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Urquhart Castle is 18 miles south of
Inverness, 17 miles north of Fort
Augustus, by the Village of Drumnadrochit, top area for the Loch
Ness Monster information and sightings, built
from the 1200s for Alan Durward, later passing
to Clan Comyn, then Clan Gordon, then Clan
Grant.
The Castle is open for most of the year,
closing at 1800 summer, 1630 winter, with an
entrance fee, only closed 25th and 26th
December. Postcode: IV63 6XJ
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Camping & Touring Parks in
area
The image top is of the large car park and
modern Visitor Centre with a Cafe, Museum, and
Cinema that shows a short video of the Castle
History.
You can explore all around the Castle, climb
the Tower, go down to the Beach, and read a
number of Notice Boards that give information
on the different sections of the Castle and how
they were used.
This is the area where most Sightings of the
Loch Ness Monster have been, so have your
Camera ready should She pass by while you are
there. The Loch Ness
Monster became world famous after a
Sighting of her in 1933.
If you fail to see Nessie, there is the
Loch Ness Exhibition
Centre 2 miles north with information on
Her, with a Monster Replica in a Pond by the
car park, a good Photo Spot.
Urquhart Castle History
400s? - a Wooden Pictish Fort was on this
Site, at the high point on the south side of
the present Castle.
500s - St Columba visited the Area in an
attempt to spread Christianity throughout
Scotland. Little is known about Religion of the
Picts before St Columba.
1100s late & early 1200s - the
MacWilliams from this Area rebelled against the
Kings.
1229 - King Alexander II granted the lands
of Urquhart to his loyal supporter Thomas de
Lundin. Lundin's death a few years later led to
the Castle passing to his son Alan Durward, who
is said to have built the earliest parts of the
Urquhart Castle seen today.
1275 - Alan Durward died, leading to the
Castle passing to John II Comyn, Lord of
Badenoch.
1296 - Urquhart Castle was captured by
Edward I of England at the beginning of the
Wars of Scottish Independence.
King Alexander III of Scotland had died without
leaving an Heir, leading to Scottish Nobles
fighting amongst themselves to see who would
become King.
The English invaded Scotland so they could
support a King of Scotland that was under their
control.
The three main Families in line for the role
of Scots King were Balliol, Bruce, and
Comyn.
1298 - Urquhart was taken back by the
Scots.
1303 - the English re-took the Castle,
putting Alexander Comyn in charge.
1306 - Robert the
Bruce Murdered John Comyn at Greyfriars
Church in Dumfries / south Scotland. Bruce was
then Crowned King of Scotland at Scone
Abbey.
1307 - Robert the Bruce and his forces moved
north taking the Castles of Inverlochy,
Urquhart, and Inverness.
1314 - The Scots victory at Bannockburn led to the end of
the first Independence War with England,
leading to Urquhart Castle becoming a Royal
Castle, looked after by a number of Keepers,
families Loyal to the King.
1342 - King David II used Urquhart for a
Hunting Trip, the only King to have stayed at
the Castle.
1395 to 1476 - the MacDonald Lords of the
Isles, took control of Urquhart Castle on a few
occasions as they rebelled against Kings.
1476 - King James III awarded control of
Urquhart Castle to his Loyal supporter, George
Gordon, 2nd
Earl of Huntly.
1509 - King James IV awarded the Grants control
of Urquhart with the task of keeping the
MacDonald's
under control. Over the following 20 years, a
number of Battles took place between the Grants
and the MacDonald's, and their Allies the
Camerons.
The Grants eventually took control of the
Area, building much of the Castle seen
today.
1600s early - Castle Grant
and Ballindalloch
Castle became the main residence of the
Grants, leading to Urquhart Castle being run
down.
1644 - a mob of Covenanters broke into
Urquhart Castle and robbed Lady Mary Grant.
1647 - Urquhart Castle was noted as being
virtually empty.
1688 - the First Jacobite
Rising began after James VII Stuart was
deposed by his Protestant daughter Mary Stuart
and her husband William of Orange. James had
been accused of being a Catholic with strong
connections to France.
The Grant's opposed the Jacobite's, using
200 of their own Soldiers to defend Urquhart
Castle for Mary and William.
About 500 Jacobite's laid siege to the
Castle, with the Grant's holding out until the
Jacobite's were forced to give up their fight
in 1690, with James Stuart then having to live
in exile in France.
1692 - as the Soldiers left Urquhart Castle,
they blew up the Gatehouse to prevent
Jacobite's from using the Castle in future
Risings.
The following years saw locals plunder the
Castle for building materials such a Wood,
Lead, and Stone for Farms and Houses.
1715 - parts of the Grant Tower collapsed
during a Storm.
1770s - the Grants began building the Town
of Grantown-on-Spey, about 40 miles east of
Urquhart where their Castle Grant is
situated.
1770s - Urquhart Castle was noted as being
roofless.
1745 / 1746 - during the third and final
Jacobite Rising, Grants fought on both
sides.
1800s - the Castle Ruins became popular with
the first Tourists to Scotland, especially with
Artists.
1913 - Historic Scotland took control of the
Castle so it could be maintained as a Tourist
Attraction.
1998 - a new Visitor Centre and larger Car
Park were built to accommodate the increasing
number of Tourists to the Castle, now one of
the most visited Castles in Scotland.
Today - some of the larger Loch Ness
Tour Boats dock at the
Castle, allowing Tourists the opportunity to
explore the Castle, and cruise Loch Ness in
search of the Monster on the one Trip.
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