Eilean Donan Castle — Attraction in Scotland

Eilean Donan Castle is a very special castle. It is surrounded by sea water on all sides. There is only a stone bridge leading directly to the castle.

History The name Eilean Donan, or island of Donan, is most probably called after the 6th century Irish Saint, Bishop Donan who came to Scotland around 580 AD. There are several churches dedicated to Donan in the area and it is likely that he formed a small cell or community on the island during the late 7th century.

The first fortified structure was not built on the island until the early 13th century as a defensive measure, protecting the lands of Kintail against the Vikings who raided, settled and controlled much of the North of Scotland and the Western Isles between 800 and 1266. From the mid 13th century, this area was the quite seperate “Sea Kingdom” of the Lord of the Isles where the sea was the main highway and the power of feuding clan chiefs was counted by the number of men and galleys or “birlinns” at their disposal. Eilean Donan offered the perfect defensive position.

Over the centuries, the castle itself has expanded and contracted in size. The medieval castle was probably the largest, with towers and a curtain wall that encompassed nearly the entire island. The main keep stood on the island’s highest point. Around the end of the 14th century the area of the castle was reduced to about a fifth of its original size and, although the reason is unclear, it probably relates to the number of men required to defend the structure. By the 16th century a hornwork was added to the east wall to offer a firing platform for the newly introduced cannons.

Eilean Donan also played a role in the Jacobite risings of the 17th and 18th centuries, which ultimately culminated in the castle’s destruction…

In 1719 the castle was garrisoned by 46 Spanish soldiers who were supporting the Jacobites. They had established a magazine of gunpowder, and were awaiting the delivery of weapons and cannon from Spain. The English Government caught wind of the intended uprising and sent three heavily armed frigates The Flamborough, The Worcester, and The Enterprise to quell matters. The bombardment of the castle lasted three days, though met with limited success due to the enormity of the castle walls, which in some places are up to 14 feet thick. Finally, Captain Herdman of The Enterprise sent his men ashore and over-whelmed the Spanish defenders. Following the surrender, the government troops discovered the magazine of 343 barrels of gunpowder which was then used to blow up what had remained from the bombardment…

For the best part of 200 years, the stark ruins of Eilean Donan lay neglected, abandoned and open to the elements, until Lt Colonel John Macrae-Gilstrap bought the island in 1911. Along with his Clerk of Works, Farquar Macrae, he dedicated the next 20 years of his life to the reconstruction of Eilean Donan, restoring her to her former glory. The castle was rebuilt according to the surviving ground plan of earlier phases and was formally completed in the...

Well, i was here because I was getting married here. So this is a slightly different kind of review.

It all started 6 months before . A casual enquiry as to whether the castle could be hired for a wedding. The answer was yes and the price not to bad at all. OK you could only hire for 2 hours after closing which was 6pm which throws up it's challenges I.e. what do guests do before and after the ceremony. Party first? Married then meal ? It was a quandary. Regardless we pushed ahead . It was booked on a minimal deposit.

We were then offered the Eilean Donan Castle apartments for guests to stay at. This is run separately so doesn't influence this review. We agreed to book the appartments as they were just across the road. We were told that a slight increase In price was possible. However, before we could pay and without warning of an imminent price hike they stuck the price up by £1000 . Hardly reasonable considering we were just 24. The emails from here were so demeaning, rude , belittling and bereft of anyone who understands how to communicate professionally with customers that I told them where to go .

We booked the fabulous armadale castle apartments instead and we were so glad we did . What a view and location.

The day before the ceremony we met with the castle wedding planner. She was amazing from start to finish. No detail left out. We ran through the ceremony step by step from the bride arriving to the piper leading her over the bridge etc.. she was great. We found the piper from a very helpful initial email sent from the castle with links and ideas for whom to contact for various functions during your day. We found our humanist celebrant from this also . So it's a good mailing.

After the consultation we were free to explore the castle . Everything else had now been consulted. How do you want the chairs set out ? Which reception drinks would you like. Which afterwards.

Nothing to do with the castle , but we turned up late and due also to having translation for our german guests , things ran on too long or didnt start on time . As a result it all felt a bit rushed. But that was entirely our fault. But what a setting . Even in the rain , which it did for the first time that week . What an authentic , amazing setting . The main ceremonial hall was simply stunning and we opted for the traditional Scottish ceremony. Drinking from the quaich, jumping the broomstick , tieing the knot ( literally with the tartan ribbon ) & making our vows in that great room just felt like something special.

I wished I'd had more time but that was entirely of our doing. We now have lifetime free access to the castle as a couple who wed there.

Thoroughly recommended and the human touch from the staff there just...

Last time in Scotland we didn't visit the world famous Eilean Donan Castle, weren't in the area but always wanted to come.

On this years Road Trip through the UK we finally made it and took many hours to really enjoy and appreciate this amazing place.

You know this castle from tourist brochures, from pictures, from movies. It is a famous and really popular spot. And for really good reason. It does hold up to all the expectations.

Park your car just outside on the big carpark. Even though well visited, there are spots available, if you wait a few minutes.

From here alreay you get a perfect view of the castle. Any many do that, park and take pics from this angle. It is the perfect angle indeed. But we wanted to get a closer look. There's a visitors centre with shops, toilets and restaurant. There are some nice souvenirs here. Got some good stuff for fair prices.

You can choose a ticket just for the island and castle grounds. Or a ticket to go both inside the castle and to the grounds.

We had our Bulldog with, so we chose a ticket just for the outside area. Where dogs were welcome, that's very nice. Staff everywhere was really friendly.

The name Eilean Donan, or island of Donan, is most probably called after the 6th century Irish Saint, Bishop Donan who came to Scotland around 580 AD The first real fortified structure wasn't built until the 13th century though. It reached its biggest size in the medieval times and then was later reduced in size. It was in ruins for about 200 years until it got bought in 1911. It took 20 more years to bring it back to glory and fame.

And you can see why it's famous. It's just an amazing location with the green hills in the back, sitting on the small island. From the island itself you get some really nice views and from the bridge leading here. Really worth the small fee to step on the island.

We came on a dry day, but tried not to arrive on a fully sunny day. Because with a bit of (dark) clouds, the castle looks even more eerie and magical than on a bright blue skies sunny day.

Waited long to finally visit this castle. And it is absolutely worth it. Highly...