Balvaird Castle

Name: Balvaird Castle
Address: Cupar KY14 7SR, Cupar, KY14 7SR, GB
Telephone: +44 (0)131 668 8600

Cupar

Courtesy of Balvaird Castle

WHERE

Cupar

What it’s like

Climb one of Scotland's only two Irish-style round towers, then poke round the courtyard ruins below.

This one's a bit different from your standard castle visit. The tower here is one of only two Irish-style round towers in Scotland, and the climb to the top is the obvious bit to save for last if you've got kids who like a good view at the end of a scramble up stone steps.

Outside the tower there's a proper ruin to wander, courtyard, walled garden areas, old service buildings. There's not much here that can get broken twice, so curious kids can poke about without you hovering. It suits kids who like exploring more than kids who want an interactive museum with buttons to press.

There's no interior access most of the year, since the inside of the castle is closed off for conservation work. If you want to see inside you'll need to catch it on a guided tour when one's running, and those need booking in advance rather than turning up on spec.

Given the interior tour situation, it's worth deciding before you go whether your day is about the climb and the grounds, or about getting inside, because they're not always both on offer at once.

Facilities

Booking required

Need to know

Best for: Kids who like scrambling up towers and poking round ruins

Book ahead, this isn't one to just turn up to
The interior is closed most of the year, guided tours only by special booking
The tower is the main event, the grounds are for wandering rather than exhibits

Plan your visit

Do we need to book?

For a visit at all, booking's required here. It's not a turn-up-and-see castle.

Can we go inside the castle?

Not for most of the year, the interior's closed for conservation. Guided tours happen by special booking, so that's a separate thing to arrange if seeing inside matters to you.