The magic of Christmas can take on a grander theme this festive season, with guests of a new collection of historic castle hotels being able to live like a king or queen for a few days.
The newly formed Storied collection showcases an array of incredible properties throughout the UK and Ireland, with all of them having a distinctive and intriguing history behind every wall and parapet. And with over 39 hotels to choose from, you’ll be spoilt for choice as you decide where to explore your inner clan chief or feudal lord.
With a combined age of 14,487 years, the 39 castle hotels are some of the finest in the land, from Norman fortresses to 19th-century baronial mansions. And one particular historic property of interest is Crossbasket Castle, in Ayrshire.
This 17th-century castle in High Blantyre is located amongst the rolling landscape, with the land upon where it stands first appearing on official records in the 14th century, when it was owned by Scottish nobility, the Hamiltons of Cadzow. It was later believed that three of the Hamilton brothers were imprisoned in the Tower of London due to violations of the truce between the Kingdoms of England and Scotland.
Over the following decades, Crossbasket was owned by a number of Scottish landowners, including the Dean of the Guild of Glasgow, Thomas Peter, in 1709 and Charles Macintosh in 1818 – the acclaimed inventor of waterproof fabrics Now the castle is an intimate hotel, with just nine guest bedrooms, while preserving much of its unique character and original features.
Other hotels include the 800-year-old, 83-bedroom Ashford Castle, on the west coast of Ireland, which sits within 350 acres of immaculate gardens, forests, and verdant woodlands. It was once owned by brewer and philanthropist, Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, who became the richest man in Ireland after taking sole ownership of his family’s famous company.
Meanwhile, the Castle at Taunton is an iconic Norman fort, with a rich history dating back to more than 1,000 years. The property has played host to a wealth of Royal guests, including Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, King Edward VIII, the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret.
And the 16th-century Tulloch Castle, in the Scottish Highlands town of Dingwall, and was the birthplace of the legendary Clan Davidson. Today, the castle retains many of its original features, including the ancient dungeon, beautiful stained glass windows, an ornate staircase, the 250-year old panelled Great Hall, and a secret tunnel from the basement of the castle across town to the ruined Dingwall Castle.
To find out more about Storied Collection, visit: https://storiedcollection.com/
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