Dunollie Museum, Castle and Grounds — Attraction in Scotland

Paid £6 each for admission here after seeing a pamphlet from the hotel where we stayed, which portrayed Dunollie as a decent dog-friendly day out. There were some incredible views of the Oban bay from atop the hill in the grounds. The hill is a bit steep for those who are less mobile and would present a challenge for the elderly or otherwise unsteady, due to a lack of a hand rail for extra support. The remains of the castle were underwhelming to say the least. The only bit we could find to go inside was much like a dark, damp dungeon with water dripping from the ceiling, and access to the stairwell was closed and locked off, meaning there was only access to the one dank room. We didn't bother with the drink/snack hut near the museum as we weren't hungry or thirsty at the time. We had to leave the museum & gift shop as soon as we walked in because the puppies were not allowed, in spite of the literature we had read saying otherwise. There were also no signs outside the door prohibiting dogs from entering the area. The gardens were also lacklustre, appearing to need much more attention than they seemed to be getting. So, all these elements combined meant we had wasted time driving 45 minutes each way, and £12 on admissions for a 20-25 minute maximum disappointing experience.

Addendum: Thanks to Gillian for the swift response to my review with helpful information explaining the reasons for the situation at Dunollie castle. The lady at the admissions booth was very pleasant but unfortunately must have forgotten to inform us before we entered as to the limitations of where dogs were allowed, and we were unaware of these limitations as we had chosen to visit based on a leaflet as opposed to having read the website. A suggestion for the future would be to add clear signage throughout the grounds as they have done at Inveraray castle, acting as a failsafe in case people have not seen the website or been informed on their way in. Best of luck in finding a solution to the steep hill issue and the phase III renovation. We hope to visit again in the future and see the...

We visited on an over cast day with our 2 .5 yr old and baby. Unfortunately the advertised childs craft and book time was not on , and the staff member on the door didnt tell us that before we went in (after asking her where to go on arrival) but when we saw her later she just said not much was happening because of the rain… underwhelming for a family day out, not push chair friendly at all or small child friendly, the gardens took 5 minutes to walk around with small attempts to engage children (some wooden carvings and a see saw on a tree stump,) highlight was a plastic tube hung on some string!

Also the museum is not good for children, everything was “do not touch” and very small space so was over very quickly.

Castle was not child friendly at all, (which is fine of course as it wasnt designed for children) but not advertised as such! Spent £19 for two adults, children went free, hoped for a day out and got a half hour walk around a garden and up a hill.

Hoped for more for the price-!

… and all the “please contribute collection boxes” what is that for a paid entry...

Yet again another great castle site in the Oban area that is both pleasant to wander around and historically interesting. It is ruinous but easy to imagine what it was and what it stood for. The areas that are accessible show some solid castle engineering that provide fantastic views of the coast and the surrounding areas. A few paths lead around the grounds but the climb to the castle does require a little effort due to the steep path, but thankfully has a rope handrail to assist if required and once at the top the scenery is reward indeed.The entry kiosk was staffed by a most pleasant and helpful lady who assisted with entry payment (which is a little more than other sites) and she also dealt with sales from the small but nicely stocked shop further into the visitor attraction area. Carpark is small and entry can be restricted by out flowing cars but works well with a little understanding. Did not try the cafe but did observe numerous people praising their food purchases. All in all I simply enjoyed my visit and therefore...