Perched on a tiny island on Loch Duich, Eilean Donan is a castle that begs to be photographed, as millions of postcards and coffee table books can confirm.

Thankfully, given the local weather, it's a great shot in almost any conditions. Mist simply adds atmosphere, while the pretty loch and encircling mountains provide grandeur on sunny days.

The stronghold was originally built in 1230 by clan Macrae as a defence against marauding Vikings, but its most famous moment came during the 1719 Jacobite uprising, when its thick walls easily withstood three days of bombardment. The attackers (Hannoverians under George I) did eventually take the castle though, then blow it up into ruins.

The castle was finally rebuilt following twenty years of efforts in 1932, so that there's now a banqueting hall, several bedrooms, a barracks and an armoury to look around. Sadly they can all be a bit too busy visitors to be particularly atmospheric.