Cover Hirado Castle in Nagasaki, Japan offers the chance to inhabit history without leaving the present behind. (Photo: MIXA / Getty Images)
Hirado Castle in Nagasaki, Japan offers the chance to inhabit history without leaving the present behind. (Photo: MIXA / Getty Images)
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More than just places to sleep, these castles offer a rare chance to live inside the stories they were built to tell
The singular magic of sleeping in a castle is the invitation to become part of a story that began centuries before you arrived. These historic properties haven’t been stripped of their soul or overly polished for tourism. Instead, they’ve been restored with just enough comfort to be lived in, not just looked at. From torch-lit samurai strongholds in Japan to the enduring glamour of Irish estates, each one offers something rare: the chance to inhabit history without leaving the present behind.
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Hirado Castle, Japan
Stay in a private, beautifully renovated turret of a samurai castle on Hirado Island in Nagasaki Prefecture, once Japan’s gateway to the West. The exclusive Kaiju Yagura turret at Hirado Castle features modern Japanese design blended with traditional artistry. The experience can be customised with private lessons in the art of the samurai sword (iaijutsu) or a formal warrior-style tea ceremony. A personal chef prepares French-fusion cuisine using local Hirado beef and fresh seafood.
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Glenapp Castle, Scotland
Glenapp Castle, a 19th-century Scottish Baronial masterpiece on Scotland’s southwest coast, invites guests for a multi-day Hebridean Sea Safari: explore remote islands by private boat, then glamp luxuriously on secluded isles with private chef and butler service. The castle itself blends five-star grandeur with rugged adventure and features one of Scotland’s largest hotel suites—the 4,500 sq ft Castle Penthouse—complete with its own chef and dedicated butler.
Ashford Castle, Ireland
Live like a member of the Guinness dynasty in a luxury hotel that was a major film set for the John Wayne classic, The Quiet Man. This 800-year-old castle offers a huge range of estate activities, but is most famous for being home to Ireland’s first School of Falconry. Guests can also enjoy private screenings of The Quiet Man in the castle’s 32-seat cinema. The castle has hosted royalty like King George V and is consistently named one of the best hotels in the world.
Umaid Bhawan Palace, India
Check into one of the world’s largest private residences, a stunning Art Deco palace that is still home to the royal family of Jodhpur. At the Umaid Bhawan Palace, guests can swim in the magnificent subterranean Art Deco Zodiac Pool, a truly unique and glamorous experience. The palace also features a museum, lush gardens and a vintage car collection belonging to the maharaja. This is a chance to experience living royalty, as guests may encounter the maharaja himself in the corridors.
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Inverlochy Castle Hotel, Scotland
Stay in a 19th-century baronial mansion at the foot of Ben Nevis that has hosted royalty, including Queen Victoria, along with luminaries such as Sean Connery, Liam Neeson and Mel Gibson. Inverlochy Castle Hotel offers world-class dining overseen by renowned chef Michel Roux Jr and features period grandeur in every room. Guests can enjoy a variety of classic country pursuits such as fishing, stalking and wildlife tours, arranged in the surrounding Highlands and on nearby historic estates.
Ozu Castle, Japan
Ozu Castle’s fully immersive cultural experience begins with a torch-lit ceremony featuring actors dressed as samurai, celebratory gunfire and the blowing of a conch shell trumpet. Guests wear traditional kimonos or samurai armour and enjoy a private performance of sacred kagura music and dance. The castle’s main keep, authentically rebuilt in 2004 using traditional timber methods, is available to only one group per night, ensuring absolute privacy during the stay.
Dalhousie Castle, Scotland
Sleep in Scotland’s oldest continually inhabited castle, a fortress that has hosted centuries of royalty, from King Edward I to Mary, Queen of Scots. Guests can dine in the atmospheric Castle Dungeon Restaurant, try their hand at falconry and archery on the castle grounds or relax in the Aqueous Spa. The castle’s history is its main draw—guests can stay in suites named for famous historical figures who stayed there, including Mary, Queen of Scots and Queen Victoria. Oliver Cromwell also used the castle as a base for his invasion of Scotland.
After more than a decade in lifestyle media, Clifford has mastered the art of writing seriously about things that are fun—and writing fun things about people who take themselves very seriously. At Tatler Asia, he helped steer its flagship lists, Tatler’s Most Influential and Asia’s Most Stylish. And today, he leads T-Labs, Tatler Asia’s content innovation hub, where he continues the noble pursuit of lifestyle storytelling, spinning stories on wealth, entertainment, necessary style, Hallyu, Hollywood, beauty and more for audiences across Asia.
