Eilean Donan Castle is without a doubt one of the most recognizable castles in Scotland and is one of the most popular attractions in the Scottish Highlands. The Castle makes a great and memorable stop when travelling either to or from Skye, and can be easily reached within 90 minutes from either Inverness or Fort William. Even if you are not a big fan of Castles, the stunning surrounding scenery makes it a worthwhile stop. Below we present our Eilean Donan Castle & Photography Viewpoints Guide, which includes information on how to get to the Castle, some of its fascinating history, and where to get some of the best pictures of the Castle.
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You might also be interested in these pages:
Top Things to See and Do on Skye
4-Day Roadtrip Isle of Skye Itinerary
Isle of Skye Travel Guide: Things to Know Before You Go
Where to Stay on the Isle of Skye
Skye’s Best Hiking and Walking Trails
7 of the Best Castles to Visit in Scotland
Orientation – Where is Eilean Donan Castle?
Eilean Donan Castle is located in the western Scottish Highlands, 15 km from the Skye bridge, which connects the Isle of Skye to the Scottish mainland.
If coming from the south, the castle is 105 km (roughly a 90-minute drive) from Fort William. If coming from the North, the castle is 110 km from Inverness. If coming from Glasgow or Edinburgh, reaching Eilean Donan Castle will require roughly a 4-hour drive.
For advice and tips on how to drive in Scotland, check out our Scotland Roadtrip Driving Guide. For advice and tips that are more specific to Skye with a focus on single-track roads, check out our Isle of Skye Road Trip Driving Guide.
If you haven’t booked your rental vehicle yet, we highly recommend using Discover Cars to get the best rates on your rental in Scotland.
Parking: There is a very large car park by the castle – however it’s a Pay & Display parking (£3 for 2 hours) during castle opening hours. At other times parking is free.
Hours*: The opening hours change frequently throughout the year. During the summer it is open from 9 am to 6 pm, with a variety of reduced hours the rest of the year (see the official castle website for more details). The castle is closed from late December until February 1st.
*You can still photograph the castle exterior outside of opening hours. All the shots on this page were taken outside of the opening hours.
Cost: £11 for adults and £6.50 for children (2023). Reduced fares are available for seniors and families.
Facilities: You will also find public toilets, a gift shop and a coffee shop right next to the ticket office, which is next to the stone bridge linking the island to the mainland.
If you don’t plan on having your own vehicle, you can reach the castle by public transport even though it’s not a very convenient way to get there. Alternatively, you can consider taking part in an organized tour from either Inverness or Edinburgh with Get Your Guide.
Eilean Donan Castle History
Eilean Donan Island was first discovered and settled on by Bishop Donan, who chose the site to create a monastic cell in the 7th century. Today’s version of the Castle is roughly the fourth iteration, with the first being built in the 13th century by Alexander II to help protect the area from Viking incursions. This first iteration was much larger than today’s and occupied the whole island. Over the following decades, the castle underwent several contractions and expansions until 1719, when the castle was bombarded and destroyed by armed Royal Navy warships during the Jacobite uprisings – the British had learned that Jacobite leaders occupied the castle along with a garrison of Spanish soldiers. The final blow came when British officers blew up hundreds of gunpowder barrels from within the castle walls.
After spending the better part of two centuries in ruins, the current incarnation of the Castle stems from a reconstruction that took place between 1912 and 1932, thanks to Lieutenant Colonel John MacRae-Gilstrap bought the island in 1911 and proceeded to restore the castle to its former glory.
Best Castle Viewpoints
There are several great viewpoints from which you can photograph the castle, most of which are simply along the Loch Druich coastline, between the parking lot (south of the stone bridge) and the Eilean Donan Castle Cottage (located just north of the stone bridge).
Another excellent location to shoot the castle is from another small car park just across the A87 Loch Long bridge, providing you with a view of the Castle from the north.
And if you venture onto the Long Loch Bridge sidewalk, you’ll get great views of the town of Dornie.
Visiting the Castle Interior
Unfortunately, we cannot comment on visiting the castle interior, as both our stops at the castle were outside visiting hours during the long drives to and from Skye (once in the morning and once in the late afternoon). However, we can’t say we were too disappointed as our research had suggested that visiting the interior of the castle wasn’t particularly impressive, at least compared to other castles in Scotland. There are very few rooms to visit (all of which are fairly modern) and it can also get very crowded inside. That’s not to say that you wouldn’t enjoy it, just that it wasn’t a priority for us.
Nearby Attractions on Skye
The Fairy Pools – A beautiful walk with stunning mountain and waterfall vistas. A classic Skye shot walk where you will be surrounded by stunning scenery. Beautiful cascades, water pools, and the imposing Cuillin Mountains.
Sligachan Old Bridge and Waterfall – A more than worthy photo stop along Skye’s main road. A short walk will take you to a scenic waterfall.
Dunvegan Castle – Visit Skye’s most impressive and well-preserved castle. Skye’s most famous castle, just over an hour’s drive from Eilean Donan.
Talisker Distillery – Sample some whiskey at Skye’s oldest and most famous distillery. A must-visit during your time on Skye.
Town of Portree – Take a stroll through Skye’s largest town and its colourful harbour homes
Neist Point Lighthouse – A beautiful drive along a long and winding road will take you to the stunning vistas of Skye’s most photogenic lighthouse.
Talisker Bay – To find yourself on a beach between sea stacks, cows and a stunning waterfall. A true hidden gem on Skye. A short walk will take you to one of Skye’s most beautiful beaches.
Trotternish Peninsula – This is not a single attraction but rather a collection of several, including several waterfalls and hiking trails, such as the Quiraing and the Old Man of Storr.
Other Nearby Attractions
Fort Augustus, Loch Ness, & Urquart Castle
Our Favorite Castles to Visit in Scotland
Stirling Castle (page coming soon)
Dunvegan Castle (Isle of Skye)
Doune Castle (page coming soon)
Edinburgh Castle (page coming soon)
Blackness Castle (page coming soon)
Preparing a trip to the Highlands?
You might be interested in these pages:
Top Things to See and Do on Skye
4-Day Roadtrip Isle of Skye Itinerary
Isle of Skye Travel Guide: Things to Know Before You Go
Where to Stay on the Isle of Skye
Skye’s Best Hiking and Walking Trails
Preparing a trip to Scotland?
You might be interested in these Scotland pages:
10-Day Scotland Roadtrip Itinerary (Edinburgh and Highlands)
Scotland Driving Guide and Tips
7 of the Best Castles to Visit in Scotland
Best Things to See in the Scottish Highlands
Best Hikes to do in the Scottish Highlands
We also highly recommend these guidebooks:
Rick Steves Scotland
Lonely Planet Scotland’s Highlands
Photography Gear
If you like our photography, you might be interested in some of the gear we use to shoot our travel and hiking destinations.
Camera Body – Nikon Z 6ii Fx-series Mirrorless Body
Main Lens – NIKON 24-120mm F/4G ED VR AF-S
Zoom Lens – Sigma 745-306 150-600mm f/5-6.3
Polarizing filters – Urth Circular Polarizing (CPL)
Camera Tripod – K&F Concept 64-inch Camera Tripod
Mini-tripod – Lammcou Flexible Camera Tripod
Camera/hiking backpack – Vanguard Alta Rise 48 Backpack
Universal Travel Adapter – VYLEE Universal International Power Travel Plug
Other Travel Essentials
Travel Insurance
SafetyWing is a travel insurance company that offers comprehensive coverage for travellers. Includes Medical Insurance and Travel Insurance. Primarily geared towards long-term travellers, digital nomads, and expats.
e-Sim cards
Airalo is the world’s first and largest eSIM store with eSIM plans for 200+ countries and regions worldwide. With Airalo eSIMs, travellers can get connected the moment they land at their destination and avoid nasty data roaming charges
eSIMS are a sustainable alternative to single-use SIM cards – they are 100% digital, require less energy to produce and be re-used rather than disposed of.
Car Rentals
Discover Cars is our go-to website for car rentals. We almost always find our preferred rate there.
Transfer from Airport
Welcome Pickups is our favourite private transfer service, which you can pre-book at a fixed price. Currently available in 220 cities all over the world (mostly in Europe, but with several major cities in Asia, the Middle East and the US).
Kiwitaxi is another private transfer service – we haven’t tried it yet, but it’s currently available in a few more countries (102 as of 2024).
Hotels and Accommodations (coming soon)
Photography Prints
If you found this blog useful, you can help support our blog by purchasing low-cost digital prints. Printed physical prints are also available for purchase.
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Well, that wraps it up! We hope you enjoyed our Eilean Donan Castle & Photography Viewpoints Guide and that it will prove useful for planning your trip to Scotland’s beautiful Isle of Skye.
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