This is a not very wel known castle ruin on top of a hill near norham castle its on a side road off…read morethe a698 and you stop at the bridge where there is room for two or three cars Its a walk up the hill and be careful with little ones and a climb over a still but well worth it when you get up there and if you are adventorous you can explore the ruin It was a 15th century tower house with had a mansion built onto it in the 18th century which was never finished and which went to ruin so it ended up as kind of a folly but an unfinished one Dont think many people go here as its not that well known but worth a look

Twizel has become very close to my heart, as my other half's brother had his ashes scattered here…read more Twizel castle is, as sharnad pointed out, one of Northumberland's sadly lesser known ruined castles. I say sadly, because it is really a beautiful spot, with a great position next to the Till. As well as an explore of the ruins themselves, there is also a large circular walk (running through the Tillmouth Estate?) but be careful, it becomes VERY muddy when wet!

Lovely place in a lovely surrounding. Very nice and…read moreknowledgeable guides. Shame the accommodation was in use so not able to see some of the "smugglers' features", but maybe next time. Loved the wood furniture exhibition from Tim Stead's (RIP) workshop. Well worth a visit overall.

Wow...just wow...Carberry Tower is absolutely stunning and I was lucky enough to attend a wedding…read morereception here last night. When you turn into Carberry you are met by a long, tree lined drive with cute wee bunnies hopping around the grounds, I couldn't help but let out a huge "awwwwwwe" at the beauty in front of me. Round the side is no less beautiful with well groomed gardens and knee-height maze-like plants (yip I had a wee run round!). Then there's the hotel; full of olde-worldy grandeur (you know, the kind with knights armoury and shields dotted about the place), you can't fail to be impressed by its appearance, and inside is no different. It's a rabbit warren of snugs, stairwells, nooks and crannies and so much fun to explore. The library is utterly charming while the drawing room has a piano tucked away in one corner (cue chopsticks by a slightly inebriated me!). There is a very small bar, which for a wedding wasn't ideal due to the large number of guests (probably fine for regular stays however), and a word of warning, it isn't cheap...2 (single) Hendricks and tonic waters...£14! And sadly not even served with cucumber! Bar prices aside it was a really lovely venue for a wedding, I'm told there is even a Chapel in the grounds - you can't get more romantic really. As an evening guest I haven't tried the food so don't feel I can award the full 5 stars but it's definitely now on my radar to go back for a meal.

I feel that my experience of this gorgeous hotel was tainted slightly by the fact that I was…read morestaying here prior to having Major surgery the next day. The hotel is set in stunning grounds and we found it quite easy to find. We had booked through booking.com and experienced no issues with the booking process. We were allocated room 315 which was right at the top of the hotel with a window that unfortunately was painted shut. It was an unbelievably hot night when we stayed and the room was stiffling hot. It would have been nice to be able to open the window for fresh air. Although our room was compact there was a great use if space and we were very grateful if the free water! Due to my appt we didnt sample breakfast the next morning but I did manage to make great use of the amazing white company toiletries on offer and the shower was brilliant! I would really like to return here and stay when i dont have the stress of such a major life event looming where i can truely relax.

A beautiful old country house with historic charm. This gigantic mansion is home to one of the…read moreworlds finest art collections. The whole place can be rented for events and is truly worth it. Think Wayne Manor just for your group. We had a bbq reception there and it was just breathtaking to stand on the terrace and watch the sunset, and then going inside to listen to the jazz band playing their tunes.

This is a 15th century castle which was built from stones from the priory. It was converted into a…read morecastle that could be lived in at the start of the 20th century so the rooms are full of edwardian furniture It is quite a walk up to the castle so I would try and get the bus that goes there and back. My fav part is the room to the left when you go in kind of a scullery really dark A really interesting castle with quite a few rooms to look at a walled garden and great views from the roof Check the tide times before you go though as you dont want to get stuck on the island

Beautiful setting and views I love castles. This one was so…read moresweetly remade as a home and is now being cared for so well by the National Trust it was a very pleasant tour. Take the time when you go to savor the layers of history and to see the other areas like the lime kilns , labyrinth and gardens. Do not let yourself be rushed by not leaving enough time. There is also little need to recommend it; if you are on Lindisfarne there is a limited number of sites!

My wife and I visited Alnwick Castle on a cold blustery day in September 2024. It was one stop of…read moremany in a tour around Roman, Saxon, Viking and Norman historical sites across the country. I'm a sucker for castles me. What boy isn't. Alnwick is so well preserved its a real treat. In fact its a living working home to the Earl of Northumberland.  The history encapsulated in this venue is vast. Built by the Normans, owned by the Percy family and the site of battles and sieges during the Wars Of The Roses, captured by Yorkists, recaptured by Lancaster. The walls have many tales to tell. There are lots of activities outside of historical studies. DragonQuesting, Harry Potter themed events (having been filmed here), knights quest, archery. It's great for kids. But thats not why we were there. We were here for the history. And there are lots of small museum displays around the site. There was a great tour around the State House that went into some good detail of the lives of the Percy family through the years. Its a magnificent building. Stately and opulent. Whereas the outside has the battlements and the armouries. And the grounds are beautiful, alongside the River Aln. We parked on The Peth, luckily found a spot right next to the castle, avoiding the walk from paid parking lots. Spent an hour or two at the end of a long day here, but wish we had more time to leisurely enjoy all Alnwick Castle has to offer.

I especially wanted to visit Alnwick castle as some of the scenes from Harry Potter had been filmed…read morethere. Me and my friend travelled from Edinburgh for the day and it took us 90 minutes each way, but it was so worth it. When we arrived it cost £3 for parking. The car parks are a good 15 minute walk from the castle, so if anyone has walking issues then be prepared. The first bit you reach is the gardens which are beautiful. You pay for the gardens separately to the castle. You could spend a day in both as there is so much to do. You can get your castle tickets validated for a year, meaning you can visit as often as you want for the next year. This is brilliant as your ticket is only £14 per adult. We had been warned that broomstick training tickets sell out quickly so we headed straight there. The tickets are free but are very popular. We arrived at 12pm and the next tickets we could get were for 3pm. To be honest we went to do it, but it was more for kids. So we gave our tickets away and headed for the movie tour, I'll come back to this. We headed to the gardens to have lunch. We got some fish and chips which were reasonably priced and went and sat on the lawn to eat them. We were lucky as we had a lovely sunny day. We then investigated the gardens which included a fairy trail, where you had to find the clues to save the princess, a maze, a beautiful water feature, a maze made from bamboo and a Poisen garden. We never managed the Poisen garden but heard good things. Back to the castle, it is a beautiful castle with stunning views. we wandered about, there was lots of entertainment for all ages. As I said earlier we left the broomstick training to join the movie tour. This was fascinating and we were shown the different places that things had been filmed. I knew about Harry Potter but not about Robin Hood prince of thieves, Black Adder and more recently Downton Abbey. As they say, time passes when you're having fun and the day flew past. We'd didn't even manage to go into the castle or visit the tree house. I will defo be taking advantage of my years free entry. Definitely worth a visit whatever age you are. Oh and all the staff members where lovely and friendly. All me and my friend kept saying was this has just been a perfect day, and it really was..

You know something, Hopetoun Monument is everywhere you drive in East Lothian. It feels no matter…read morewhere you look, it's there. I didn't even know the name of the place until 2 weeks ago, but it is ever-present. What was it for? An ornate lookout post, a fancy dovecote? Well, I've climbed up Byres Hill, as well as the rickety stairs up to the top of Hopetoun and I can tell you now. It's a monument erected to the 4th Earl of Hopetoun. That 4th Earl, he must have been some dude, especially if you think about lugging up the bricks up that hill. To get to the monument, you have to find the blooming thing first - I eventually got there via Athelstaneford (if you are coming from Haddington), then having found it on my horizon, just kept following the roads until I stumbled across the car park. Let it be known, this place is not well signposted. Nor maintained. At least one path is too overgrown to try to navigate, so it's the steep up and down option for all. A soggy muddy path semi-overgrown up a steep incline means that for some, this will be an unsuccessful trip. The last few hundred metres are over rugged, rocky ground. By then, if you are like unhealthy me, you will be wheezing like a woman twice your age and wondering why you didn't go to the gym more often. But, once you get to the top, you are faced with the enormity of the monument (now now, no smutty puns), and the views that stretch from Fife over to the Lammermuir hills. It is a view like no other. If you are feeling brave, climb the 132 stairs (of varying quality) up to the top. There is a warning at the car park that you need a torch - in fairness, that instead of the sunglasses i was wearing would have been more useful, as small incisions into the wall left pockets of like for your eyes to grab hold of, but ultimately there were gaps of darkness where you just had to trust in yourself. Just as well, as my sunnies were prescription and unfortunately being blind as a bat still is only a metaphor in my case. But again, you are definitely rewarded for the burning thighs and the pressure in your chest because what you get when you are arrive is the final flourish. No trees, no nothing stand in your way and with realtively clear blue skies, there was almost no limit to what can be seen. There are placards at the top to give you an idea of what you are looking at, but for me, watching the shadows of clouds trail by on the fields below, staring out to Fife and to the Lomond Hills beyond, listening to the occasional noisy car far far far away, here is somewhere where you can find peace, both inner and outer.

Be prepared for a hidden gem is the back of beyond. A totally tranquil experience to explore the…read moreempty Manor House & Priory. It's a short walk from the free car park down hill to the banks of the coquet river. Plenty of places with seating to have a picnic & rest before heading up hill. A gentle atmosphere pervades all. The English Heritage Staff, extremely helpful, as always. Well worth a visit on any day of the week.

A lovely little place you park at the top of the hill and its a walk down - not too hard a walk…read moreback up afterwards It is a 12 century priory with a manor house attached There is room on the grounds for a picnic where there is a pretty view of the river It was valued at £69 in 1635 abnd dissolved in 1636 the roof was put back on in 19th century It is not a ruin it has its lovely stained glasses windows alters and an organ You can have a look around the manor house as well It is closed now for winter but opens up in march It is english heritage and has a little shop there with a good guide book

OUTLANDER fans! Have you seen the scene were Jamie took a…read moredip in the mills pond on Lallybroch land to hide detection by the English? Well, now you can see this place live! The Mill is one of the oldest surviving mills in the country and I never have had such an interesting Mill tour in my life. Must confess, half of the explanations went over my head. LOL. Some of the words used were technical, but I learned a lot. Our guide was very knowledgeable and I loved listening. On the outside wall you will see water level marks, which tell you about the water levels from all over the years. AND very high they got. Quite a few floodings actually that flooded the mill. Milling with a windmill is harder than you might think! Anyway, it's a very peaceful place. The windmill is old, covered in spiderwebs, smells of grain and wood everywhere, the wheel is spinning and pushing through the water from the nearby river. Quite romantic actually, but maybe not so for the millers that actually had to work there, considering their health issues from all the dusty particles. Well, ladies, I also crossed path with a stranger who kept smiling at me. Not sure what this was all about, but you might also cross path with this flirtatious person Enjoy!