---
type: Article
title: Scotney Castle visit on a cold day
description: We had a fabulous trip to see the fairytale Scotney Castle and found the lake had frozen over making it a magical sight!
resource: https://www.simoncox.com/post/2026-01-07-scotney-castle-visit-on-a-cold-day/
tags: [Post, Trips]
timestamp: 2026-01-07
---


![Old Scotney Castle on a freezing day.](/assets/img/content/trip-scotney-castle-1.jpg){loading="eager"}

We are life members of the National Trust so try and get out to see as many locations in a year as possible. One of the highlights that always brings us back to make repeat visits is the Christmas decorations - different in every house each year but also different between each of the great houses and often reflect their individual histories.

We wanted to visit [Scotney Castle](https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/kent/scotney-castle) before they took down the decorations on the 4th January, as we had not been able to get there before Christmas. As always with Scotney Castle we had to book a slot in the car park - they do this to keep numbers down else I imagine it would be over run.

What we were not expecting is that the lake around the old castle would be completely frozen over giving it a magical extra edge of otherworldliness.

We had a fantastic afternoon out and highly recommended!

![Old Scotney Castle from the hill above.](/assets/img/content/trip-scotney-castle-2.jpg)
*Old Scotney Castle from the hill above.*

![Old Scotney Castle from the North West side with frozen lake.](/assets/img/content/trip-scotney-castle-3.jpg)
*Old Scotney Castle from the North West side with frozen lake.*

![Wide shot of Old Scotney Castle from the North West side with frozen lake.](/assets/img/content/trip-scotney-castle-4.jpg)
*Wide shot of Old Scotney Castle from the North West side with frozen lake.*

![Zoomed look at Old Scotney Castle from the North West side with frozen lake, tower, house and ruins.](/assets/img/content/trip-scotney-castle-5.jpg)
*Zoomed look at Old Scotney Castle from the North West side with frozen lake, tower, house and ruins.*

![Old Scotney Castle from the first island looking to the tower and lake on the west and south sides.](/assets/img/content/trip-scotney-castle-6.jpg)
*Old Scotney Castle from the first island looking to the tower and lake on the west and south sides.*

![Old Scotney Castle fortified house with bay windows and joined to the tower. The larger house ruins to the left.](/assets/img/content/trip-scotney-castle-7.jpg)
*Old Scotney Castle fortified house with bay windows and joined to the tower. The larger house ruins to the left.*

![Looking from the East from inside the ruins of the old house at Old Scotney Castle.](/assets/img/content/trip-scotney-castle-8.jpg)
*Looking from the East from inside the ruins of the old house at Old Scotney Castle.*

![East wall of the old ruined house at Old Scotney Castle.](/assets/img/content/trip-scotney-castle-9.jpg)
*East wall of the old ruined house at Old Scotney Castle.*

![looking back from the west side of the outer island leading to the Old Scotney Castle island.](/assets/img/content/trip-scotney-castle-10.jpg)
*looking back from the west side of the outer island leading to the Old Scotney Castle island.*

![Old Scotney Castle Boathouse on the outer island.](/assets/img/content/trip-scotney-castle-11.jpg)
*Old Scotney Castle Boathouse on the outer island.*

![Old Scotney Castle boathouse door.](/assets/img/content/trip-scotney-castle-12.jpg)
*Old Scotney Castle boathouse door.*

![View of Scotney Castle from the footbridge over the lake from the western most point of the lake.](/assets/img/content/trip-scotney-castle-13.jpg)
*View of Scotney Castle from the footbridge over the lake from the western most point of the lake.*

![Old Scotney Castle from the south with New Scotney Castle in the background to the left up on the hill behind it.](/assets/img/content/trip-scotney-castle-14.jpg)
*Old Scotney Castle from the south with New Scotney Castle in the background to the left up on the hill behind it.*

![Old Scotney Castle from across the lake from the east with a massive oak bare of leaves on the island in front of the old ruins.](/assets/img/content/trip-scotney-castle-15.jpg)
*Old Scotney Castle from across the lake from the east with a massive oak bare of leaves on the island in front of the old ruins.*

![Scotney Castle ice house - a conical heather cover brick vault with sky blue wooden porch and heather roof providing access. Ice taken from the lake could be kept here for a year or more.](/assets/img/content/trip-scotney-castle-16.jpg)
*Scotney Castle ice house - a conical heather cover brick vault with sky blue wooden porch and heather roof providing access. Ice taken from the lake could be kept here for a year or more.*

![New Scotney Castle which was built in the 19th Century as the old castle was damp and decayed.](/assets/img/content/trip-scotney-castle-17.jpg)
*New Scotney Castle which was built in the 19th Century as the old castle was damp and decayed.*

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