

History and Nessie Spotting // Visiting Urquhart Castle
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When our bus from Inverness to Drumnadrochit flew right past our stop and started making its way out of town, we knew we had made a BIG mistake. How in the world were we going to get to our hotel to check in? Would we have to walk? It was starting to look like it. But then again, maybe, just maybe, things would turn out okay. And they did!
As it turned out, the bus that we were on went right past Urquhart Castle – the top sight on our list for our short time in Drumnadrochit. This time, the bus stopped. We figured that we might as well get off before we made it any further away from our destination. And, since we were staying just one night and we were only carrying small backpacks, we simply walked on in and bought our tickets.
Exploring Urquhart Castle
After we bought our tickets, we walked through the small gift shop and emerged on the other side to an amazing view of the castle and Loch Ness behind it. Although we were excited to get to exploring, we took a good fifteen minutes to make it down the hill and into the castle. I just couldn’t help but stop every couple of feet to take another photo, and of course we had to check out the giant trebuchet!
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After stopping for photos of the trebuchet, we finally made it to the entrance way of the castle. Once again, I made Daniel stop so I could take some pictures.
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We snuck a peak into the guard tower, and then it was on and up to the meeting point for the free walking tour!
The Tour
We were one of the first to reach the top of the castle and meet with our guide Andy. Once it looked like everyone who wanted to take the free tour had made it, Andy started off. He began with an overview of the history of the castle. He would often point to nearby sketches of what the castle probably looked like through the years. I thought these extra visual representations were really helpful, since I always have trouble imaging what ruins would have looked like in their heyday. We heard about the different owners of the castle, what it was used for, and a whole lot more history. Plus, this was all while enjoying some pretty fantastic views over the loch.
It was starting to look like rain though, so Andy decided that it was time to get going. He led us down through the rest of the castle, stopping at various different places to tell us about them.
Finally, we ended up at the Grant Tower – the most intact part of the castle that is left. Our tour finished up outside of the tower, but Andy made sure to give us plenty of tips for when we went into explore for ourselves. He was even around to answer questions if we happened to bump in to him! We ran into him in the basement and he pointed out how much more jagged the rocks in that part of the tower were than those at the top. This was because they built the basement first, and the technology wasn’t as good.
All in all, Andy’s tour was very informative. We were very happy that we managed to arrive on time to catch it. We definitely learned so much more than we would have just reading the signs scattered throughout the castle. Easily the best part of it all though was just how stunning the location of Urquhart Castle was. Overlooking Loch Ness, I don’t think they could have found a better place.
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If You Go
From Inverness, the number 19, 917, and 919 buses all take you straight to the Urquhart Castle Car Park after about a half hour ride. These busses also pass through the popular Loch Ness tourist village of Drumnadrochit if you’re staying there. Check the Stagecoach Bus website for bus times.
Urquhart Castle is open from 9:30am every day except for the 25th and 26th of December. Closing times range from 4:30pm to 6:00pm depending on the season. Tickets are £8.50 for adults and £5.50 for children aged 5-15 (children under 5 get in free). If you’re a member of Historic Scotland, tickets are free.
If guided tours are your thing, Historic Scotland offers free half-hour tours throughout the day, which I highly recommend.
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Booking Flights: The first place I turn when I’m searching for flights is actually just Google Flights - it’s great to figure out what sort of routes are available. Then, I check Skyscanner and Kiwi for deals. I also love Kiwi for its destination: anywhere feature!
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Travel Insurance: I knew that I shouldn’t travel without insurance for the longest time, but I really learned my lesson when I got an infected cut in Bali. Thank goodness I had travel insurance! I use and love World Nomads for their extremely comprehensive coverage.
Tours: I always check Urban Adventures for great day tours of cities first–I’m obsessed with them! GetYourGuide and Viator are also great options. For multi-day tours, I highly recommend Intrepid.
Camera Gear: I use a Sony Alpha A6300 camera with an 18-105 mm lens and a 35 mm lens. My tripod is the MeFoto Backpacker Air and I loooooove it! I also use a DJI Mavic Air and a GoPro and which allow me to capture everything my regular camera can’t.
16 Comments
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Great post, this looks awesome! I've not seen much about Urquhart Castle before. I was actually just going to check to see if it's included on our Historic Scotland membership but you've answered that for me! Haha.
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Nell (Pigeon Pair and Me)
Such a beautiful place! My mother in law's maiden name is Urquhart, so I feel I have a duty to visit....
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Stunning pictures! I really must go to Scotland.
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Clare Thomson
The colour in your photos is just extraordinary - very bright for Scotland! It's such a stunning location for a castle. We've driven past Loch Ness - we stopped to see if we could spot Nessie but sadly, no luck - but we didn't go around the castle. Looks like we missed out and the free guided tour is a great idea. Thanks for sharing on #FarawayFiles
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I stayed for a couple of days in Inverness, but didn't visit Urquhart castle though we had discussed visiting it. So, enjoyed your post about your visit and the beautiful photos of the castle ruins! #FarawayFiles
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I love this castle. We visited many years ago and I just loved its position overlooking the loch. When we were there they had a lone bagpiper wandering the castle ruins and it was so atmospheric. Thanks for reviving those memories for me Addie #farawayfiles
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I adore Scotland, and I've never been to Urquhart Castle. Just quietly, Andy looks like a bit of a character, I bet he made the tour interesting. Thanks for sharing, now I can put it on my list. #farawayfiles
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We visited Drumnadrochit and Loch Ness this past summer and loved it! It's so fun to see it through someone else's eyes! #farawayfiles
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I went on a loch cruise and got to see the castle from the boat a few years ago. Looking at your pictures, I really wish I had gone on a tour with an actual visit to the castle. It looks even more gorgeous from close up!!
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what a fascinating castle! #farawayfiles
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