Urquhart Castle - Outlander

Urquhart Castle is one of the most famous and iconic sites in the Scottish Highlands, nestled at the edge of Loch Ness.  It commands fantastic views over the Loch and mountains and is one of the famous spots for historic sightings of Nessie.

It has also been made famous due to the Outlander series, where Claire sees the “water horse” (Nessie of course).  The ruins are there for you to explore, see the banquet hall, the tiny and dark prison cell, and hear all about the battles raged, when you watch a small video inside the visitor centre. 

The castle saw a lot of bloodshed in the 500 medieval years and has had recurrences throughout Scottish history.  In the 13^th and 17^th centuries particularly, it was war torn.  It has been under the control of the English, Edward I and Robert the Bruce, King of the Scots in the 14^th century and was repeatedly attacked in the 15^th and 16^th centuries by the Lord of the Isles, from the MacDonald clan.

Sadly, in 1692 it was mostly destroyed by a fire in the battle between the Williamite and Jacobite groups.  The widow of its most recent owner, Mr. Chewett, gifted it to the National Trust in 2003.  In more recent years a visitor centre and car parks were added, to make your visit even more enjoyable, informative and memorable.  Don’t miss the short film in the theatre section and there is also a lovely gift shop and café where the soup and sandwiches are tasty.  There is a lift up to the car park level where you will re-join the coach for the rest of your excursion.  The walk back up the hill from the ruins is a little steep up to the visitor centre, but you may take it slowly if you are less able or simply decide to wait up the top section.