Urquhart Castle

Explore one of Scotland's most famous castles on Loch Ness

Perched on a rocky promontory over the dark water of Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle (pronounced "URK-ert") carries over a thousand years of history and is one of the most visited castles in Scotland. Climb what remains of the five-storey Grant Tower for panoramic views down the Great Glen, watch the introductory film in the visitor centre, and keep half an eye on the loch, just in case.

Tickets and prices

• Adults: £14.00 online, £16.00 on the day

• Concessions: £11.00 online, £13.00 on the day

• Children (7 to 15): £8.50 online, £9.50 on the day

• Historic Scotland members: free

• Young Scot card holders: £1

• Carers: up to two accompanying carers go free

Book online: it is cheaper, and in summer tickets regularly sell out days ahead, with no on-the-day sales once the allocation is gone. The Explorer Pass covers entry too, though pass holders still need to book a timeslot. An audio guide is included in the ticket price and runs on your own phone.

Opening hours

• April to August: 9.30am to 8.15pm daily

• September: 9.30am to 6pm daily

• October: 9.30am to 5pm daily

• November to March: 9.30am to 4.30pm daily

• Last entry: one hour before closing

• Closed: 25 and 26 December

Getting there and parking

The castle sits on the A82 just south of Drumnadrochit, about 30 minutes from Inverness. Parking is free but limited, and here is the catch most visitors miss:

• Parking must be booked online along with your tickets; without a booked space there is no guarantee you can park.

• Motorhomes: a handful of designated spaces for vehicles up to 6 metres, also book-ahead only.

• Beat the coaches: arrive for the 9.30am opening; tour groups start arriving from about 10am in summer.

Visitor centre and facilities

• Exhibition and film: the introductory film ends with a curtain reveal of the castle through a panoramic window, a genuinely good moment.

• Lochview Café: locally sourced food with views over the loch.

• Shop: the official Urquhart Castle collection, including the exclusive castle tartan.

• On the lawn: a full-sized working replica trebuchet.

• Practical: toilets including an accessible toilet, picnic area, and a water bottle refill point. Bags over 30 litres are not allowed in the castle and there is no storage.

A thousand years of history

The rock has been fortified since Pictish times, and St Columba is said to have visited around AD 580; his biographer also recorded the saint meeting a monster in the water, the first entry in a long tradition. During the Wars of Independence the castle was seized by Edward I in 1296, later held by Robert the Bruce, and in 1332 it was the only Highland castle to hold out against the English.

The MacDonald Lords of the Isles raided the glen repeatedly, carrying off a vast hoard in their final raid of 1545. The Grant family, granted the barony in 1509, built the five-storey Grant Tower that dominates the ruin today. Government troops garrisoned the castle against the Jacobites in 1689, and when they marched out in 1692 they blew up the gatehouse so it could never serve as a stronghold again. A storm brought down part of the tower in 1715, and the ruin passed into state care in 1913.

Seeing the castle from the water

Some of the best views of Urquhart Castle are from Loch Ness itself. Loch Ness by Jacobite runs cruises from Inverness and Clansman Harbour, some including castle entry (from about £33 with entry, or £21 for a sail-past). Cruise Loch Ness operates from Fort Augustus (adults £22), and the Loch Ness Centre in Drumnadrochit runs the sonar-equipped Deepscan cruise past the castle (£25). Book directly with the operators.

Good to know

• Dogs: not admitted, with the exception of assistance dogs.

• How long to allow: most visitors spend between 90 minutes and two and a half hours on the film, the ruins, the tower, and the café.

• Best light: summer evenings, when the castle stays open to 8.15pm and the low sun hits the tower across the loch.

• Can you see it without paying?: partially. A couple of lay-bys on the A82 offer glimpses (obscured by trees in summer), but the best no-ticket view is from a cruise.

• Accessibility: a steep tarmac path leads down to the castle; two wheelchairs and two mobility scooters are free to borrow, first come first served. The Grant Tower is only accessible by stairs.

Urquhart Castle earns its crowds: a genuinely dramatic ruin in one of Scotland's most famous settings. Book your ticket and parking online, arrive early or late, and give yourself time to simply stand on the walls and watch the loch.

Location