Eilean Donan Castle is one of the most beautiful castles I have ever seen. It is located on a small tidal island situated at the junction to three different sea lochs, located on the west side of the Scottish Highlands, not too far from the Skye Bridge.
Even if you are not interested in visiting the castle itself, it is still worth stopping by, as it is located in such a beautiful setting. It also breaks up your journey if you are travelling from Fort William to Skye or Fort William to Ullapool.
Dornie
If you have time, I recommend visiting the scenic village of Dornie. It’s a village full of colorful houses, a local shop to buy your Iron Brew, and a couple of pubs. Located just 1km down the road, you can easily walk from Eilean Donan Castle to it. A good way to stretch your legs after been sat in the car for a couple of hours or so.
Parking
During the opening hours of Eilean Donan Castle, parking costs £2 for 1 hour for cars and motorhomes. You can save £2 and park in the village of Dornie free, but there are only very few parking spots available.
Admission
There are 2 types of admissions for Eliean Donan Castle. On the day you visit, you can pay just to visit the grounds, or you can pay to go inside the castle. If you want to book your tickets in advance, there seems to be only one price for an adult ticket.
Here’s a link to their website:
https://www.eileandonancastle.com/visit/
Drone
You might have seen some great drone captures of Eilean Donan Castle. That is because you are allowed to fly your drone, but only at certain times of the day. Basically, you are only allowed to fly your drone when the castle is closed to the public. There is a sign at the castle informing you of the times when drone flying is permitted.
Viewpoint
If you want to see the castle from above without a drone, I recommend you check out the viewpoint. We camped the night in our motorhome at the viewpoint. It was beautiful, watching the sunset over the castle.
To find the viewpoint, turn off the A87, signposted to Dornie. If you are heading north along the A87, the turning is on your first right, just after the car park for the castle. If you are heading south along the A87, the turning is on your left, just before the car park for the castle. Follow the road as it bends round to your right-hand side, leading you up the hill to a lay-by. The viewpoint is marked on Google maps.
