Historic Fairytale Lickleyhead Castle

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Photo gallery for Historic Fairytale Lickleyhead Castle

An aerial view of a large, historic building surrounded by lush greenery.
Property video
A stone-walled room with a bed, a chandelier, a mirror, and a window with curtains.
A castle with a well-maintained lawn and stone stumps.
A library with bookshelves, a leather armchair, a rug, and a framed document on the wall.

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional

Highlights

  • Beach equipment
    A rare find — beach equipment ready to go for your days by the sea.

Popular amenities

  • Hot tub on site
  • Patio
  • Toys
  • Barbecue grill
  • Pet-friendly
  • Refrigerator

Explore the area

View in a map
Insch, Aberdeenshire
  • Place, Insch Connection Museum
    ‪7 min drive‬
  • Place, Insch Library
    ‪7 min drive‬
  • Place, Insch Meadows Wildlife Area
    ‪7 min drive‬
  • Airport, Aberdeen (ABZ)
    ‪39 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

8 bedrooms (sleeps 16)

Living Room 1

1 Double Sofa Bed

The Bartholf Room

1 King Bed

The Duff Room

1 King Bed

The Forbes Room

1 Double Bed

The Grande Luz

1 Queen Bed

The Laird's Room

1 King Bed

The Leith Gallery

1 Double Bed, 1 Single Bed and 1 Single Futon

The Lumsden Nursery

2 Single Beds

The Maitland Room

1 King Bed

5 bathrooms, 3 half bathrooms

1st floor shower room

Shower only

1st floor w/c

Toilet

Duff Bathroom

Bathtub · Toilet

Ground Floor bathroom

Bathtub · Toilet

Laird's En Suite

Bathtub · Toilet

Leith Gallery En Suite

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Maitland En Suite

Toilet

The Grip Fast Bathroom

Toilet · Shower only

The Jack and Jill Bathroom

Bathtub or shower

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Separate dining area
Number of living rooms
Outdoor play area
Garden
Dining area
Price is avg per night

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About this property

Historic Fairytale Lickleyhead Castle

Lickleyhead Castle is a luxury, exclusive use group accommodation venue. We now host weddings. Contact the management to find out more. Lickleyhead is a Grade A listed historic building from the 16th century. It can accommodate up to 16 adults, 2 children and 3 dogs. Despite it's grandeur the castle feels very much like a home with 2 working fireplaces. The smell of woodsmoke greets you as you climb the stone staircase. Outside, the sound of running water and abundant birdlife combine to provide an atmosphere of peace, calm and tranquility.

Each of the bedrooms have been styled to reflect the period of former owner's of note. This includes our 17th century box bedroom which has proven to be a great favourite with our guests and the Victorian nursery on the very top floor. The castle grounds which are exciting to explore, extend to 11 acres, with 2 burns (streams), rope swings to discover, not to mention a ruined archway and a bird hide. We are also situated on the lower slopes of Bennachie which of course means plenty of wonderful walks from the doorstep.

The whole building will be yours!

House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 18
Check out before 10:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events

Events allowed: family gatherings, birthday parties, weddings
Actively encouraging weddings, experienced hosts
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Pets

Pets allowed: dogs and cats (limit 4 total)
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Smoking

Smoking allowed: in designated areas
No outside guests or 3rd party caterers except by prior arrangement. Fees apply in these cases. Contact us to find out more.

Important information

You need to know

Property Registration Number AS-00426-P
Property # 10946676
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Parties and events (including family gatherings, birthday parties and weddings) are allowed on site. Maximum attendees: 30
Note from host: Actively encouraging weddings, experienced hosts
Safety features at this property include a carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector and a first aid kit
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios and terraces, which may not be suitable for children; if you have any concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm that they can accommodate you in a suitable room

Frequently asked questions

Is Historic Fairytale Lickleyhead Castle pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows cats and dogs (limit 4 total). Some restrictions may apply, so please contact the property for more details.

How much is parking at Historic Fairytale Lickleyhead Castle?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at Historic Fairytale Lickleyhead Castle?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Historic Fairytale Lickleyhead Castle?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Historic Fairytale Lickleyhead Castle located?

Located on the waterfront, this family-friendly castle is within 6 mi (10 km) of Insch Connection Museum, Insch Meadows Wildlife Area, and Bennachie Leisure Centre. Insch Golf Club and Insch Library are also within 6 miles (10 km).

Historic Fairytale Lickleyhead Castle Reviews

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
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Rating 10 - Excellent. 4 out of 4 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 0 out of 4 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 4 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 4 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 4 reviews

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

9.6/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Really enjoyed your stay - such a special place!
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fun with Friends at Lickleyhead

A group of friends had a shared dream of a Scottish Stay with whisky tours and Highland games. Lickleyhead Castle exceeded our expectations. James and Kathy were extremely accommodating and helpful in fulfilling our dream!
Stayed 3 nights in May 2022
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Best Place I’ve Ever Stayed

Truly a magical experience! And we may have had an encounter with the Green Lady! The rooms were all lovely and it was difficult to pick which one I wanted. We held a murder mystery event on the evening of my birthday through Red Herring Events and it was fantastic!
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2022
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Whisky and golf base camp

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Lickleyhead! We started our stay with some extras arranged with the help of James: archery, a catered banquet, and a whisky tasting. The setting for each was perfect. We mainly used the place as a base for other activities. In retrospect, it would have been better to leave more time to enjoy the castle and explore the grounds. There were 10 of us, which seemed like a good number for the space. Everything was well equipped and clean. As you would expect in a structure hundreds of years old, water pressure in the lower floor bathrooms is much better than the top floors. But this was more than offset by the character and charm of all of the bedrooms. Our main hangout area was the great hall, which had a massive fireplace. There were plenty of other places to relax; we just didn’t use them. We would definitely stay again!
Stayed 3 nights in May 2022