available from 2-4 days to weeks and they're fantastic!! Saddell is probably the best, but it's a bit of a trek to get to it (you can drive from Glasgow easy enough, there are ferries etc). there are cottages in the area as well if you can't get the castle for as long as you want.

All the properties below are self contained, you can also get a few rooms in a stately home etc. if you prefer. Properties range from 1 person in a hut to 20+ in a stately home.

All these 4 are on the sea Kingswear castle , across river from Dartmouth, includes a pillbox bunkhouse - scary, but great fun for kids!(picture on raffle page : http://landmarktrust.peacetrust.net/ ); Saddell Castle, Nr Campbelltown, Scotland (the peninsular that hangs down towards Ireland). Table tennis table in the battlements!; The Old Blockhouse (gun emplacement) West Wales / Milford Haven; Martello Tower, Aldeburgh, Suffolk.

The first 2 are actual castles, the others just feel like castles! The Martello tower has fantastic acoustics#

Also places in Vermont USA and Italy, centre of towns, London.

The Landmark Trust is a building preservation charity, founded in 1965 by Sir John and Lady Smith. It was established to rescue historic and architecturally interesting buildings and their surroundings from neglect and, when restored, to give them new life by letting them for holidays. The buildings are restored rather than renewed & re-modeled, to preserve texture and character. In all cases they are carefully furnished to fit the surroundings, mostly with things that are old, simple but good. You will find modern bathrooms and heating, open fires wherever possible, sheets and towels and a well equipped kitchen. Each has a carefully selected library of books, a large scale local map, visitors diary and history & restoration album. But no tv (a good thing!!)

The 20th edition of the Landmark Trust Handbook contains 212 pages of photos, descriptions, histories, maps and plans of all 178 buildings that are available for holidays.The Handbook is more than just a holiday guide and includes a history of each building, maps suggesting places of interest in the area and plans showing how accommodation is arranged. At first, it seems a bit cheeky to pay for a brouchure but it's a great book and you'll want to keep it (and tease your friends??)!

The Handbook costs £9.50 when sent to a UK address, £12 to Europe and £22 to the rest of the world. This cost is refundable against a booking or, if you prefer, can be made as a donation to support the rescue of further buildings at risk.

there is also an online availablilty list: http://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/availability/

What a coincidence! - New York Times article on castles used for corporate events (if you've a spare $400,000..) http://tinyurl.com/53uor They do mention "Other castles have been converted to hotels with up-to-date amenities. Glenapp Castle in rural Ayrshire, Scotland, a turreted and towered mansion built in 1870, ".

Man the battlements, etc! Stewart, London, UK