I stayed in a 500-year-old UK castle crowned ‘one of the world’s best places’ -you can rent the whole thing for £800

GROWING up successful Scotland, I've ever been fascinated by castles -  they’re hard to miss arsenic astir 4000 of them are scattered passim the country.

But I’ve ne'er really stayed successful one, until now.

There are plentifulness of castle hotels and hotels that are made to look similar castles, but Kilmartin Castle successful Argyll and Bute is the existent deal.

Built successful the 16th century, the castle was abandoned successful the 1790s and near to ruin until mates Stef and Simo bought the spot successful 2015, transforming it into a boutique impermanent house.

Their renovation travel featured connected the Channel 4 show, The Great Hotel Escape.

With its sloping ceilings, fairytale turrets and winding chromatic steps, it's casual to ideate surviving wrong the castle walls 500 years ago.

But staying successful 1 of the 5 unsocial rooms is simply a overmuch cosier acquisition than it would've been successful the 16th century.

Located connected the West Coast of Scotland, the surrounding country of Argyll and Bute is known for its section wildlife and sweeping landscapes.

Kilmartin Castle is simply a three-hour thrust from Edinburgh and a two-hour thrust from Glasgow.

Kilmartin Museum, which precocious reopened aft a £7million renovation project, is conscionable a abbreviated locomotion distant from the castle and tells the communicative of Kilmartin Glen.

Also adjacent is Kilmartin Hotel, a beauteous edifice with a large ambiance and bully food.

When we arrived astatine Kilmartin Castle, we were welcomed by Simo who showed america around, giving america a little history acquisition successful the process.

Everything has a idiosyncratic touch, making it consciousness similar we were visiting expansive friends.

We stayed successful Clarke, a luxury treble country with untouched stonework, which has been painted successful lime green, a commonly utilized colour successful the 16th century.

And conscionable similar staying astatine a friend’s house, guests are encouraged to research the castle and unbend successful its communal spaces similar the expansive hall, which is cleanable to beryllium astir the occurrence and bask a wee dram.

Even successful the colder months, the chromatic castle doesn’t consciousness chilly arsenic the mates person painstakingly lifted each archetypal chromatic tile to instal underground heating – walking astir barefoot is rather surreal.

Breakfast is different absorbing experience.

All guests stitchery nether the chromatic barrel-vaulted ceiling of the eating country wherever they tin assistance themselves to homemade granola and foraged fruits.

There is simply a database of experiences disposable to marque your enactment arsenic peculiar arsenic possible.

One happening we enjoyed was foraging for toppings for our homemade pizza, which we cooked successful the wood-fired pizza oven with caller herbs from the garden.

For the much adventurous, determination is simply a chaotic swimming pond connected tract and guests tin spell connected a Sea Safari connected an antique woody cruiser and effort and spot eagles and dolphins.

I'm not the lone 1 who thinks it's fantastic - past year, the New York Times enactment it astatine no.4 successful their database of '52 Places to Go successful 2023'

They said of the castle and the surrounding valley: "This verdant vale connected Scotland’s chaotic westbound seashore is 1 of the astir important prehistoric sites successful Britain, yet it’s mostly disconnected the visitant circuit; ideate Stonehenge without the crowds.

"For afloat immersion into the Scotland of yore, enactment astatine the moody 16th-century Kilmartin Castle."

Despite its hype, prices are rather tenable for specified an experience. The full spot is disposable to publication retired for backstage events, oregon radical trips, from £1300 a night.

At the infinitesimal however, determination is simply a winter woody for £800 a nighttime to instrumentality implicit each 5 rooms of the castle – that’s lone £160 each if you tin organise 4 different couples to articulation you.

A castle for Christmas astatine a fraction of the cost!

Meanwhile, these are immoderate of the most popular castle stays that tin beryllium booked successful the UK.

And present are some bizarre vacation homes from astir the satellite that radical tin rent.