Eilean Donan Castle

Eilean Donan Castle stands at the confluence of three great sea lochs—Loch Duich, Loch Long, and Loch Alsh—on a small tidal island connected to the mainland by an arched stone bridge. This is Scotland's most iconic castle, its romantic silhouette instantly recognisable from countless photographs, films, and postcards. Set against a backdrop of mountains and mirrored in the still waters of the loch, it embodies the dramatic beauty of the western Highlands.

The site has been fortified since the 6th century, but the castle's history reached its dramatic nadir in 1719, when it was destroyed by Royal Navy ships during a Jacobite rising. For two centuries the ruins lay abandoned until Lieutenant Colonel John MacRae-Gilstrap began a painstaking 20-year restoration in 1911, guided by a vision his clerk of works claimed to have seen in a dream. The result is the castle we see today: part authentic reconstruction, part romantic reimagining.

Inside, visitors discover period rooms filled with Jacobite memorabilia, clan artefacts, and weapons. The Banqueting Hall features a magnificent oak ceiling and displays that bring the castle's turbulent history to life. But it's the setting that truly captivates: the walk across the bridge, the views from the battlements, and that first glimpse from the roadside that has stopped travellers in their tracks for generations.