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Eilean Donan Castle

Eilean Donan Castle

Eilean Donan Castle
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
This picturesque castle, built in 1220, holds the title of the most photographed castle in Scotland.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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  • EzzyP
    Dorset, United Kingdom104 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Not cheap - parking is extra to pay on top of entry! 3 hours max stay!! One to tick off nothing special
    Saddened to find out most of what you're seeing is turn of the century guesswork restoration. Not original historical castle. Inside is all about the family you feel. Many say see from the outside and carry on. Perhaps not bad advice. Limited menu in cafe but food was ok if a little expensive. Staff all very friendly & welcoming. Disappointing to have to pay on top of entry to park, understand if people not going in why this would be but surely should be included in entry fee if paying to go in. Sadly not a wow for us :/
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 6 October 2023
  • negativecamber
    Broadway, United Kingdom351 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Atmospheric
    We were returning to Glencoe on our way back from Skye & never been past Eilean Donan before but heard a lot about it. The weather was pretty awful but it added an atmosphere to the place. There was not an awful lot to see but what was there was very interesting. Although it was built in the 13th century it had been mostly destroyed . It was sympathetically renovated in the early 20th century & good job was done.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 20 October 2023
  • Debra S
    44 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful castle
    The location of this castle is spectacular. Parking is limited, so try to plan for less busy times. The audio guides were handy, but would be nice if they offered a guided tour with even more information. The cafe was OK but works if you are short on time. Very nice gift shop.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 23 October 2023
  • Pdonatyandkids
    Westborough, Massachusetts263 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Scenic castle
    This is one of,the most scenic looking castles we saw in Scotland. The castle was rebuilt mostly in the early 19th century. We were on our way to the isle of Skye so this was a stop. If I had a redo, I would have paid for parking and explored the outside of the castle and skipped paying to go inside and being pushed along through the castle. The first stop inside the castle provides a general overview of the castle history. Most of the inside did not make an impression on me and since you can not take pictures I have no memories of anything interesting that stood out during my tour of the inside.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 24 December 2023
  • Pat B
    41 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Eilean Donan Castel & Dornie
    Eilean Donan never disappoints. Our family has been 3 times and the experience is always magical. If we are in the area we feel we must stop by for a short visit. The town is very quaint and quiet. Finding a place to eat in October was challenging.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 10 January 2024
  • Anna T
    14 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful Grounds and Scenery
    Fantastic views of the castle on a beautiful, sunny day in Scotland. The tickets to tour inside the castle were a bit expensive, so if you are on a budget, you can completely skip it. Inside, most of the decor contains pictures of the family of the castle's current owner. It was okay, but not worth the 12 or so pounds.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 20 March 2024
  • Andrew Jones
    London, United Kingdom672 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Picturesque castle
    The castle and its surroundings are a sight to behold and very picturesque. The inside of the castle is less noteworthy and entry is on the slightly pricey side (around £12 each when we visited). Nevertheless, really glad we visited.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 4 April 2024
  • Dobby
    Nashville, Tennessee334 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Breathtaking
    Worth. The. Hype. The Eilean Donan Castle was breathtaking. To see a castle on its own little island on the sea was just incredible. We stopped and did the whole tour walk around and took many pictures. You’ve got to make this a stop on your trip.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 28 April 2024
  • heklaran
    Akureyri, Iceland20 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice to see inside and out!
    Very cute and fun to see! Not expensive to go and you have options of no guide, audio guide or a tour guide! It is great and very nice to walk around and see everything, the whole place has been set up and feels lived in. Nice to look around in amd head to the gift shops, one is inside of the café and has food related items that are very fun to look over and try some.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 4 June 2024
  • Sandra H
    Thompsonville, Michigan349 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Stroll around Eilean Donan Castle
    We stopped by for a visit with our guide on the way to the Isle of Skye for the day. We decided to skip a tour of the interior, but instead walked around taking pictures and enjoying a visit to the gift shop. Definitely a place that you should arrive earlier in the day. By the time we left the parking lot was filling up quickly. Loads of tour buses too. But still worth time time even if to admire this iconic castle from the outside.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 4 June 2024
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles4,668 reviews
Excellent
2,955
Very good
1,221
Average
326
Poor
104
Terrible
62

Brett C
Buda, TX67 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2019
ok, first the good, this pace is ICONIC. this is the castle from Highlander, The World is not enough, Entrapment, etc... the food at the cafe is really good, the views are BREATHTAKING.

the not so good: it's not the original castle, it's a recreation from the 1920's. The first room of the tour is the basement which gives you a brief history of how long there have been fortresses on this island going back to almost viking era. then the timeline gets to 1719 when the castle was blown up, the next room you find out the castle is a recreation built by a rich family and everything else is a private collection of things that this family has... interesting to some, but not really to me. They give you no heads up of this before you buy the (frankly overpriced) ticket to cross the bridge, which feels kind of "bait and switch-ish" to me.

Lots of historical items in the collection but nothing is really given any context as to why it's important, even with the audio tour. the only really interesting parts were the few spots where you could see parts of the original building.

so to sum it all up, go, stop by, park, have some lunch, take some gorgeous pictures, then head out to the next thing you want to do for the day, don't waste your time on the tour, there are better castles to see.
Written 11 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

david221b
Driffield, UK266 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020
I base my review title on the opening page of a very thorough guide book! The owners have been using this place for their holidays for many years it seems - so you are basically contributing to the cost of the upkeep of their holiday home! We dont have the budget that permits us entry, so took a host of photos, bought the guide, talked to some lovely (likely) under paid staff and having finally got there (we are in our 60s) headed off to the Isle of Skye. If you do have the funds to go in, I hope you enjoy your visit. Everything in the shop and in the cafe is highly priced but we made do with what we could and have some photo reward for getting to this well known establishment without contributing to the owners bank account!
Written 19 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

3.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020 • Solo
Very famous and scenic castle, £11 entry but you the public can walk around the grounds for free to get pictures. It's only a reconstruction of the original castle and dates to the 1930s, I don't find it that pretty.

It's a nice castle but the contents are quite dull, boring and "stuffy", it's really just a pokey country house full of old tat. Cannon balls, shoe buckles, some family paintings, military paraphernalia, crockery, smoking pipes and Victorian furniture. Having paid for entrance I'm glad to have been inside but thinking that I'd rather not have bothered tbh. Forbidden to take any photos of the inside for no clear reason.

Shop is just more of the same as you'll see in any other tourist spot in Scotland. Good quality but quite expensive stuff.

Café is good and value for money (accessible from car park).

They adhere to Covid guidelines very well, sanitiser upon entering every room and they wipe surfaces as you pass through, masks must be worn indoors.
Written 2 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jude D
Chelmsford, UK47 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021 • Friends
Our skipper phoned ahead to book 6 of us on the 1.30pm entry time - cost £10 adults or £9 seniors. We turned up in good time and were told there was no booking, we’d have to go in in twos and the next slot was 1.55pm. Too late for us all to do the tour and get back to the pick up point to go back to the boat.
We were offered the option of walking around outside the castle for £3. Some of the group did this and we all wished we hadn’t bothered. We were given a leaflet which we read expectantly hoping for some historic pointers about the castle…it turned out to be nothing more than advertising for their weddings and holiday home. When you do get to walk over the bridge it’s disappointing to say the least. You are directed down some steps to walk along a gravel path to the other side of the significantly rebuilt castle, which has a bit of grass, a few daisies and buttercups, a couple of field guns and the MacRae war memorial.
Very underwhelming and would not waste my money here again.
Written 1 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JaneyL121
United Kingdom311 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021 • Couples
Such a picturesque castle, with a dramatic backdrop and definitely worth a visit, The castle itself is fairly small and the rooms were set out as they would have been which was interesting. We thought the £10 entry fee was reasonable and needed to help maintain such a historic place. The visits were controlled to ensure the smallish rooms in the castle weren’t overcrowded, plenty of sanitiser available and staff were helpful.
Written 24 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

CharlieCupcake21
Sheffield, UK148 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
We visited on a rainy, windy, horrible day. People were getting blown about all over the place, and it was absolutely stunning.

The view from the car park is amazing, the castle had such an atmosphere. We ran to get tickets to go inside (no photographs allowed when you're in) and almost got blown back across the bridge!

Inside is full of history and so many things to take in. The staff were all really chatty, friendly and helpful, and the audio guide gave us so much information. It was a really enjoyable few hours.
Written 28 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

victoria B
Lincolnshire, UK587 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020
This is a stunning place to visit and the location spectacular.

There is a great picnic area with seating adjacent to the entrance and there is an excellent restaurant. Due to Covid, takeaway was the only option but, the selection was fantastic. I had a real whopper of a toastie which was the haggis, bacon and mac + cheese option - washed down with excellent coffee. I sat at one of the tables by the loch, gazing at the castle trying to avoid the hopeful stares of the greedy seagulls perched on the low wall adjacent to me!

The castle was organised to be Covid safe with sanitisers everywhere and limits to numbers entering. A well planned time-slot system ensured that there were no queues and once inside, the place was more or less empty yet we had as much time as we wished to enjoy the rooms.

During the '15 the Jacobites took the castle then had a huge party on the roof before being beaten in battle. The Royal Navy caused the castle to be ruined in 1719 and it was neglected for some years before it was lovingly restored by a member of the McCrae family - who still own it today.

Walking around the castle you feel that you are in a family home and there are many interesting artefacts and historical items on display.

There are toilets near the car park and in the castle too which is handy.
Written 4 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

EvaP24
Southampton, UK43 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020 • Couples
The castle is absolutely stunning, from the outside is gorgeous and very picturesque. Def worth a stop and walk around and taking some photos. Inside however please save yourself money and hassle. Several rooms with not much in it.

Also there is definitely something like massively over the top covid precautions which actually ruins the visit completely. I fully understand and support safety and making sure we are safe but there is something as too much the other way. Temperature checks and alcohol gel before going to the toilet? And then I left the toilet - with my hands freshly thoroughly washed and making sure I have not touched anything not to contaminate my hands .... going next door to a gift shop to have temp checked again and being asked to gel my hands. Maybe do your research about how contaminated alcohol gel dispensers are. Soap and water is still best way. When I refused to touch the dispensers I was told off and said thats the policy. In the end I kept using my own alcohol gel.
Inside is even worse, you go from room to room, wearing a mask (which Im all for and advocate for if you can wear it), not allowed to touch anything yet in every single room same story - alcohol gel dispensers and staff refusing to let you in. You probably get covid quicker from repeatedly touching contaminated dispensers.

Why can’t they make a one secure gated entry when to get into the premises you get temp check once and thats it. Like all other places do. Have an automatic gel dispenser on entry to the castle and exit rather than every single room (where ur wearing a mask and not touching anything anyway). The visit was completely ruined. Only thing I remember from being inside the castle is constant nagging by staff which is told and instructed what to do without any common sense or research behind it creating actually more hazard.
Written 22 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

amberm
Perthshire18 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021 • Couples
Horrendous customer service. They don’t allow people in without a face covering, including those with medical exemptions and disabilities. This isn’t made clear to you before you travel. I told a staff member that their policy is in breach of the Equalities Act 2010, and he told me that the rules didn’t apply to them as they’re a privately owned business.
They flatly refused to let me in without a face covering, even though I wear a Hidden Disabilities lanyard as “anyone can get them on the internet”. The staff member went on to explain that, essentially, they believe that most people who wear the lanyards are doing so just to get out of wearing a face covering because they don’t want to wear one.
The upset of this visit stayed with me for a few days and genuinely made me wary of going anywhere else in case I was refused entry or treated this way again. I emailed to complain, and I got an email back that was clearly supposed to be a forward on to a colleague, in which the staff member said, amongst other things, that I was lying.
I haven’t had a reply to either of my emails (other than the reply that wasn’t meant for me. Unless it was?!) and I can safely say I’ve never had such terrible customer service. It’s such a pity, as this is somewhere that I’ve wanted to visit for many years, but I certainly will never be back, and I encourage those of you with disabilities (hidden or otherwise) to not waste a journey.
Written 13 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Emma H
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021 • Couples
We arrived here the morning of our last day of our North Coast 500 trip, we bought our tickets (2x indoor tours, 2x outdoor) as we were splitting with our party to head our separate ways home after the visit.
After we had purchased the tickets for an indoor tour at 10:25am we went back to grab something out of the car and got back to the area at 10:23. We were greeted with a women yelling at her colleague that “some people hadn’t bothered to show up and had missed their slot” when the 2 of us who were booked on to the indoor tour we were told by this same woman that we were on the wrong side and that we were not allowed that side of the barrier, of course I tried to correct her to which I was interrupted until my partner showed her our tickets.
Then crossing the bridge we also witnessed the other 2 of our party be yelled at by staff that he was going the wrong way when there was no signage. Now we all understand the need for social distancing, one way systems etc. at the moment but there was definitely a more polite way of asking for them to use the one way system that again was not sign posted.
Overall, I was really disappointed in the staffs attitude and I would not advise anyone to visit unless you enjoy being yelled at constantly and told you’re wrong.
Written 3 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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EILEAN DONAN CASTLE (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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