| With the profusion of restored castles throughout the | | | | old friends or a group of business colleagues who |
| UK, there has never been a better time to rent a | | | | need to escape the pressures of the office and chat |
| castle for a family celebration or corporate event. | | | | in a more sedate environment. |
| After years of post war struggle for the owners | | | | The trick is to find the castle that suits your needs and |
| throughout the years of crippling taxation and | | | | that offers the style of accommodation that will appeal |
| economic decline, the eighties saw a renaissance for | | | | to your guests. All the properties are unique and offer |
| Britain's fine old homes (or certainly those that had | | | | a very different feel and style of architecture. The |
| survived). Sadly many had not and during the sixties | | | | latter ranges from Elizabethan to modern day |
| Scottish ancestral homes were being pulled down at a | | | | architecture but most available are either Georgian, |
| rate of one a week. Happily a new era emerged | | | | Victorian or Edwardian. Many guests prefer a distinct |
| where grants and other methods of financial support | | | | style and it is worth taking a lot of trouble over which |
| were made available and the surviving homes started | | | | home you select. Whatever their style, most now |
| to recover. | | | | offer a high standard of accommodation with |
| The owners faced huge challenges to raise the | | | | bedrooms either en-suite or with adjacent bathrooms |
| necessary funds and to restore their homes but many | | | | and plenty of hot water available! Internet access, sat |
| have bounced back and are now looking better than | | | | TV and other modern conveniences are generally |
| ever. To help pay for their continued upkeep, many | | | | available and the homes combine old world charm with |
| homes and castles are now available for private rental | | | | modern day comfort. |
| on a weekly or long weekend basis. This offers | | | | Externally the castles offer guests a myriad of |
| guests the chance to live like lord, without the actual | | | | features from walled and woodland gardens to |
| responsibility of owning a 12 bedroom pile with acres | | | | modern day facilities like swimming pools, tennis courts |
| of gardens, thousands of acres and masses of estate | | | | and other fun games like badminton, croquet and |
| buildings to maintain. For a fee of around £5000 a | | | | archery. There is usually a huge estate attached to the |
| night a group of say 16 guests can take exclusive use | | | | Castle of sometimes many thousands of acres which |
| of one of these fabulous homes and be wined & dined | | | | guests are welcome to explore. Country pursuits like |
| by the owner and their staff. | | | | fishing and shooting can often be arranged on the |
| This combined with lots of activities on the estate and | | | | estate or sometimes guests opt for quad biking or off |
| in the surrounding area makes for a really fun | | | | road driving utilising the property's extensive tracks and |
| weekend and a fun alternative to staying in yet | | | | remote areas. It's all about enjoying the simple things in |
| another hotel. Many of the ancestral homes are | | | | life and relaxing in wonderful surroundings. The owners |
| stuffed with precious artwork and antique furniture, | | | | of these beautiful homes selected the most glorious |
| guests eat off lovely china and really get to | | | | spots and built homes that could enjoy the fine views |
| experience another way of life. The homes have huge | | | | on offer and the immediate surroundings were |
| character and offer a glimpse into a bygone era. They | | | | moulded to suit their taste in terms of fantastic |
| were built for entertaining and they effortlessly | | | | landscape gardening, lakes and other ornamentation. |
| accommodate large numbers of guests. They are the | | | | Rent a castle and you go back in time to a more |
| perfect venue for an intimate gathering of family and | | | | civilised world! |