Castles in Britain and Ireland

Castles are fortified residences. Castles were built for defensive purposes in the United Kingdom from the start of the Norman Conquest (1066) onward, until the early 17th century when developments in military technology rendered them less effective from a military standpoint. Sometimes the castles were built on or near the basis of early pre-Norman fortifications.

=Understand= True castles are those that were built for defensive purposes.

Whilst there are true castles in Scotland (notably Edinburgh and Stirling), there are also a number of tower-houses (effectively fortified residences).

=Destinations= _{Dates of Sieges are in brackets}