Urquhart Castle (hes.scot; adult/child £14.50/8.70) is a popular Nessie-watching hotspot, worth an hour of your time. It commands a brilliant location 1.5 miles east of Drumnadrochit and offers outstanding views on a clear day. An impressive visitor center, mostly beneath ground level, includes a video theater (with a dramatic "unveiling" of the castle at the end of the film) and displays of medieval items discovered here. The site can be very busy in summer; book your visiting slot online, if possible for 4pm or later to avoid the worst of the crowds.
The castle was repeatedly sacked and rebuilt (and sacked and rebuilt) over the centuries; in 1692 it was blown up to prevent the Jacobites from using it. The five-story tower house at the northern point is the most impressive remaining fragment and offers wonderful views across the water.
