Urquhart Castle

After a fabulously done introduction video you walk outside and quickly realize this isn't a castle - it's ruins. While hopefully you realize that before you arrive due to research, it's still a slight letdown as there isn't a ton to see, few artifacts, etc. That all being said, it's a very interesting piece of history, the views are amazing and it's worth a 90 minute stop or so. There is ample parking, clean toilets and a well appointed gift shop and cafe. Be prepared to take a lot of photos, but just know what you are getting into.

What a moment to stand on the ruins of a castle that has seen so many moments in Scottish history.

To feel the breeze off of Loch Ness take in everything around you.

Let the history and mystery (No I didn't spot Nessie) sink in.

I always say this but read a little before you get there.

It's a little bit of a drive but do yourself a favor and take it.

It was cold but there was no way I was getting there and NOT wading into the loch.

Kick your shoes off and do the same.

Probably my favorite castle visit thus far. Urquhart's history is rooted in Scottish independence and Clan MacDonald raids. The ruins are what's left for visitors to explore and some sections can be explored more intimately. It occupies prime real estate overlooking Loch Ness. It's proximity to Nessie makes this castle very popular. However, it is still worth the visit. After waking through the castle and pausing for the views it is easy to see why the MacDonalds kept raiding this castle. Inside the visitor center a brief video touches on key moments in its storied life.

Very neat castle ruin on Loch Ness. I did a cruise with Jacobite tours on Loch Ness. You have the option of getting off the boat and going into the ruins of the castle, but I did not do that during my tour. The Jacobite Tour boat gets close to the ruin while on the water. This is a gorgeous spot on the water with picturesque mountains in the background. You can get all the pictures you need of the Urquhart Castle from a tour boat. I don't think you would to go into the ruins. You have to pay to get into the ruins, and honestly you can get great pictures from a tour boat.

The best vista point on Loch Ness! Urquhart Castle is basically ruins, but due to its strategic location, overlooking the beautiful serene lake on a hill, it's such a great vantage point. Best way to see Loch Ness is not from a tour boat but from here!

Clean restroom, attractive souvenir shop, efficient online ticketing system (we bought our parking ticket and admission ticket all on a mobile phone on our way here as we drove).

Fabulously maintained castle grounds, overlooking the (in)famous Loch Ness. Keep an eye out for Nessie as you explore the ruined towers and battlements! She must be real, otherwise why would they have a working trebuchet, right?!

Despite it's condition, there's plenty of room to crawl, climb and duck through narrow passageways, ascend claustrophobic stairwells, and gaze out upon the placid waters of Loch Ness. Great for adults and kids, and surprisingly, most of the grounds are wheelchair accessible.

Entrance fee is around $14 USD (based on current exchange rate), and a guided audio tour is available via your smartphone. Lots of signage available to compliment and enhance your tour experience, explaining the storied history of this crumbling, yet picturesque fortress.

Urquhart Castle is a fun visit if you're in the area around Loch Ness. You can learn about the history of the ancient fortress and how often it changed hands. You can explore the ruins (note: it's half destroyed nowadays!). You can also get lovely views of Loch Ness (and maybe catch a glimpse of Nessie!).

You should start your visit with the introductory video. After that, go check out the ruined castle.

Expect to spend around 1.5 hours here.

I have always seen this in the distance when we last visited Inverness, and Loch Ness. This time, we decided to actually visit the castle.

There is a pull off to one side, where the ticketing booth is and the gift shop as well as the walking paths down to the castle and loch. for those who need assistance there is an elevator.

The store is quite nice, they have a squashed penny machine, that made me happy. There is a short 10 minute video (I did not watch it) and a series of caches of items found on the historic site.

Once you've had a wander through the displays and look at the teapot, you'll make your way towards the cafe and the outdoor eating area, there you can take the stairs down, or the ramp. The ramp is a nice way to go when your knee is upset.

The walk is beautiful, especially under brooding Scottish skies. The model trebuchet sits in silent guardianship of the Castle. The Castle walls are tall and forbidding. But once inside it opens up and becomes welcoming to me.

There is even a way to walk down to the shore of Loch Ness, where you can take your shoes off and put your toes into the chilly waters. While there, mayhaps you'll see a passing search boat looking for Nessie.

On the day I was there, the RAF was doing manouvers and they did a very close fly-by in 2 Chinooks. That was pretty amazing from my vantage point.

The castle is a beautiful Relic of the past, There is palpable history and the grounds are lovely to reflect on. I am so glad we stopped and took in this Highland's Guardian.

After venturing around Glen Affric, we ended our day with a visit to Urquhart Castle.

It's certainly been through a lot (so much ransacking), but its spot right on the water is so picturesque and makes for some great photo opportunities. There's a lot of history here, and though one won't be here all day, they can still have a great time nonetheless.

It'd be nice if they kept their website updated so that you know going in that half of the castle grounds are under construction and are therefore inaccessible.

We took the bus from Inverness down to the Castle early on our first morning in Inverness. The bus is a nice and cheap option for those tourists who don't have a rental, and who aren't interested in renting a bicycle (which we briefly considered).

We were told when we arrived that most of the castle grounds were shut down to tourists due to the construction. At first, I was a bit bummed, but looking at the map, we realized there was still quite a bit to see. Plus, they discounted the price of entry because of construction.

The first bit you explore is inside the main building, where you walk past placards filled with information of the area, the people and the history. They display bits and baubles found while excavating the area, and there's a model of what the castle looked like in its prime. The model is supposed to have buttons connected to small LEDs that light up when you push them, to give a visual representation of a location, but either most of the lights were broken, or I was too short to see them. There's also a shop and cafe on the bottom floor.

The jewel of the floor is their theater, though. They run a movie every several minutes - it's set up to give visitors a quick overview of all the detail that's provided outside, and to prep you for what you'll see when you walk down to the ruins.

Stepping out of the building and onto the patio overlooking the ruins and the loch, you're faced with a breathtaking view. Even in their current state, the walls of Urquhart are beautiful. Set against the loch, it's almost magical.

There's a long path leading away from the building to the ruins, which branches off to a replica trebuchet on one side and a pier on the other. Approaching the castle entrance from the path, you can get an idea of scale, and how impressive it must've been.

Even though we didn't get to see everything the castle grounds had to offer, we still spent almost 3 hours there, climbing stairs, stepping down into cutouts, reading plaques and contemplating the size of the loch. It was quite a day.