From an incredible gothic castle loved by Prince Charles to a luxurious gatehouse, we selected a few holiday destinations that will make you feel like a real-life queen. castle staycation
Winter is quickly coming around, and we need something to look forward to more than ever. Especially with curfews, restrictions and lockdowns looming over us, we all find ourselves needing a little break.
We might not be able to fly to sunny destinations, nor to party with all our friends, but we can still visit the beautiful places hidden around us and feel like a tiny bit of normality is still possible. With Netflix releasing the fourth season of The Crown on the 15 November, we selected a few of the most beautiful properties you can rent in the UK and Ireland, to feel like Queen Elisabeth, even just for a weekend.
Gorgeous gatehouses, lavish castles and infinite grounds to explore – your life as a queen is just a short train ride away.
Gothic Castle Estate, County Galway
If you want a lavish weekend away in a real castle, this is it. This 18th-century castle is big, bold and incredibly well kept. All rooms are over the top and gorgeous – so much that you will feel in a real-life Irish remake of Dowton Abbey.
Only a short distance away from Galway city, the castle is located on the shore of a private 1000 acres lake – Europe’s largest privately-owned lake – and 600 acres of grounds. The eight rooms can sleep sixteen guests, but three additional cottages are available for hire within the grounds, bringing the number of maximum guests to thirty-nine.
Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, have already been there, so it’s safe to say that the castle is royalty-approved.
Gothic Castle Estate, rates from £12,744 for a two-night stay.
Lothian Castle, Edinburgh castle staycation
Only thirty minutes from Edinburgh, in the beautiful Scottish countryside, is the 600-year-old Lothian Castle, one of the most extensive and best-preserved medieval Scottish fortifications.
This 15th-century property boasts twelve bedrooms and can sleep, twenty-four guests. One of the three reception rooms, The Great Hall, can accommodate eighty people which makes this charming castle a perfect location for a wedding or a fancy dinner.
A little anecdote: it appears that the real Mary Queen of Scots used to visit the premises.
Lothian Castle, rates from £12,094 for a two-night stay.
Timeless Castle, Scottish Borders castle staycation
Another Scottish gem, Timeless Castle is located just outside the little town of Lauder. The castle includes five apartments which boast eight en-suite bedrooms that can sleep up to sixteen guests. Each apartment is different, some being relatively modern. castle staycation
If you are on the hunt for a real royal experience, make sure you stay in The South Wing of Timeless Castle. You will feel transported to an old era of splendour and luxury with high vaulted ceilings, oil-painted family portraits and imposing elegant furniture.
The castle is the family home to the Duke of Lauderdale and the Maitland family still lives there to this day. If fact, it’s possible to book a private tour of the castle by a member of the family as well as wine and whisky tasting and spa treatments. castle staycation
Timeless Castle, rates from £3,980 for a three-night stay.
Chevaliers Gatehouse, Shropshire castle staycation
This Elizabethan era gatehouse is what Instagram dreams are made of. A private garden with colourful flower beds and a romantic fountain, a room with a stand-alone bathtub in the bedroom, overlooking the lush grounds, an outdoor barbecue to enjoy during the summer months.
This gatehouse only has two rooms but is no less luxurious than a castle. Silk drapes, sumptuous four-poster beds and Tudor fireplaces will make you feel at a King’s court.
Chevaliers Gatehouse, Shropshire, rates from £768 for a three-night stay.
For more information about the properties visit oliverstravels.com.
