Forget the spooky tales you’ve been told about British castles, because there’s nothing scary about these stunning photographic subjects. From the south of England to northern Scotland, the UK is home to some jaw-droppingly beautiful historic fortresses, and a new survey has just revealed the most-photographed.
Carried out by photo curation platform Popsa, the survey has shed light on the top 10 most-photographed castles in the UK.
To determine the list, Popsa analyzed millions of photos uploaded by users to the platform over 2024 and 2025. Each castle that appeared was given an index score of 0–100, with the top scorer receiving 100 and the rest scaled relative to it.
At number one, unsurprisingly, was the Tower of London (100). Far from the most picturesque castle on the list, but arguably the most significant, the former royal palace was founded by William the Conqueror in 1066. It went on to become an infamous state prison and now houses the dazzling Crown Jewels.
A flurry of famous and definitely picturesque castles came in second, third, and fourth. Edinburgh Castle in Scotland scored 55, while Windsor Castle (England) – an alternative royal residence to Buckingham Palace – scored 38.
Warwick Castle (England), considered by historians to be a masterpiece of medieval military engineering and defensive design, scored 24.
Three lesser-known, yet still beautiful, castles took positions five, six, and seven. Stirling Castle (Scotland), which, according to historians, was the most besieged castle during the Scottish Wars of Independence from the English, scored 18. Cardiff Castle, in the heart of the Welsh capital, scored 16, while Tintagel Castle (England) scored 13.
Saving the best for toward the end, arguably the most photogenic castles on the list scored a mere 11 and 10, respectively. St Michael’s Mount (England) came in eighth – the castle famous for its stone causeway, which is only accessible at low tide. And Eilean Donan Castle (Scotland) came in ninth, the picturesque site set against the stunning backdrop of the Scottish Highlands.
Last, but certainly not least, was Urquhart Castle, the tenth-placed castle also scoring 10. The castle is perched in a prominent spot overlooking the famous Loch Ness, where Nessie, the legendary loch-dwelling monster, is said to live.
On second thought, a run-in with Nessie would probably be spooky. Aside from that, I’ve been to a few of these castles and can tell you firsthand just how stunning these locations are for snapping a few frames.
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