Trim Castle

Trim Castle covers several acres beside the River Boyne and is the largest Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland. Building began in the 1170s under Hugh de Lacy and continued for decades: a massive cruciform keep at the centre, a long curtain wall with towers and two surviving gates, and a ditch that once held water. The keep is entered only with a guide, on a route of stairs and low doorways that ends on the roof, looking over the town and the river meadows. The rest of the grounds are open to walk at leisure. The castle stood in for medieval Scotland in the film Braveheart, which is how many visitors first saw it.

What you actually see

• The keep - the cruciform tower at the centre, climbed on the guided tour to a rooftop walk.
• The curtain wall - most of the circuit survives, including the Barbican Gate and the Trim Gate.
• The river frontage - the Boyne runs along the walls, with a footbridge to the far bank.
• The town views - from the roof, Trim's streets, the Yellow Steeple ruin and the water meadows.

When to go

Keep tours run daily in summer and on a reduced schedule in winter, with places limited to small groups, so arrive early or book ahead. The grounds stay open longer than the keep and are pleasant in late light. Weekday mornings are quietest, while school groups fill spring afternoons. Rain makes the spiral stairs slick.

Honest expectations

The keep can only be seen with a guide and tours sell out on busy days, leaving some visitors with the grounds alone. The stairs are steep, narrow and unlit in places, and there is no lift, so the roof is out of reach for many. Interiors are bare stone with almost no furnishing.

Nearby

The Yellow Steeple, Newtown Abbey and the Hill of Tara are all within a short drive.