Scotland · 13th century
Rothesay Castle is a ruined castle in Rothesay, the principal town on the Isle of Bute, in western Scotland. Located at NS086646, the castle has been described as "one of the most remarkable in Scotland", for its long history dating back to the beginning of the 13th century, and its unusual circular plan.
The castle comprises a huge curtain wall, strengthened by four round towers, together with a 16th-century forework, the whole surrounded by a broad moat. Built by the Stewart family, it survived Norse attacks to become a royal residence. Though falling into ruin after the 17th century, the castle was repaired by the Marquess of Bute before passing into state care in the 20th century.
A paddle steamer named after the castle was constructed in 1816.
Text adapted from “Rothesay Castle” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Rothesay Castle ranks #1,951 of 9,079 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #68 of the 226 mapped in Scotland. Founded c. 1225, it is older than 73% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 1080 atlas entries founded in the 13th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 2,250 times in the last 60 days, more than 72% of the atlas. 6 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Glasgow, 50 km away. See how Scotland compares in the castle statistics.
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