Castle Urquhart is a ruined shell of its former magnificence but destruction can’t remove its setting on the shores of Loch Ness and it’s an easy visit from Inverness.
Visiting Castle Urquhart
The castle is a major tourist attraction in the region and as such is well signposted and has a large car and coach park. It is usually packed with tour buses in summer so plan your visit carefully. Castle Urquhart is run by Historic Scotland and there is everything you need for your visit, including an excellent cafe.
My Experience
This visit was on a typical February day, back in 2012 and Castle Urquhart was unusually visitor free! Although destroyed it was easy to see the strategic value of the setting overlooking the loch and controlling the road. The ruins are quite extensive although also very ruined! Historic Scotland have done a good job of making it safe and opening up wall and battlement walks where possible and we spent a good hour wandering before ducking into the cafe for hot food!
Castle Urquhart Photo Gallery
History
In the sixth century Urquhart was home to Bridei, King of the Picts and in AD 580 was visited by St. Columba who brought Christianity to the region. Although it cannot be certain that this Pictish residence was indeed on the site of the current castle, some archaeological evidence supports it and the superb geographical position would have made it an ideal location.
The first known castle was built by the Durward family around the 1230s after they were granted permission to do so by the Scottish King, Alexander II. In 1296 the Wars of Independence started and Urquhart Castle was seized by the English. However, following the defeat of the English army at Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297, the garrison at Urquhart either abandoned or surrendered the castle. But in 1303 Edward I invaded again and once more took Urquhart and this time the castle was held until Robert the Bruce’s campaign in Northern Scotland in 1308. Thereafter the castle remained a Royal (Scottish) castle until 1509 when it was granted to Clan Grant. This brought it into the frontline as clan warfare broke out between the MacDonalds and the Grants culminating in the ‘Great Raid’ of 1545 where Urquhart was stripped of virtually everything of value.
The castle played no notable role during the War of Three Kingdoms other than being stormed by a band of Covenanters on Christmas Day 1644 who were protesting at the Grants’ support to King Charles I. During Cromwell’s invasion of Scotland in the 1650s the castle was eclipsed by new fortifications at Fort William and Inverness whilst Loch Ness itself was patrolled by a Naval force. The castle was last garrisoned in 1689 when James VII fled in the wake of the Glorious Revolution. The Government force withstood the subsequent Jacobite uprisings but in 1692 blew up key sections of the castle to prevent it being used as a military base again.
References
The Historic Scotland site with full information for visitors is here.
The history above is taken from castles forts battles site here.