The idea of staying in a castle can seem like a distant, unattainable dream. Their monumental facades are as beguiling as their checkered histories, royal owners and sumptuous interior designs. However, castles are often dismissed as a relic of the past, a property just to be looked over and gawked at. In actuality, their lofty turrets and intimidating battlements, banqueting halls illuminated by candlelight, or baronial architecture with a Cinderella-esque flavour, can be yours for a night. One man, more frequently known as ‘The Castle Man’, has made it his mission to uncover nearly 100 hidden historic properties in the UK and more than double that in Europe. His drive is to give people a different experience, and to create “a memory that lasts forever”. The fruits of his labour is Celtic Castles, a site that is much more than an award-winning booking platform. It’s a personal team of castle experts who make your castle holiday a reality.

Consider, if you will, exploring the lesser-seen vicinities of Paris by spending an evening in the idyllic French countryside at Château de Bourron’s private 40-hectare estate. Traditional brick-and-stone architecture and spring-fed moats carry guests back to the 17th century and its original feudal fortress. Elsewhere, you can escape the one-bedroom confines of a hotel and rent an entire castle for your exclusive use at the Roch Castle in Wales. Overlooking St Bride’s Bay and Pembrokeshire’s verdant Preseli Hills, here, an experienced team can be hired to prepare fresh local produce for a bespoke menu to satisfy varying culinary tastes. In addition, its hypo-allergenic rooms put guests’ comfort before anything else.

Alternatively, book one of Celtic Castle’s pre-designed self-drive tours. These curated itineraries attentively guide travellers through an exploration of a new country or region. They take guests to both popular and hidden treasures of the area, while privately housing travellers in a historic castle each night.

Such bespoke experiences are a reality courtesy of Roger Masterson’s extensive entrepreneurial experience, and his long-time passion for and expertise in castles. What started out as online marketing for four Scottish Castles has matured into a business focused on hundreds of properties. The castles listed on the Celtic Castles site each offers exceptional service with a distinct character. Roger exclaims that this character can be anything from a ‘lost in time’ four-poster bedroom, an enthralling location, or simply a quirky owner. Using Roger’s connections and personal experiences at these castles, his insider’s knowledge is second to none and erases any red tape prohibiting travellers from experiencing the property’s full bells and whistles.

While some may already have a particular castle set in their sights, Roger’s expertise sometimes leads him to advise his customers to experience an alternative place. His familiarity with each castle means he can detect when to add a different flavour to a traveller’s experience, and this is one of the main principles of Celtic Castles. They look to make once-in-a-lifetime holidays happen. Indeed, when asked how he selects a suitable castle, Roger announces, “I know which properties can make a private helicopter or private jet experience happen and which can’t. If someone wants to get engaged at the top of a turret with fireworks and champagne, I know where we can arrange that. Or if someone wants a private whisky tasting experience in Scotland, I know who to contact to pull this together.”

Believing a castle “to be a destination”, many of the properties are “remote and don’t align themselves to a city break”. For this reason, guests often travel through new and quieter parts of the world where history and luxury are in abundance. However, the true pièce de résistance is the feeling of being pampered and rejuvenated which comes from the novelties of each castle. One such novelty is time-travelling back five centuries to rural Ireland by sleeping in a fortress that is without the comforts and luxuries of other modern castles. Set on a rocky outcrop in the middle of an ancient land, the castle’s realm is bordered by the crystal-clear Ballycolliton River and surrounded by fields, woods, and forestry. This makes The Black Castle a private, back-to-nature sanctuary from the 21st century.

Located in Coolbawn, North Tipperary, the imposing tower can only be accessed by a private road. Once arrived, guests can expect a welcome hamper before heading up the 16^th century stone spiral staircase to The Great Hall. Deliberately left simple, The Great Hall is authentically adorned with an oak half-tester, king-sized bed with Egyptian cotton sheets, a roaring fire and candles for the evening. With no electricity, plumbing or WiFi in the Great Hall, the Black Castle provides a unique, authentic medieval experience. This is enhanced by its library and games – including a replica of the 18^th century playing cards and a Fidchell Celtic chess set.

When asked what further sets the castles on the booking site apart, Roger reveals “they have to provide excellent service and have high standards, otherwise we don’t work with them or we take them off the Celtic Castles site”. Ensuring that they’re up to date, his team are constantly re-visiting the properties, with one holding a very special memory for Roger – Forter Castle. Like most of the properties available for exclusive rent on the website, Forter Castle allows for self-catering or external catering for one or more nights. According to Roger, this is a fantastic property for the family to get their hands dirty in the kitchen, learning from a talented chef and helping to serve, an experience that will re-emerging in conversation for many years. Indeed, Roger tries to find properties for Celtic Castles that’ll offer this kind of “down to earth connectivity, because it’s what keeps guests coming back. It’s about having a balance – access to the owners, but also to what’s makes their property and its local surroundings unique”.

While the Forter Castle has five floors, accommodating up to 16 guests in seven opulently designed bedrooms, the best part of the property is the Laird’s Room. This is an exquisite chamber covering the entire castle and boasts its own library, turret, and open-plan bathroom with antique adornments and grand paintings. There’s also a sumptuous Great Hall that expands the entire width of the castle, including a grand fireplace to cosy next to while viewing the wilderness of the Scottish Highlands and the Cairngorms National Park outside, or the hand-painted ceiling chronicling the castle’s history above.

Roger is quick to point out that “people are looking online for inspiration”, and the idea that an entire trip – accommodation, activities, route and all the trimmings – could be pre-planned and pre-booked is appealing to travellers. Based on popular routes, the Celtic Castles team have put together multiple self-drive tours comprising the map and route, castles and suggested activities, such as the Hebridean Sea Safari.

Inspired by the classic African Safari, guests experience a similar enthralling adventure along mountains, seascapes and islands. But first, they start their five days and four nights in the magnificent 36-acre Glenapp Castle estate with nights of fine dining, before heading aboard the private Glenapp boat. Accompanied by a concierge team and their own personal chef, guests voyage to remote islands, coastal castles, ancient monasteries, hidden castle gardens, archaeological sites, remote inns, or whisky distilleries during the day. By night, they’ll be luxury glamping under the stars or drinking a wee dram while the chef prepares a feast. This is Scotland like you’ve never seen it before, bringing the five-star castle experience face-to-face with the wild Hebrides.

 Whether it’s a dreamy Château in the French countryside, hiring an Irish fortress for your family, or exploring a new region through a pre-designed self-drive tour, Celtic Castles knows the perfect castle for you. Say goodbye to only visiting castles and get ready to begin a luxury getaway where you’ll finally fulfil your castle dreams. But if you’re looking for more inspiration, and a sneak peek into their catalogue of castles, then check out their YouTube channel for videos designed to introduce you to the possibility of staying in a castle.