Can you recommend any good castles to visit in the UK; I am visiting during the summer (2002) and plan to tour around. I have seen most of the major ones, and am looking for some off the beaten track

Asks chuck

A. Once you've visited the usual suspects - Windsor, Leeds, Edinburgh etc. - there are still loads of castles to visit in the UK - it is an extremely castle rich nation. Some of the best include the following (in no particular order):

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Skipton Castle

Skipton Castle, Skipton, North Yorks BD23 1AQ

Telephone: 01756 792442

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.skiptoncastle.co.uk/

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Skipton is over 900 years old and is one of the best-preserved medieval castles in the country. It has a Tudor courtyard, two impressive watchtowers and a former drawbridge (you can see the remains of the portcullis and drawbar at the entrance).

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During your visit you can also take in the Banqueting Hall and the kitchen, which have been restored to their original order. Through history, the castle has been associated with the Clifford family who were granted the property by Edward II in 1310.

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Skipton Castle is open daily from 10am-6pm (except for Christmas day) and admission costs �4.60 per adult and �2.30 for children. A daily family ticket costs �12.50 (2 adults, 3 children).

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Alnwick Castle

Alnwick, Northumberland NE66 1NQ

Telephone: 01665 510777

Website: http://www.alnwickcastle.com/

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Known during the Victorian era as the "Windsor of the North" it is the ancestral home of the Duke of Northumberland and his family (the Percy's) and has been since 1309. It is the second largest inhabited castle in England (after Windsor) and is believed to date back to 1096 when Yves de Vescy became Baron of Alnwick and first began work on the structure of the castle.

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During a visit here you will take in some fine art, the collection housed here includes work by Titian, Van Dyck and Canaletto. You will also see the Postern Tower (which houses an archaeological museum), the Abbot's Tower (home of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers Regimental Museum), the Percy state coach, gun terrace, dungeons - all set in stunning grounds designed by Capability Brown.

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Alnwick Castle was recently featured in the film Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. It has also been used for scenes in Elizabeth, Ivanhoe and Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves.

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The castle is open daily from 11am-5pm from 28 March until 25 October 2002. Admission is �6.95 per adult; children under 16 are admitted free of charge. It also has a tearoom and gift shop on site.

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Chillingham Castle

Chillingham, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 5NJ

Telephone: 01668 215359

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.chillingham-castle.com/

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Another medieval castle, Chillingham dates back to the early 13th Century. It has been associated with the family of the Earls Grey for many centuries since then.

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During your tour of Chillingham, you can visit its state rooms including the James I Drawing Room (containing china once owned by Marie Antoinette), Edward 1 Room, the Great Hall, the Mistral's Hall, the castle library, extensive dungeons and even a torture chamber. The latter is a great tourist attraction as it houses an original stretching rack, bed of nails and a spiked chair. The film Elizabeth, starring Cate Blanchett, was filmed here.

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Newark Castle

The Buccleuch Heritage Trust, Bowhill, Selkirk TD7 5ET

Telephone: 01750 22204

E-mail: [email protected]

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Situated on a mound, Newark Castle dates back to the 15th Century. It is a five-storey stone tower house, surrounded by a curtain wall complete with keyhole gunloops. The castle is located in the grounds of Bowhill House and its surrounding park and is owned by the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch.

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Bowhill House Park is open from Easter until the end of August each year from 12 noon to 5pm. Bowhill House itself houses a fine art collection, including works by Cannaletto, Claude, Reaburn, Reynolds, Gainsborough and Ruysdael. There is also a theatre, gift shop and tea room on site.

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Caernarfon Castle

Gwynedd, Wales

Website: http://www.touruk.co.uk/castleswales/castle

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Approximately 8 miles from Bangor, Caernarfon Castle was built by Edward 1 between 1283 and 1327 on the site of an 11th Century Norman castle.

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It is best known for its 124-foot Eagle Tower and the seat of the Prince of Wales within Wales. In 1969 Prince Charles was invested as the present Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle.

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