Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness

Urquhart sits on a rocky spit into Loch Ness, which is why every photograph looks like a film still. It was a serious stronghold, then a ruin, then a visitor attraction with a café. The stones are still the stones. The audio guide is optional.

Doing it well

Historic Environment Scotland run it. Book in season. First slot beats midday. The Grant Tower is the climb if it is open and you like a wind in the face. Down on the waterline you remember it was a castle, not a viewpoint bolted onto a loch.

Pair it with a slower bit of the loch, not with three other castles in an afternoon. Eilean Donan is a different body of water and a different drive — Eilean Donan. The candle with this water on the label is Ness.