A haunting yet charming ruin from the 13th century, the Old Inverlochy Castle is one of the least retouched places in Scotland. The castle was built by John "the Black" Comyn- the Lord of Badenoch and Lochaber and has seen two battles. It is believed that the castle stands on the grounds of a Pictish settlement which was destroyed by the Vikings. The first battle took place is 1431 between the Royalists and the Lord of the Isles.

The castle has seen multiple rulers- Clan Cameron in the 16th century and Alexander Gordon ( the 3rd Earl of Huntly) in 1505 had brief ownership of the castle. In the mid 17th century, the place was also used as a stopping point by James Graham’s royalist army where he won the second battle of Inverlochy on February 2nd 1645.

With the onset of 19th century, the castle was owned by James Scarlett- the 1st Baron Abinger who constructed a mansion on the grounds which is now a famous hotel. What’s curious about the castle is its impeccable layout and location. The river Lochy protects one side of the fort while other three sides are protected by water filled ditches. You can still see remains of the curtain wall, the courtyard, the remains of round towers on each side (Comyn Tower being the tallest with a height of 20 feet), the winter gate to the north and the main entrance to the south.

Today, the beautiful castle grounds are a loved picnic spot and a popular place to explore the walkways around Fort William.

• Carry bottled drinking water and food items.

• Bus: At Tail Race
• By walking
• By Taxi
• By hiring a Car.
• By renting a Bike/ Cycle.

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