18 Attractions to Explore Near Urquhart Castle
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Loch NessA large, deep, freshwater lake in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately 37 kilometres (23 miles) southwest of Inverness. Its deepest point is 230 metres (126 fathoms; 755 feet). Loch Ness is best known for alleged sightings of the cryptozoological Loch Ness Monster, also known affectionately as "Nessie". It is one of a series of interconnected, murky bodies of water in Scotland; its water visibility is exceptionally low due to a high peat content in the surrounding soil.
Falls of FoyersThe waterfall has a fine cascade, having a fall of 165 feet. Set in a dramatic gorge, a short walk takes you to the viewpoint of the falls.
Beauly PrioryBeauly Priory was a Valliscaulian monastic community, estimated to be found in 1230. The ruins today are extensive and are one of the main visitor attractions in Inverness-shire.
Ness IslandsThe Ness Islands are situated on the River Ness, connected by suspension briges. The islands are a walking spot for tourists and locals and are home to a number of imported species of trees.
Inverness CathedralThe cathedral, constructed in 1869 is the northernmost cathedral in mainland Britain and was the first new Protestant cathedral to be completed in Great Britain since the Reformation. The cathedral is built of red Tarradale stone, with the nave columns of Peterhead granite.
Inverness CastleInverness Castle sits on a cliff overlooking the River Ness in Inverness, Scotland. The red sandstone structure, displaying an early castellated style, is the work of a few nineteenth-century architects. There has been a castle on this site for many centuries. Until the 30th of March 2020 it housed Inverness Sheriff Court. In April 2017 the north tower of the castle was opened to the public as a view point. At present, only the castle grounds and the north tower are open to the public.
Kessock BridgeThe Kessock Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge across the Beauly Firth inlet. The bridge has a total length of 1,056 metres (3,465 ft) with a main span of 240 metres (787 ft). The four bridge towers dominate the Inverness skyline, especially at night when they are lit.
Plodda FallsA 46 m high waterfall, a popular tourist attraction in the area. In 1880, a footbridge was built across the top of the falls which was replaced by a new viewing platform in 2009 due to safety concerns.
Culloden BattlefieldThe Battle of Culloden was the final confrontation of the Jacobite rising of 1745. On 16 April 1746, the Jacobite army of Charles Edward Stuart was defeated by a British government force under William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, on Drummossie Moor near Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. It was the last pitched battle fought on British soil.
Clava CairnsThe Clava cairn is a type of Bronze Age circular chamber tomb cairn. There are about 50 cairns of this type in an area round about Inverness. There are two sub-types, one typically consisting of a corbelled passage grave with a single burial chamber linked to the entrance by a short passage and covered with a cairn of stones. In the other sub-type an annular ring cairn encloses an apparently unroofed area with no formal means of access from the outside.
Nairn ViaductThe Culloden Viaduct, known also as the Nairn Viaduct or the Clava Viaduct is a railway viaduct on the Highland Main Line. It was opened in 1898 as part of the Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway. The 29 span viaduct crosses the wide valley of the River Nairn. At 1800 ft (549 m) in length, it is the longest masonry viaduct in Scotland.
Castle LeodCastle Leod is the seat of the Clan Mackenzie. The castle grounds are listed in the national listing of significant gardens. The castle is believed to have been built on the site of a very ancient Pictish fort from before the 12th century. Castle Leod is widely considered to be the inspiration behind Castle Leoch, the seat and home of the laird of Clan Mackenzie, in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander historical fiction series.
Chanonry PointChanonry Point lies at the end of Chanonry Ness, a spit of land extending into the Moray Firth. It is one of the best spots in the UK to view bottlenose dolphins from the land. The dolphins are often visible off Chanonry point, particularly on an incoming tide when they play and fish in the strong currents. An active lighthouse is also situated at the tip of the point.
Highland Folk MuseumThe Highland Folk Museum is a museum and open-air visitor attraction. The museum is primarily made up of three areas that represent and interpret three separate eras of the Scottish highlands. While some of the buildings on the museum site were built there, many have been relocated from other places around the highlands and reconstructed onsite.
Fort GeorgeA large 18th-century fortress near Ardersier, to the north-east of Inverness in the Highland council area of Scotland. It was built to control the Scottish Highlands in the aftermath of the Jacobite rising of 1745. The current fortress has never been attacked and has remained in continuous use as a garrison. The fort is open to visitors with exhibits and facsimiles showing the fort's use at different periods, while still serving as an army barracks.
Highland Wildlife ParkThe Highland Wildlife Park is a 105-hectare (260-acre) safari park and zoo. Visitors experience Scottish wildlife past and present in the setting of the Scottish Highlands. On show are a variety of animals found in present-day Scotland, animals that were once present, hundreds, even thousands of years ago. Visitors drive around the Main Reserve in their cars.
Cawdor Castle and GardensCawdor Castle is set amid gardens. The castle is built around a 15th-century tower house, with substantial additions in later centuries. The castle is best known for its literary connection to William Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth, in which the title character is made "Thane of Cawdor". However, the story is highly fictionalised, and the castle itself, which is never directly referred to in Macbeth, was built many years after the life of the 11th-century King Macbeth.
BraeriachBraeriach is the third-highest mountain in the British Isles, surpassed only by Ben Nevis and Ben Macdui. It is the highest point in the western massif of the Cairngorms, separated from the central section by the pass of the Lairig Ghru. The summit has a crescent shape, with several corries. Probably the most commonly used route up Braeriach starts from Sugar Bowl car park, on the road leading to the Cairn Gorm ski area.
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Urquhart CastleA Castle in ruin, located beside Loch Ness in the Highlands of Scotland. The present ruins date from the 13th to the 16th centuries, though built on the site of an early medieval fortification. The castle played a role in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th century. It was subsequently held as a royal castle, and was raided on several occasions. The casle was largely abandoned by the middle of the 17th century. Urquhart was partially destroyed in 1692 to prevent its use by Jacobite for