Scottish Castles Association

Autumn Castles Tour – Aberdeenshire, in the footsteps of Robert Bogdan
2025-09-20 - 2025-09-21 | Pittodrie House, Chapel of Garioch, Inverurie, AB51 5HS, United Kingdom
Aberdeenshire can boast more castles per square mile than any other Scottish county, and while we won’t manage to tour all 263 in the space of a weekend, we will be visiting those that were special to our former Chair, Robert Bogdan, from our base at the lovely Pittodrie House Hotel.
Confirmed visits include Crathes Castle (accompanied by James Burnett of Leys), House of Monymusk (interior tour), the Fetternear Bishop’s Palace, Barra Castle (exterior), Pitcaple Castle (exterior), Craig Castle (interior) and Druminnor Castle (interior). A full itinerary will be sent to participants nearer the time.
Our tour will depart from Pittodrie House Hotel at 08:45 on Saturday and we anticipate returning by 17:30. Sunday timing will be similar.
The tour is open to SCA Members only. The ticket price of £100.00 includes all entrance fees (with the exception of Historic Environment Scotland and National Trust for Scotland properties), transport to and from tour castles and lunch on both days.*
We will enjoy a private dinner at Pittodrie House on Saturday night: the menu and price will be circulated in due course. The dinner will be open to members – including those who are not attending the tour – and their guests.
Although Pittodrie House is no longer holding rooms for us, the hotel will honour the negotiated SCA rate, subject to availability. You will be responsible for booking your accommodation and settling the bill with the hotel.
*Please note that if you are not a National Trust for Scotland member that there will be an additional cost of £11.00 per person, for the Crathes tour.
Tour numbers are limited, so please book and make payment early to avoid disappointment. Bookings will be confirmed when payment is received.
Booking closes: 13th September.

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SCA Conference - Scotland’s Castles: Use Them or Lose Them - 9th October 2025
2025-10-09 09:00 - 17:00 (Europe/London) | The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling, FK8 1QZ, United Kingdom
Join us for our Scottish Castles Association Conference, Scotland’s Castles: Use Them or Lose Them, as we explore how current planning process can be applied to encourage more people to restore and re-use Scottish castles and other historic buildings.
Held with the support of Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and fellow heritage organisations, the conference is open to everyone with an interest in castles – restorers, planners, historians, craftspeople, conservation professionals and castle enthusiasts.
We will explore today’s challenges and opportunities, ranging from the impact of climate change to the benefits that castles bring to communities. Hear from speakers from HES, the National Trust for Scotland, the Landmark Trust and the King’s Foundation, as well as individual restorers and researchers and international commentators.
This is an opportunity to network, share experience and contribute ideas. The conclusions from the day will be taken forward by a working group to help reach consensus on how planning process can be applied to provide a useful and sustainable future for Scotland’s built heritage.
The venue is the Engine Shed, the HES dedicated building conservation centre in Stirling. View the conference programme. Tickets cost £74 per person, including lunch and light refreshments.
Book now and help safeguard the future of Scotland’s castles.

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Winter Dinner - Sherbrooke Castle
2026-01-17 18:30 - 23:30 | Sherbrooke Castle Hotel, 11 Sherbrooke Avenue, Bellahouston, Glasgow, G41 4PG
Join us on 17th January for our Winter Dinner at the Sherbrooke Castle Hotel, in Glasgow’s South Side. Sherbrooke Castle was built in 1896 in the Scots baronial style for Glasgow builder John Morrison. We will have exclusive use of the private dining room, where we will enjoy drinks and an excellent three-course dinner. You are most welcome to invite guests.
Closing date for bookings is 31st December.
Our three-course dinner with tea or coffee will cost £37 per head (see the menu), and you will pay this direct to the hotel along with any drinks purchased on the evening. Rooms for an overnight stay at the hotel cost £145 per room including breakfast. If you would like to stay, please book direct with the hotel in good time, as rooms are not being held for us.

Spring Castles Tour – Around Carlisle and the Debatable Lands
2026-04-17 12:30 - 2026-04-19 17:00 | Gretna Hall Hotel, Gretna Loaning, Gretna Green, DG16 5DY, United Kingdom
Our Spring Tour of the Debatable Lands will take place on 18th and 19th April 2026, with additional pop-up visits on the afternoon of 17th April.
Attached is the itinerary, and we are still open for bookings on our website. Please book early to guarantee your place – we are using one 30-seater bus, so places will be limited. Booking closes on 3rd April 2026.
The tour will depart from our base, Gretna Hall Hotel, at 09:00 on Saturday and return at 17:50. On Sunday we will depart at 09.00 and return by 17.00. Our organisers have put together an excellent – and busy – tour with a mix of internal and external viewings of inhabited and ruined castles. We will visit up to eight sites per day, and we are aiming to have our lunches at two of the castles we are visiting.
On Friday afternoon there is the opportunity to see two additional castles in the area: Lochhouse Tower, owned by our tour organisers, and Elshieshields Tower, where we will be offered light refreshments.
The tour is open to SCA Members only. The ticket price is £130 per person for the weekend. This will include all entrance fees (with the exception of Historic Environment Scotland/English Heritage and National Trust for Scotland properties); transport to and from tour castles, and lunch on both days. Please remember to bring your HES/EH membership cards to avoid paying additional entry fees.
We will enjoy a group dinner at Gretna Hall Hotel on Saturday night – SCA Dinner Gretna Hall Menu
The dinner will be open to members – including those who are not attending the tour – and their guests.
If you would like to attend the dinner only, please contact events@scotlandscastles.org to reserve your place.
If you would like to stay at the Gretna Hall Hotel, please read the booking instructions below.
Rooms should be booked directly with Gretna Hall Hotel per the terms below. The hotel will honour the negotiated SCA rate, subject to availability. You will be responsible for booking your accommodation and settling the bill with the hotel.
Friday evening
Twin/Double Bed & Breakfast – £140 (or incl. £25 dinner allowance per person – £190)
Single Bed & Breakfast – £130 (or incl. £25 dinner allowance per person – £155)
Guests who add on a dinner allowance can make a reservation to secure a table in the restaurant upon booking.
Saturday evening, which includes a three-course dinner
Twin/Double Bed, Breakfast and three-course dinner – £200
Single Bed, Breakfast and three-course dinner – £160
Hotel booking and cancellation terms:
Guests will secure their rooms with payment in full.
Cancellations:

56-45 days prior to arrival (21/2/26 – 3/3/26) – 50% of the total balance is due.
44 days or less prior to arrival (4/3/26 – 17/4/26) – 100% of the total balance is due.

The hotel will hold rooms until 5th March 2026.
To book, contact reservations at Gretna Hall Hotel on 01461 338257. Select Option 2 and quote the reference “SCA Group”. Bookings can only be made Monday to Friday between 9 and 5.
On the Sunday of our tour, guests must check out by 11am but can leave their cars in the car park.
You will receive a full tour itinerary and details of your fellow attendees the week before the tour.
If you have any queries or problems with booking please contact events@scotlandscastles.org

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Our AGM and 30th Birthday Party at Lauriston Castle
2026-06-21 11:00 - 16:00
You are warmly invited to our AGM and 30th Birthday Party on Sunday 21st June 2026 at Lauriston Castle, Aberdeenshire, by kind invitation of our Chair, Dorothy Newlands of Lauriston, and her husband William Newlands of Lauriston.
Registration for this event is now closed if you are interested in attending please contact enquiries@scotlandscastles.org.

Lauriston Castle, Aberdeenshire.

About Lauriston Castle:
First mentioned in 1243 and captured by Edward III during the Wars of Independence, Lauriston Castle was the home of Dorothy’s family, the Stratons, until 1690. Over the following century, the policies were developed in fashionable Picturesque style – a designed landscape recorded as “of very high quality”. The castle was restored by William and Dorothy in the early Nineties with the help of architect Ian Begg, a winner of our Nigel Tranter Memorial Award.
About the day:

Our AGM will be held from 11am -12.30pm. We will be sharing our plans for the future and we would love to hear your views. Afterwards we will enjoy a light lunch.
From 2pm we will hold our 30th birthday party, joined by some of our founding members. We’ll be cutting a cake and raising a glass in celebration.
Afterwards, on the way home, you are welcome to join a short popup visit to Kirkside House, St Cyrus, by kind permission of SCA Member Julia Davies. For three centuries the fascinating Kirkside was home to a branch of the Straton family, who built a tower house – the cellarage of which still exists – succeeded by two Georgian houses and a fine addition and remodelling by Lorimer early last century.

The day is open to members and their guests, although only members will be able to attend the AGM. While the AGM is taking place, guests can chat over coffee and explore the lovely gardens and policies at Lauriston.
If you are unable to attend the AGM please email enquiries@scotlandscastles.org to send your apologies.
Closer to the time we will email the calling notice and details of the papers for the AGM to members.
If you have any queries or issues with booking, please contact events@scotlandscastles.org.

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Castle Day Walks
2026-10-31
NO DATES HAVE BEEN AGREED YET.
Would anyone be interested in day walks (approx 15km) which incorporate castle sites? We are currently in the planning stages, so if anyone has a suggestion of a good location or would like to be notified once any are planned, please register here and you will be included in any further information.
If you are interested in joining the walks or have a suggestion for a walk. Please contact events@scotlandscastles.org. who will pass the information to the organiser.
