With Europe becoming an increasingly crowded place, how do the really affluent escape the masses. It used to be a small selection of exclusive resort towns dotted around the south of France & Italy. However these have long been spoilt by over crowding, pollution and clogged roads. For the traveller anxious to impress these destinations still hold a certain allure but for other more seasoned travellers, quieter locations are now being sought. Where better than a remote Scottish castle? And fortunately, there are many castles for hire in Scotland.



In these turbulent times privacy is a commodity much sought after by those both anxious for their family's safety and needing a little respite from more public locations. Hiring a Scottish castle, which is usually located not only in a remote location but also in the middle of their own extensive estate, affords guests true privacy. For high profile guests who might also be anxious about press intrusion, these properties offer the sort of seclusion where privacy can be easily arranged. Outsiders are easy to spot when the estate is exclusively yours!

Once installed guests can settle into a relaxing routine of leisurely meals, served at their convenience and a little light exercise taken either on the estate or in the surrounding area. This will be arranged by the estate staff, who are used to high profile guests (and owners) and who are there to serve but who also know how to not intrude. Every aspect of their stay is set by the guests and the staff react accordingly. To many this is true relaxation and this is something that hotels would be hard pressed to replicate, where other guests can cause annoyance through excessive noise or other antisocial behaviour.

To many who frequently have the use of the world's top hotels, the excitement of staying in such properties has long waned and is no longer a treat. What is preferable is simply moving from their own lovely home to a similar property (in terms of quality) in another part of the world, where they can enjoy the same level of service but in a new and glorious environment. This allows high worth travellers to swap their 5th Avenue duplex for a Highland Castle with a minimum of disruption to their lifestyle!

This has the added benefit for the owners of both helping offset some of the running costs and keeping their staff busy whilst they are away. Many castles for hire in Scotland are only used by their owners a few weeks a year, and it's healthy for all concerned if these old buildings are utilised. Guests generally show huge appreciation to the staff looking after them and this adds to their level of work satisfaction. This especially applies to the gardeners who work so hard to maintain acres of immaculate borders, lawns etc and who hugely enjoy it when guests show an interest in their work.

On the issue of cost, these properties are actually much better value than renting a few suites in a top hotel, especially as all meals, drinks and house wines are included in the rental fee. Sometimes guests elect to order special wines for their consumption during their stay but there is no corkage charge levied by the Castle and the wines are usually delivered on a sale & return basis. Activities arranged within the estate are usually priced at a very generous level and many are not charged for at all. Although many castles do not have the sort of facilities found at premier hotels, they offer many other facilities including huge gardens, children's amenities (trampolines, swings, table tennis, billiards, bicycles, ponies), grass tennis courts, private woods, lochs and estate roads and access to other homes that are not open to the public. This is a key feature where our Castles excel, as the owners all know each other and are happy to entertain guests from neighbouring estates. This way visitors can enjoy viewings of amazing art collections or meet other fascinating owners on a private basis.

Whatever your reasons for travelling to Scotland, a private Castle rental can be an attractive option as it is always an experience and an adventure. In an increasingly sterile world, discovering something rather wonderful buried in a huge estate and accessed down a 10 mile private drive must be worth pursuing. Life is a journey and along the way one discovers some amazing destinations including castles for hire in Scotland.