With many such structures dotted around Northern Ireland, they are certainly well worth a visit, with their stunning windows onto the past.
Here are some suggestions for a memorable day out.
9. Enniskillen Castle Museums
SItuated on the banks of the River Erne, this castle was originally constructed almost 600 years ago by the Maguire chieftains. The structure was of significant importance, controlling at the time one of the few passes into the province of Ulster. It became an English garrison fort in the 17th century and later as a military barracks. Today, there are two museums within the estate; the Inniskillings Military Museum documents the history of local military regiments, while the Fermanagh County Museum recreates the medieval route of European pilgrims around the monastic sites of Lough Erne. Also, take time to drink in the art collection featuring the work of William Scott and T.P. Flanagan.
For more information, go to enniskillencastle.co.uk/ Photo: Enniskillen Castle via Facebook
10. Dunseverick Castle
Just east of the Giant’s Causeway, Dunseverick Castle once served as a key site of the ancient Dál Raida Gaelic kingdom that had strong maritime links to western Scotland. It has been said that Saint Patrick baptised a local man here, Olcán, who later became a Bishop. The northern portion of the site holds an oval depression of damp ground that has been thought to be a holy well. The site was populated until it was destroyed by Cromwellian forces in the 1550s. Today, archaeologists have discovered pottery and animal bones from across the Middle Ages in a cave on the western edge of the inlet.
For more information, go to nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/northern-ireland/castles-forts/dunseverick-castle Photo: National Trust
11. Crom Castle
This castle on the shore of Upper Lough Erne was built by Scottish planter Michael Balfour in the early 17th century. Despite surviving two Jacobite sieges, the building was burnt to the ground accidentally in 1764. In the 19th century, as the site attracted tourists, additional towers and walls were added for romantic effect. From November 1940 onwards, the site was requisitioned by the War Office to become a U.S. military base. The concrete bases of several of the 101 Nissen huts constructed on the estate remain to this day. The remains of an assault course and a wartime petrol pump are also present. After sampling the ruins, be sure to make time to stroll among the famous yew trees and grasslands teeming with butterflies and moths.
nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/northern-ireland/crom/exploring-the-estate-at-crom Photo: National Trust
12. Castle Coole
In the countryside of Fermanagh lies one of Ireland’s greatest neoclassical homes. Built for the Earl of Belmore in the 1790s by Dublin architect Richard Johnston, the mansion, at that time, boasted some of the finest interiors and architecture in the whole country. After being sold to the government in 1951, the site was restored by the National Trust in the 1980s to its former glory. Explore two walking trails, the 18th-century Ice House which housed water from a frozen pond, and the Grand Yard, which housed the stables and carriage houses.
For more information, go to nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/northern-ireland/castle-coole/exploring-the-estate-at-castle-coole Photo: National Trust