Castle Urquhart, Loch Ness

Castle Urquhart, Loch Ness

Urquhart Castle was largely destroyed in 1692 by Jacobite forces retreating before government troops to prevent it being used as a government stronghold. Before that, it had changed hands between Scottish kings, English invaders, the Bruce and Balliol factions, clan disputes, and the Grants for three centuries. Its strategic position on a rocky peninsula jutting into Loch Ness made it continuously worth fighting over. By the time it was blown up, it had been a functioning fortification for at least 500 years. What remains is substantial: towers, walls, a gatehouse, and a 16th-century tower house from which you look south along the loch.

The castle receives around 400,000 visitors per year, which makes it one of the most visited paid heritage sites in Scotland. The grant tower at the north end of the promontory, the most intact structure, gives the elevated perspective of the loch that appears in most photographs of the site. The view south from the tower, with the dark water and the forested hills of the Great Glen stretching away, is the right version of the Loch Ness experience.

Visiting

Historic Environment Scotland manages the site. Entry is around GBP 16 for adults, reduced for seniors and children. The visitor centre at the entrance has an exhibition on the castle’s history and the archaeology of the site; allow 20 minutes before walking to the ruins. The castle is open daily; hours vary by season (9am to 6pm in summer). Arrive before 10am to avoid the main coach tour groups.

The car park can fill by mid-morning in July and August; there is overflow parking on the verge of the A82 road back toward Drumnadrochit. The walk from the car park to the castle gate is about 5 minutes.

The Loch Ness Monster Question

The modern Nessie phenomenon started in 1933 when a newspaper published a sighting report by a local couple. Before that, the only documented account of something unusual in the loch was from the 7th-century Life of Saint Columba, which describes the saint driving away a “water beast” in the River Ness. The loch has been extensively surveyed with sonar and underwater cameras over the subsequent decades and found to contain no large undiscovered animal; the ecology doesn’t support one. The Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition in Drumnadrochit presents the scientific evidence honestly, which earns it some respect. The other monster exhibition in the village, skip.

Fort Augustus and the Southern End

The southern end of the loch at Fort Augustus is considerably quieter than the Drumnadrochit area and more rewarding for it. The Caledonian Canal locks here descend into the loch; watching a boat work through the five locks is 30 minutes of entertainment that costs nothing. The Great Glen Way long-distance route passes through; a section from Fort Augustus along the south-western bank gives loch views that the A82 road misses entirely.

Where to Stay and Eat

Inverness, 15 minutes north of the loch, is the practical base. The Dores Inn at the village of Dores on the eastern shore is a pub on the loch itself with good food and a beer garden facing directly onto the water. On a clear evening it is among the better places in Scotland to have a pint.