A castle home from home?

Five Scottish castle hotels have been included in a round- up of the ten best rated castle hotels in the UK. And it seems everyone dreams of spending a night in a Scottish castle according to new research from travel website Trip Advisor who carried out a survey of homeowners to find out what their dream night away would be. They were asked to rate castles in the UK and also at European cities as part of the survey to find the best. The top castles included Ayrshire’s finest Glenapp Castle in Ballantrae. Set in 36 acres of gardens and woodland, this castle was built in 1870 for the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire. There are 17 traditionally designed rooms of which some offer stunning views across the Irish Sea to the island of Arran. Another on the top 10 list of UK castles was Broomhall Castle, Menstrie. Originally built in 1874 as a private residence in the style of Balmoral Castle, Broomhall went on to become a Prep School for boys until it was bombed during the war. The castle was then rebuilt in 1985 and run as a nursing home until 2003 when it became the 10 bedroomed hotel it is now. Kincraig Castle Hotel in Tomich also made the dream destination list. Built in the early 1800s, the Kincraig Castle Hotel was once the family home of the Mackenzie clan. Situated in private grounds, the hotel offers stunning views of the Cromarty Firth. Bedrooms and the hotel interior are classically designed to ensure guests get the full castle experience. The survey saw 1000 people asked about their views on where they would like to spend their dream night away from home and rated the castles out of five Trip Advisor stars. Sherbrooke Castle Hotel in Glasgow also made the list of dream destinations. Situated in Pollokshields in Glasgow’s Southside, this hotel built in 1896. Before World War II the Baronial villa transformed into a hotel and today offers a number of rooms in the main castle as well as an annexe and garden suites. The final Scottish castle to make the hot list was Fonab Castle Hotel in Pitlochry. Built in 1892, Fonab Castle Hotel is located on the banks of Loch Faskally, Pitlochry, in the heart of Perthshire. This Scottish Baronial castle has been transformed by the Clark family into a 26 bedroom hotel. The interior still retains many period features including a panelled hall, plasterwork and timber and stone fireplaces.