Urquhart Castle
Picture-postcard ruins with magnificent views
Though now in ruins, Urquhart Castle was once among Scotland's largest castles and was built to guard the strategically vital Great Glen. This becomes immediately obvious once you see the castle’s grand Loch Ness views, which help make it a popular lookout for Loch-Ness-Monster-spotting.
Remains include an impressive tower house, while the first-class visitor centre has a huge array of medieval oddments and shows a short film on the castle's turbulent history. This includes having been taken by Edward I (of England) held by Robert the Bruce against Edward III (of England), then blown up in 1692 to prevent it from falling into Jacobite hands.
The castle is fiercely popular, particularly among coach parties so often feels a bit over-run. If you can, try to visit late in the day when crowds thin and maybe even pop back at night to see its impressive floodlighting.