Urquhart Castle

The remains of this thirteenth century castle stand on a headland overlooking Loch Ness and is located off the A82 southwest from Inverness/Inbhir Nis and close to the village of Drumnadrochit/Druim na Droichaid. This much fought over castle was blown up in 1692 to prevent it becoming a Jacobite stronghold. It is open all of the year and has good visitor facilities and is run by Historic Scotland.

Urquhart Castle was built from the 13th to 16th centuries. In 1296 it was captured by Edward I of England. Afterwards it changed hands between Scottish and English forces. In 1332, following the death of King Robert Bruce (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), Urquhart Castle was the only Highland castle that held out against the English. However, once the English had gone the castle remained the scene of conflict, this time between the Crown and the MacDonalds, Lords of the Isles. The fortress was much fought over until the time of the final MacDonald raid in 1545.

The castle finally fell into decay after it was blown up by government forces in 1692 after they had garrisoned it during the Jacobite rebellion. The promontory on which the building stood, however, was an important location even before the building of Urquhart Castle and a piece of a Pictish brooch dating from the late 8th or early 9th century has been found there. It is thought to be the site where the Pictish nobleman, Emchath, lived and was baptised by St Columba in about 580 AD. At the time St Columba was journeying in the lands of the Picts having travelled from his monastery in Iona to the court of the King of the Picts, Bridei.

Link: Historic Environment Scotland - Àrainneachd Eachdraidheil Alba Urquhart Castle.