls crumbling, scarred by fire and stood in the centre of the structure were two mature trees who had been the only inhabitants of Forter for over 340 years. This is what Robert Pooley discovered and in so doing began his quest, his dream to reinstate this crumbling ruin to its former glory.

On 8th of August 1998 the Pooley family purchased the estate. 

For the more independent traveller, sometimes planning a holiday can be quite a task; with so many places to see, and lots of things to fit in to your holiday, it can be hard to know where to begin! Here at Celtic Castles we believe that planning your dream vacation should be fun and easy, so we’ve put together some top tips to give you a helping hand.

1. Make a List

Make a list of the places and sights you’d most like to visit, with a “must see” list, and an “if there’s time” list; that way you can be sure to include the “must sees” and then anything else you fit in is a bonus.

If there's one thing in life I love, it's facts. Not massive world-changing life-altering facts per se, just those little things that brighten up a conversation. Like the fact that Time magazine named Adolf Hitler as Man of the Year 1938, or that Donald Duck's middle name is Fauntleroy.

But, as you are reading this on the Celtic Castles website, here are some factlets which are appropriately castley!

Château d’Audrieu, near Bayeux, France

Some of their trees have cancer: a sentence I bet you weren’t expecting to read in this article, but there we are!

World War Two was raging in Europe and D-Day had arrived. The Normandy Landings had taken place in 1944 and the château was situated right between enemy lines, with Brits and Canadians on one side and a German Panzer division on the other. The building was hit by 27 105mm shells, as were trees on the grounds. 

You can see big bulges and deep gashes on the trunks of the largest trees, which are the traces of deep wounds. Shrapnel penetrated the wood to a depth of 40 centimetres. Every year, even now, some of them die from the long struggle against the cancer which eats away at them.

by Roger the Castle Man

With its turrets, towers and setting, Aldourie Castle offers all the fairytale grandeur and glamour you need for a truly magical experience. I just love this property and the castle is in such a great location with easy access from Inverness airport.

At Aldourie Castle you can enjoy the adventure of the Highlands of Scotland or simply lose yourself in the mystery and folklore of Loch Ness. I was up filming at the castle for the Travel Channel’s Jaw Dropping Rentals, you can see some of the rushes below. We were able to get out on a rib on the loch, we were all wrapped up!