Newark Castle

PricingHalf price in your first year of English Heritage membership, then freeEH memberHalf, then freeNon-member£8.50

EH members: half price, then freeInfo

Half price, then free, for English Heritage members

This place is cared for by Historic Environment Scotland. First-year English Heritage members get 50% off the ticket price; members who have renewed get in free. Bring your valid membership card, and any pre-booked tickets, to ensure entry.

Pre-booking is recommended at Edinburgh Castle, Skara Brae, Stirling Castle, Blackness Castle, Urquhart Castle, Doune Castle and Maeshowe. Bookings are limited to six people per membership.
Bring the card itself: joint and family memberships admit the named holders only.
Historic Scotland does not offer reciprocal admission to National Trust properties, and a National Trust card is not accepted here.

More information

Entry

Non-member prices

Adult (aged 16 to 64)£8.50

Child (aged 7 to 15)£5.00

Concession (aged 65 and over)£6.80

Pricing details

In-person price; £7.50 booked online, and 25% off online with code GOOD25 for visitors arriving car-free. One undated price table is published for the April to September season; recheck on reopening in 2027. Children under 7 free but need a ticket; up to two carers free per transaction; Young Scot card holders pay £1 online. Explorer Pass accepted in summer. Family tickets are mentioned but not priced; no joint ticket or audio guide. English Heritage members: half price in your first membership year and free after your first renewal, on showing a valid card; bookings capped at six people per membership. Historic Scotland members free.

In-person price on Historic Scotland's page, which gives £4.50 online; the webstore sells the child ticket at £3.50 online, so the page's child row may be out of date. Under-7s free with a ticket. English Heritage members: half price in your first membership year and free after your first renewal, on showing a valid card; bookings capped at six people per membership. Historic Scotland members free.

In-person price; £6 booked online. English Heritage members: half price in your first membership year and free after your first renewal, on showing a valid card; bookings capped at six people per membership. Historic Scotland members free.

ParkingParking not known

The Trust's page does not say how parking is charged.

Parking details

Historic Scotland says there is car parking for visitors, a large level tarmac car park, with the site entrance 42 m away along a level gravel drive and paved path; coach parking is listed. No charge or free statement is published, so the status is recorded as unknown.

Driving pin: Google's Newark Castle Car Park listing on Castle Road, 45 m from HES's pin. By train, Port Glasgow station is 0.5 miles away with regular trains from Glasgow Central, Wemyss Bay, Gourock and Greenock Central; Clyde Flyer buses run to Port Glasgow bus station, 0.5 miles away; National Cycle Route 75 is a mile away. Book online with code GOOD25 and arrive by bus, train or bike for 25% off. Walkers should use the signalled crossing on the busy A8.

About

Newark Castle stands on the shore of the Firth of Clyde at Port Glasgow, long hidden behind the cranes and sheds of the shipyards and only recently re-emerged in the townscape. The Maxwells held the land from 1402, and Sir George Maxwell built the first castle after 1478, the tall tower house and gatehouse whose gun holes are shaped like inverted keyholes; James IV stayed here in 1495 before sailing for the Hebrides. From the 1580s Sir Patrick Maxwell added the warm red sandstone Renaissance mansion, dated 1597 above the door, among the finest secular buildings of its age in Scotland. He was also a violent man who murdered neighbours, and his wife Lady Margaret Crawford fled across the Clyde to Dumbarton after 44 years and 16 children. Inside are servants' rooms below stairs and a little bedchamber with a 16th-century bed-press, panelling and painted ceiling. Reviewers praise the storytelling boards and the climb of 63 steps to the wallhead for views over the Clyde.

ClosedPick a day for times and prices

Until 31 Mar: Closed
From 1 Apr: Tue–Sat 10:00–16:30, last entry 16:00

Today, Saturday 24 October

Newark CastleClosed

Opening times may change at short notice.

1 April to 30 September Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4.30pm, closed Sundays and Mondays; closed for lunch 12 noon to 1pm; last entry 30 minutes before closing; closed 1 October to 31 March. Historic Scotland recommends booking an entry slot in advance to guarantee entry. The site phone line is down; email newarkcastle.vo@hes.scot. No works notice on 18 October 2026.

The visitor centre and shop are step-free and the castle's ground floor, with the kitchen, wine cellar and bakehouse, has level access. Upper levels, including the great hall, gatehouse and gallery, are reached by a stone staircase with a handrail and uneven steps, and a spiral stair of 63 steps in the keep leads to the wallhead; light is low in many areas. Toilets and a shop on site; the nearest adapted toilet is about 2 miles away at the Premier Inn, James Watt Way, Greenock. No cafe or audio guide. Dogs are allowed outside but not in roofed areas.

Dogs: Dogs are allowed at the castle but not in roofed areas, so not inside the castle; on a lead under HES's general rule. The site is open only 1 April to 30 September. The grounds by the Clyde are outdoor areas, on a lead.

Photo: Newark Castle's crow-stepped gables, dormered mansion and tower house above a lawn beside the Firth of Clyde. Raibeart MacAoidh, CC BY-SA 2.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Newark_Castle_-_Port_Glasgow_-_geograph.org.uk_-_5694958.jpg. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0. Resized and cropped for display; derivatives retain the source licence.