Many people like to stay in castles, but like me, find them mostly too expensive to consider. Here are a couple I've found.

When my son and I were in England last summer, we spent several nights at Durham Castle. Our room was in the Keep - it's all dorm rooms during the school year as the castle is the main building for Durham University. The rooms are not ensuite and are dorm like, but perfectly clean and comfortable. It was about 20 pounds a night with breakfast served in the great room each morning.

In Ireland, we loved Carrigeen Castle in Cahir (county Tipperary near Cashel) which looks every bit the castle on the hill but is actually a 16th century prison. We had a nice, if eccentric, ensuite room with a wonderful breakfast each morning. Very reasonably prices at less than 30 euro per night with lots to see in the area.

Susan in Maryland