The Castles of Scotland by Martin Coventry

The Castles of Scotland

New sixth edition in preparation: more than 1,500 additional sites, hundreds more illustrations, comprehensive online maps and indexes, and much much more.

Due for spring 2025, and a huge amount of work to do … more info to follow soon.

5830 of 5830 castles, towers and other sites done (100%) as of 26/7/24 … now onto editing (completed as of 1/11/24), next to first proofreading, then typesetting, more very shortly about purchase and pub date…

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The Best Castles of Scotland

400 or so of the best castles, towers, historic houses and stately homes: most may be visited, either as visitor attractions, gardens, hotels, places that offer accommodation or weddings venues. New material added most days.

TOP 20

Roslin Castle, an impressive, partly ruinous old stronghold on a rock above the River Esk, long held by the Sinlcairs and near the beautiful and intricately carved Rosslyn Chapel

Castle of the Month: Roslin Castle (© Martin Coventry)

Castle of the Month

The Castles of Scotland by Martin Coventry and published by Goblinshead, a major new book on 4,100 castles, towers, stately homes, historic houses and family lands in Scotland owned by Scottish families

The Castles of Scotland, Fifth edition, by Martin Coventry and published by Goblinshead

Welcome to the website for The Castles of Scotland by Martin Coventry, the fifth edition of which was published by Goblinshead in November 2015. We have now sold out of the hardback and paperback editions. Sales and reception were excellent. We are working on a sixth edition, probably in summer 2024 with a lot of new material, illustrations and sites.

This acclaimed and popular book is the definitive and most comprehensive work available, the ‘Bible of Scottish Castles’ and a ‘a proud and worthy successor to MacGibbon and Ross’.

View of Dirleton Castle, one of the best castles of the 4,100 castles, towers, stately homes, historic houses and family lands featured in The Castles of Scotland by Martin Coventry and published by Scottish publisher Goblinshead

Dirleton Castle, one of the best castles in Scotland (© Martin Coventry)

The Best Castles section with Top 20 has been added with a selection of the best, along with Outlander sites and traffic top 20s, most interesting or scenic of castles, towers, historic houses, mansions and other places, and some new sites. The text is mostly the same as in the book, but a far more extensive range of illustrations and photos has been added. This is still under construction and there will be a comprehensive index of places eventually added. A developing feature is the map, which is still being compiled.

This new edition came in a deluxe hardback edition plus 64 pages of (121) colour photographs, as well as the new paperback edition.

The fifth edition was the culmination of twenty-four years of research, compiling, editing, and updating. Featuring some 4,100 entries, 1,000 more than the previous edition, the book runs to 752 text pages with over 700 b&w drawings and photos. More information about what was new in the fifth editon can be found here.

Cover of The Castles of Scotland by Martin Coventry and published by Goblinshead, a major new book on 4,100 castles, towers, stately homes, historic houses and family lands in Scotland owned by Scottish families

Cover (deluxe edition)

Not only covering all the castles, towers and fortified houses of Scotland, also included are hundreds of mansions, historic houses, stately homes, and many other properties and lands.

Arranged alphabetically, each entry has the NGR, location and postcode, then description, architecture and development, both inside and out, depictions on old maps, family and notable owners, history and sieges, ghosts and gruesome or amusing tales. Plus opening, websites and telephone numbers. Twelve pages of maps locate all the castles.

View of Kilchurn Castle, one of the best castles of the 4,100 castles, towers, stately homes, historic houses and family lands featured in The Castles of Scotland by Martin Coventry and published by Scottish publisher Goblinshead

Kilchurn Castle, front cover of The Castles of Scotland (© Martin Coventry)

Other useful features are the invaluable indexes, including by clan and family name, opening, accommodation providers, wedding venues, and a full index of castle names and cross-references with 10,000+ entries.

There is also an introduction to the castle in Scotland, illustrated gazetteer of terms, titles and offices of state, place name elements, and selected further reading. Printed in Scotland.

AN INDISPENSABLE REFERENCE AND ENGROSSING READ

FOR ALL CASTLE ENTHUSIASTS AND ANYONE

INTERESTED IN SCOTTISH HISTORY

Page from The Castles of Scotland by Martin Coventry and published by Goblinshead, a major new book on 4,100 castles, towers, stately homes, historic houses and family lands in Scotland owned by Scottish families

Sample page

Best Castles List and Map

New sixth edition in preparation: more than 1,500 additional sites, hundreds more illustrations, comprehensive online maps and indexes, and much much more.

Due for 2025, and still a huge amount of work to do … more info to follow soon.

Check any and all opening and access information with the sites themselves…