Urquhart Castle
Beside the eerie shores of Loch Ness with views out across the Great Glen, the noble ruins of Urquhart Castle provide one of the most romantic settings of any attraction in Scotland .
There has been a settlement around Urquhart dating back to Pictish times, since then it has been at the centre of a tug of war between warring clans for centuries. The first documented evidence of a fort at Urquhart comes when St Columba visited in 580 AD. It was written that he came to aid a dieing Pictish King who had in fact been attacked by a monster in the Loch. Columba baptised the King on his deathbed and it is said banished the beast to the depths of Loch Ness.
The first castle dates back to the early 12th Century and was built as a fortress garrison belonging to the Duwards. It would have been a formidable sight in its heyday but as well as a stronghold it would have been a noble residence. Its sprawling area would have served to house, feed and play host to a both army and politician as Urquhart became a Royal castle, though David II was the only Scottish King to stay there in 1342.
The castle walls however were no match for the earlier visit of Edward I , whose great war machines, the dreaded Trebuchet crumbled them during the Wars of Independence. From 1395 the castle would be the source of contention between its owners the Grants and the Macdonalds Lord of the Isles and this clan rivalry would last for 150 years. The castle last saw action during the Jacobite rebellion, although it wasn’t attacked the garrison there almost came under siege. The government troops inside left the castle before blowing up its gatehouse to ensure the Jacobites couldn’t hold it.
In its hey day, it would have been hard to find a more impressive structure in its fairytale setting by Loch Ness. Today Urquhart has been fabulously kept and a lot of money spent on making it one of the best visitor attractions in Scotland. Audio visual displays tell its turbulent history, a huge replica of a Trebuchet looms around the castle walls and the Grant Tower has been restored offering fantastic photo opportunities across Ness and the Great Glen, from the top of the tower. Boat trips across the Loch also pick up from Urquhart allowing you to make a full day of enjoying these fairytale surroundings.
This attraction is included in the Great British Heritage Pass.
