Urquhart Castle

About this place

Iconic castle overlooking Loch Ness with interactive exhibits and a visitor centre.

Standing on a headland overlooking Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle is one of the most visited ruins in Scotland, its dramatic setting doing much of the work even before its long and turbulent history is explained - it was deliberately blown up in 1692 to prevent it falling into Jacobite hands, and the ruins have stood largely as they are ever since. A modern visitor centre uses models and a full-size trebuchet replica to bring the castle's medieval role to life, and the grounds give one of the best chances along the loch of spotting something in the water, real or imagined. There's an admission charge, and the sloped, uneven grounds make parts of the site unsuitable for buggies.

Make a day of it — within 5km