Key facts
- Operator
- Historic Environment Scotland
- Condition
- Ruin
- Access
- Staffed, ticketed
Pinpoint
Drumnadrochit, Inverness IV63 6XJ
Telephone 01456 450551
Possible Opening hours
Opening times change. Always check the official website before you travel.
| Monday | 9:30 AM – 7:15 PM |
| Tuesday | 9:30 AM – 7:15 PM |
| Wednesday | 9:30 AM – 7:15 PM |
| Thursday | 9:30 AM – 7:15 PM |
| Friday | 9:30 AM – 7:15 PM |
| Saturday | 9:30 AM – 7:15 PM |
| Sunday | 9:30 AM – 7:15 PM |
One of Scotland's largest castles by footprint, now a sprawling ruin on the shore of Loch Ness, run by Historic Environment Scotland with a visitor centre, café and exhibition attached. It gets busy - this is one of the most-reviewed sites in the country - so pre-booking a car parking slot is genuinely advisable in summer rather than optional.
Worth the trip
The ruin's position directly on Loch Ness - reviewers say the setting does more work than the exhibition, though the on-site signage fills in the history well.
Before you go
Book online in advance during summer, since this reserves your car park space as well as your ticket; several reviewers were caught out arriving without a booking and had to queue at a kiosk.
Reviewers consistently rate the Loch Ness views as the highlight of a visit to Urquhart Castle, alongside detailed signage and a well-regarded scale model showing what the castle once looked like. Several note it gets busy with limited parking, so pre-booking is recommended, and mention it involves a fair amount of walking and steps across an exposed, sometimes windy lochside site; one reviewer also flags it as one of the pricier Historic Scotland sites.
On Loch Ness; pre-booking advised in summer
“Booked ahead using the explorer pass. Parking was ample. We entered the gift shop first which was quite large and had a lot of interesting things to buy. Picked up a few items on the way back out (gin, clan merch).”— Alison Kiraly, visitor review
