Cawdor Castle

Inverness & the Great Glen


This castle, 5 miles southwest of Nairn, was once the seat of the Thane of Cawdor, one of the titles bestowed on Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The real Macbeth – an ancient Scottish king – couldn’t have lived here though, since he died in 1057, 300 years before the castle was begun. Nevertheless the tour gives a fascinating insight into the lives of the Scottish aristocracy.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Inverness & the Great Glen attractions

1. Nairn Museum

4.69 MILES

Nairn Museum, a few minutes’ walk from the tourist office, has displays on the history of the harbour community of Fishertown, as well as on local…

2. Fort George

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One of the finest artillery fortifications in Europe, Fort George was established in 1748 in the aftermath of the Battle of Culloden, as a base for George…

3. Culloden Visitor Centre

6.99 MILES

This impressive visitor centre has everything you need to know about the Battle of Culloden in 1746, including the lead-up and the aftermath, with…

4. Groam House Museum

8.4 MILES

This museum has a superb collection of Pictish stones found in the village, engraved with designs similar to those on Celtic Irish stones.

5. Fortrose Cathedral

8.54 MILES

Here you'll find the vaulted crypt of a 13th-century chapter house and sacristy, and the remains of the 14th-century south aisle and chapel.

6. Brodie Castle

9.58 MILES

Set in 70 hectares of parkland, Brodie Castle has a library with more than 6000 peeling, dusty volumes, wonderful clocks, a huge Victorian kitchen and a…

7. Culbin Forest

10.39 MILES

On the western side of Findhorn Bay is Culbin Forest, a vast swath of Scots and Corsican pine that was planted in the 1940s to stabilise the shifting sand…

8. Hugh Miller’s Cottage & Museum

11.45 MILES

This thatch-roofed cottage is the birthplace of Hugh Miller (1802–56), a local stonemason and amateur geologist who pioneered the study of fossil fishes…