Description of the attraction
Urquhart Castle is located on the shores of the famous Scottish Loch Ness, near the cities of Fort William and Inverness. The castle has an ancient history. Probably, some kind of fortification existed at this place as early as the 6th century, during the missionary journey of Saint Columba to the Nessus River. Radiocarbon analysis of the fragments of the ruins dates them to 460-660 AD. However, the first documentary evidence of the castle's existence dates back only to the 13th century. When King Edward I of England invaded Scotland, Urquhart was one of the first castles he captured.
The castle changed owners many times. It was the property of the English crown, belonged to the Comin family and the Grant clan. At the end of the 17th century, the castle underwent a long siege by the Jacobites, and the garrison of the castle, which at that time consisted of only 200 people, was able to withstand the siege for two years. In 1692, the castle was blown up by the defenders to prevent it from becoming a Jacobite fortress.
The castle has not been restored. Until 1912, it was owned by the Grants clan, now it belongs to the National Trust for Scotland. Like Loch Ness, on the banks of which it is located, the castle is the most popular tourist attraction in Scotland, with up to 300,000 visitors a year.
Part of the walls and part of the main tower have survived to this day. The Great Hall, chapel, kitchens and other buildings are badly destroyed. To get to the castle, you need to cross the moat. Once there was a drawbridge.
