Urquhart Castle Ruins

Address: Urquhart Castle, Drumnadrochit, Inverness-shire IV63 6XJ, United Kingdom

Website: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/urquhart-castle/

Hours: Seasonal opening (typically daily in summer with reduced hours in winter)

Admission: Historic Environment Scotland admission varies; typical adult admission around £12-£14 (members/free).

Urquhart Castle is a ruined medieval fortress on the shores of Loch Ness in the Highlands of Scotland. The surviving masonry dates mainly from the 13th to 16th centuries and the site is presented to the public with interpretive displays and visitor services.

Visible remains include curtain walls, ramparts and a 16th-century tower house that frame wide views across the loch; the ruin is a common stop for travellers exploring the Great Glen and the Loch Ness corridor. Paths and viewing platforms allow close inspection of the castle fabric and shoreline vistas.

The castle was a focal point in medieval regional power struggles and the Wars of Scottish Independence; it changed hands repeatedly before being partially demolished in 1692 to prevent its further military use and falling into ruin thereafter. Today the site interprets this layered medieval and early-modern history.

Sited on the western shore of Loch Ness near the village of Drumnadrochit, Urquhart Castle is accessible from the A82 road with parking and visitor facilities close to the shoreline.

• Ruins: Ruined medieval fortress with curtain walls and tower remains offering panoramic views across Loch Ness.
• Visitor facilities: Visitor facilities include an on-site exhibition, cafe and boat tour connections from the shore nearby.

What to See#

• Tower house (16th century): A partly ruined 16th-century tower house and other masonry remains that form the core of the castle ruin and offer elevated viewpoints over Loch Ness.
• Visitor Centre: A modern visitor centre adjacent to the site that houses exhibitions on the castle’s history, ticketing, a cafe and facilities for visitors to the shoreside ruins.

Urquhart Castle is about 25 miles southwest of Inverness, on the shores of Loch Ness near Drumnadrochit. From Inverness, take the A82 west toward Fort Augustus; the castle is signposted and has a car park. Regular tour buses between Inverness and Loch Ness stop at Drumnadrochit.

• Arrive before noon to find the shoreside light best for photographing Loch Ness and the castle façade.
• Explore the castle interior rooms and the 13th-century mural fragments for small, human-scale history.
• Combine with a boat trip on Loch Ness for different sightlines and photographic compositions.