Doune Castle, Stirling

Upon arrival we received a very warm welcome from the staff. They included the children in the conversation and explained to them what they would find interesting. We were each given a headset (including the boys) and set of to explore the castle. With our trusty guides we leant about the history of the castle, who lived there including servants and prisoners and who came to visit for a feast. The guide even had renactments on it, which gave for a very animated performance from the boys with their swords. You could almost imagine you were part of the history. An amazing day out was had by all and definitley worth a visit.

My boys loved visiting this castle. It is very much in its natural state and it does have a limited display of items on show. It was used for filimg Monty Python's holy Grail. The audio guide is very interesting and was suitable for my boys to listen to. (Ages 4 and 6) The lack of display items on show is reflected in the lower admission price than other local castles but it still gives a good impression of live in the 14th century. The toilets being a hole in the outside wall were a great source of amusement. The added bonus is the lovely grounds the Castle is situated in. There is a short walk (can be done with a buggy) along the river Teith with a couple of areas where there are small beach areas perfect for throwing in stones. My two spent hours there - we should have taken a picnic! There is no cafe and Doune itself is also limited for refreshments but Callendar, Dunblane and Stirling are not too far away.