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This is the Queen’s choice. Queen Victoria purchased the estate in 1852 and transformed the existing castle into this ungainly but imposing mansion set in spectacular grounds. It is still the private holiday home of the royal family, and provides a wonderful insight into contemporary stately living (see Balmoral and Royal Deeside) .

Seat of the Duke of Atholl, the only man in Britain still allowed a private army, this stately white castle is an arresting sight on the main road north. The oldest part dates from 1269, but after damage during the Jacobite campaigns it was completely restyled and all the turrets added.

A triangular ruin with immense towers, Caerlaverock still sits within a filled moat. Its history spans a siege by Edward I in 1300 and a luxurious upgrading shortly before its fall in 1640. Its yellow sandstone walls glow beautifully pink and orange in the afternoon light (see Caerlaverock Castle) .

One of Scotland’s most photographed castles because of its incredible setting – huddled on an island off the mountainous shores of Loch Duich. This 13th-century stronghold of the clan Macrae was a ruin until its restoration in the 1930s (see Eilean Donan Castle) .

This 17th-century fairytale castle is best known for its literary associations: Duncan’s Hall provided the setting for the King’s murder in Shakespeare’s Macbeth . It also has a famous secret chamber and was the childhood home of the late Queen Mother. Rooms represent different periods of history and contain fine collections of armour, furnishings and tapestries. There’s said to be a ghost about, too. The gardens were laid out by the great 18th-century landscape gardener “Capability” Brown.