Not much is left of it – and yet: the ruins still give a very good sense of what a magnificent castle Urquhart Castle once was. The stronghold was strategically so valuable that, in the end, it wasn’t destroyed by an enemy force – but by its own garrison.
The crumbling tower of Urquhart Castle proudly overlooks the vast expanse of Loch Ness. The castle occupies a strategically favourable spot: whoever, in medieval times, wanted to travel through the Great Glen – the great valley of the Highlands – had to pass Urquhart Castle. The loch offered natural protection, since Urquhart sits on a spit of land that juts out into the great lake. This means the castle is surrounded by water on three sides – no chance for enemies. Especially since a castle moat had also been dug on the land side, only passable via a drawbridge.
And yet: despite its position and despite its thick walls, Urquhart Castle today is only a ruin. The best-preserved parts are the tower, the entrance gate and the long wall along the front. This wall fortifies a hill that would in any case have been hard to take. Urquhart Castle doesn’t sit on flat ground, in fact, but sweeps across several hillocks. These curves and arcs, which the terrain traces further back as well, give the whole fortress complex a winding charm.
The many information boards help bring the buildings and the life within them back to life in your mind’s eye.
You reach the castle through a large visitor centre. Inside – alongside a coffee shop, naturally – there’s a museum that explains the castle’s building phases and history using models. On top of that there are exhibits such as weapons and other relics from times gone by.
The visit to the castle is worthwhile for several reasons: for one, because it makes for such a beautiful scene with Loch Ness. For another, because you learn quite a bit there about how people lived in that era.
Tip: Photo with the tower and the loch
Up on the big wall, ask another visitor to take your photo with the tower and Loch Ness in the background. That way you can make good use of the backdrop. See our shot on the right.
Generally speaking, thanks to its spit of land jutting into the lake, Urquhart Castle is a great opportunity to get beautiful shots of Loch Ness. And it’s one of Scotland’s top attractions.
Good to know: Pronouncing “Urquhart” and its history
Urquhart is pronounced roughly “ur-kart” – fairly simple, really. The spelling isn’t Gaelic, since Gaelic has no letter “Q”. Even so, its origins lie in Gaelic: “Airdchartdan” is likely a blend of Gaelic and Welsh, meaning roughly “by the wood”.
A Pictish fort probably already stood on the spit of land into Loch Ness as early as the fifth century – at least, that’s what excavations from 1983 suggest. The castle was first mentioned in 1296. That year, the English king Edward I invaded Scotland and took possession of Urquhart Castle. Not for long, though, as Robert the Bruce freed Scotland from foreign rule – and with it, the castle on Loch Ness.
After that, Urquhart Castle became a pawn of various powers: Scots, English, and the Lords of the Isles and their heirs, the MacDonalds, all took their turn holding it. Throughout, the castle was continually expanded and reinforced. In the 16th century, the castle was finally granted to Clan Grant.
Its end finally came in the course of the Jacobite risings: the Grants supported the British crown, and in 1690 Urquhart Castle withstood the first Jacobite attempts to take the fortress. But the Grants then withdrew their soldiers – and, to keep the strategically valuable fortress from falling into Jacobite hands, it was decided simply to blow it up. Urquhart was never rebuilt after that.
By the way: the like-named Clan Urquhart never actually owned the castle.
Personal note: Surprisingly beautiful, against all expectations
I’ll admit it: I harboured a certain aversion to Urquhart Castle. Too famous, too much tourism, too few walls for too much money – or so I thought. In reality, though, the trip is well worth it and genuinely beautiful, as long as the crowds stay within reason. That’s not always easy during high season. But when they do, you can take an extended walk along the castle walls. And if you’re lucky, as we were, someone will be playing the bagpipes.
Getting there:
From Inverness, take the A82 towards Fort William and Fort Augustus into the Great Glen, and follow it for about 25 kilometres. Just past Drumnadrochit, turn into the large car park on the left.
From Fort William, also take the A82 towards Inverness. It takes just over an hour and 75 kilometres before you can turn right into the car park.
