Eilean Donan Castle

Johan Wieland/500px

Eilean Donan Castle and its stone arched bridge in the misty Scottish Highlands

Photogenically perched on an island at the entrance to Loch Duich, and elegantly linked to the mainland by a stone-arched bridge, Eilean Donan is one of Scotland’s most evocative castles. Although it looks venerable it’s very much a reproduction, having been completed in the 1930s. There's an excellent introductory exhibition, photos of castle scenes from the movie Highlander, and a sword used at the battle of Culloden in 1746. Citylink buses from Fort William and Inverness to Portree stop opposite the castle.

The original 13th-century castle here was bombarded into ruins by government ships in 1719 when Jacobite forces were defeated at the Battle of Glenshiel; it was rebuilt in its present form between 1912 and 1932.

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