Lindisfarne Castle was built between 1570-2 as a Tudor fort to defend the area from nearby Scotland

Lindisfarne Castle in Northumberland, sits perched atop a rocky crag on Holy Island and was built between 1570-2 as a Tudor fort to defend the area from nearby Scotland. Its colourful past has seen the castle used to protect Holy Island harbour and more recently as a coastguard station and is only accessible via a causeway at low tide.

With the accession of James VI of Scotland to the English throne in 1603 uniting the two kingdoms, the castle lost its importance as a border fort. However a garrison remained until the late 19th century.

In 1901, Edward Hudson, the founder of Country Life magazine, discovered the castle and commissioned the architect, Edward Lutyens to convert the fort into a comfortable holiday home.

Much of the original structure remains, including great fireplaces, arched roofed rooms with huge chimneys and on a clear day you can enjoy the superb views from the Upper Battery.

Tourist Information

Adult - £5.20  Child - £2.60   Family - £13.00   ( Garden only: £1.00 )

Guided Tours:

£4.00 for National Trust members and other affiliated Trusts.

£6.00 for non-members

National Trust, National Trust for Scotland, Royal Oak and overseas National Trust members admitted free to both Castle and Garden on production of a valid membership card.

Opening Times:

For the convenience of its many customers, the National Trust produces schedule of varying opening times based on the Island's tidal accessibility, opening for 4½ hrs per day.

Please click on the link for a list of Opening Times during 2006