Dunvegan Castle & Gardens
Dunvegan Castle & Gardens
Dunvegan Castle & Gardens
4
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
Full view
About
Any visit to the Isle of Skye is incomplete without enjoying the wealth of clan MacLeod history at 5* Dunvegan Castle & Gardens. Built on a rocky outcrop on the shores of Loch Dunvegan, Dunvegan is the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland and has been the ancestral home of the Chiefs of Clan MacLeod for 800 years. Award winning castle, gardens, seal boat trips, cafe, gift shops, holiday cottages and Glenbrittle Campsite & Cuillin Coffee Co. Dunvegan Castle & Gardens is open 1 April – 15 October daily between 10am – 5.30pm (last entry 5pm). All areas to be vacated by 5.45pm. We reserve the right to amend these opening hours and/or restrict public access at any time without notice. We look forward to giving you a very warm Highland Welcome. For more information about our opening times, admission prices, special events and exhibitions, please visit our website.
Dunvegan, Scotland
Awards
Travellers' Choice
2024
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4.0
3,277 reviews
Excellent
1,377
Very good
1,166
Average
496
Poor
156
Terrible
84
stephanie c
47 contributions
Sept 2020 • Couples
We visited Dunvegan Castle and Gardens today- 7/9/20- staying on the Isle Of Skye for 2 nights as part of our tour of Scotland, visiting from North Wales.
We knew that the castle was closed due to Covid but we wanted to visit anyway.
Reading previous reviews about the £12 cost of visiting the gardens, we wondered as some had put it ‘is it worth it?’
If you’re a lover of gardens then yes it is!
We are National Trust Members and although this is not one of their properties, it has everything you would expect from NT.
Car Parking is free, so there’s no extra cost there.
Having visited several Gardens in my time, the things that stood out to me from Dunvegan was their beautiful Hydrangeas. In September they were still in bloom, some coming to their end but turning wonderful shades of purple and blue.
I imagine the gardens are spectacular in Spring with the amount of rhododendrons, and yet when we visited there were lilies, heathers, an incredible vegetable garden, ‘plants with a purpose patch’, interesting sculptures, roses, and much more. Not to mention the greenhouse and water garden. The weather being drizzly did not dampen our day.
The absolute highlight was seeing the seals. It wasn’t something that we were expecting. Seal boat tours were closed due to Covid and yet there they were! Just sat happily on a little island, posing for everyone!
£12 might seem a lot to some people. But the amount of work that goes into keeping these gardens going is a year round job.
We loved it and would definitely recommend it to wildlife and garden lovers. If the Castle was open, then that would have been great but it didn’t detract from our experience.
We knew that the castle was closed due to Covid but we wanted to visit anyway.
Reading previous reviews about the £12 cost of visiting the gardens, we wondered as some had put it ‘is it worth it?’
If you’re a lover of gardens then yes it is!
We are National Trust Members and although this is not one of their properties, it has everything you would expect from NT.
Car Parking is free, so there’s no extra cost there.
Having visited several Gardens in my time, the things that stood out to me from Dunvegan was their beautiful Hydrangeas. In September they were still in bloom, some coming to their end but turning wonderful shades of purple and blue.
I imagine the gardens are spectacular in Spring with the amount of rhododendrons, and yet when we visited there were lilies, heathers, an incredible vegetable garden, ‘plants with a purpose patch’, interesting sculptures, roses, and much more. Not to mention the greenhouse and water garden. The weather being drizzly did not dampen our day.
The absolute highlight was seeing the seals. It wasn’t something that we were expecting. Seal boat tours were closed due to Covid and yet there they were! Just sat happily on a little island, posing for everyone!
£12 might seem a lot to some people. But the amount of work that goes into keeping these gardens going is a year round job.
We loved it and would definitely recommend it to wildlife and garden lovers. If the Castle was open, then that would have been great but it didn’t detract from our experience.
Written 7 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.
Sagar D
United Kingdom571 contributions
Oct 2020 • Couples
Unfortunately, due to COVID, there was no access to the castle, no boat tours to the seal colony and the cafe was closed too.
The gardens are colourful and well maintained but not very extensive. Dogs are thankfully allowed into all areas of the garden; good for us as we had our Cavapoo with us. Admission to the gardens was only £2 less than the full admission charge of £14, which seems a little unfair, perhaps, given the considerably reduced access.
Still, we enjoyed our walk around the pretty gardens and got some great pictures of the castle.
It may well be worth of 5 stars when all areas are accessible, but not currently. At present Dunvegan offers dubious value for money.....
The gardens are colourful and well maintained but not very extensive. Dogs are thankfully allowed into all areas of the garden; good for us as we had our Cavapoo with us. Admission to the gardens was only £2 less than the full admission charge of £14, which seems a little unfair, perhaps, given the considerably reduced access.
Still, we enjoyed our walk around the pretty gardens and got some great pictures of the castle.
It may well be worth of 5 stars when all areas are accessible, but not currently. At present Dunvegan offers dubious value for money.....
Written 12 October 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.
AltabasTravels
London, UK277 contributions
Sept 2020
We visited Dunvegan castle in September and so were only able to visit the grounds given COVID-19 precautions but I would say that this suited us really well. We tend to be more interested in the outside spaces of the castles and stately homes and such anyway. The gardens are very pretty and, though I am certainly no botanist, I did think that many of the flowers looked extremely exotic for a fairly northerly part of the UK in September!
The castle itself adds to scene although I have to say that the castle itself is not the best looking of castles from the outside.
A big highlight for me was the seal colony just around the rocky peninsula jutting out from the garden grounds. Many of the seals were simply resting up on a rocky island just beyond where you could walk to and others were cavorting in the water and intermittently bobbing out of the water to keep a close eye on us just as we were watching them.
The castle itself adds to scene although I have to say that the castle itself is not the best looking of castles from the outside.
A big highlight for me was the seal colony just around the rocky peninsula jutting out from the garden grounds. Many of the seals were simply resting up on a rocky island just beyond where you could walk to and others were cavorting in the water and intermittently bobbing out of the water to keep a close eye on us just as we were watching them.
Written 8 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.
Sam C
2 contributions
Jun 2021 • Family
The castle lacked imagination and should have been more interactive. Children were crying and wanting to go home as it was so dull. The cafe was even worse as it had a limited range of sandwiches which tasted bland and were extortionate and there were only 3 tables which were outside and there were bins were nowhere to be seen. Not worth it and I do not recommend to anyone of the age that can still walk by themselves however there is no wheelchair access either. The service was atrocious and I will not be back even on a trip with the nursing home
Written 29 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.
StevenTristanYoung
San Francisco, CA149 contributions
Jun 2019
Stopped by this castle and really enjoyed how they set up the entire visitor experience. It wasn’t just “Here’s a castle, see the inside” but they really went out of their way to show you how the owners (and prior owners) lived and breathed inside the castle. The inclusion of current McRae family memorability highlighted how this castle is still a home for a family; despite its grand feeling. The views from outside of the castle are stunning, especially if you get it on a sunny day.
Written 10 May 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.
Lynn B
Arbroath, UK11 contributions
Sept 2021
This was an absolute rip off. There is clearly no effort to make this interesting or inspiring to visit, the state of the building and visitor facilities are poor, and the ? staff appeared totally disinterested. It in no way felt welcoming and visit took all of 30 minutes for which we paid £33. We were also informed there was no on site cafe or restaurant due to supposed inability to get staff, and toilet facilities were abysmal. All in all, a terrible experience and would discourage others from spending cash on this
Written 30 September 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.
kirbenny
Norfolk, UK32 contributions
Apr 2022 • Family
We're not one to spend out on excursions whilst holidaying, but constant wet weather forced us to find respite somewhere!
A short walk from the free parking led us through some of the castle gardens to the grand castle.
The welcoming lady who took our tickets asked our 3 year old if she'd be able to hunt for some hidden keys which appeased her throughout the tour of the castle (we found 5!).
It was a one way system but people were still going back on themselves, which wasn't a problem for us, but can get a bit tight through some areas.
Lots of different artifacts and bits on display but we've really zero knowledge of what we were truly looking at but still good to have a look.
Our little girl loved looking down into the dungeon where there was a 'prisoner'.... quite eary!
When we exited, we told the lady our key finds and my child was rewarded with a bouncy ball which she loved, which was a really nice touch.
We were probably in the castle no more than 35 minutes and that was us dragging it out.
We then proceeded into the gardens which were lovely to wander around but the rain soon forced us back into the car.
Three stars just because of the duration versus entry cost but this could easily be extended in good weather in the gardens.
A short walk from the free parking led us through some of the castle gardens to the grand castle.
The welcoming lady who took our tickets asked our 3 year old if she'd be able to hunt for some hidden keys which appeased her throughout the tour of the castle (we found 5!).
It was a one way system but people were still going back on themselves, which wasn't a problem for us, but can get a bit tight through some areas.
Lots of different artifacts and bits on display but we've really zero knowledge of what we were truly looking at but still good to have a look.
Our little girl loved looking down into the dungeon where there was a 'prisoner'.... quite eary!
When we exited, we told the lady our key finds and my child was rewarded with a bouncy ball which she loved, which was a really nice touch.
We were probably in the castle no more than 35 minutes and that was us dragging it out.
We then proceeded into the gardens which were lovely to wander around but the rain soon forced us back into the car.
Three stars just because of the duration versus entry cost but this could easily be extended in good weather in the gardens.
Written 6 April 2022
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.
MDMcK
Scotland, UK1 contribution
Jun 2021 • Couples
Dunvegan Castle was disappointing. Having purchased an online ticket prior to our visit, had to queue for 30 to 35 minutes in the rain before gaining entry to the castle. Once inside there was very poor information on the Macleod family. What was there was in very small font and difficult to read. No information on the historical background to the castle, or on the Macleod Clan. Very ordinary display of the rooms with nothing standing out as exceptional. Would not overly recommend.
Written 15 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.
Shrinkie
South East16 contributions
Aug 2021 • Family
Fantastic afternoon out, beautiful gardens especially the walled garden. Lovely walks and views over the Loch. The castle itself was so informative and a pleasure to walk around. My 8 and 11 year olds enjoyed it too. Cafe shuts early so be warned as we had two disappointed children who were promised ice cream. Lots of parking, clean toilets. All in all a great day. Only downside is £34 for a family of four to go on the seal watching boat trip was very pricey after already spending £34 to get in, the ‘boat’ is a teeny tiny wooden vessel barely big enough for 6 people and looked a bit rickety so we didn’t go on that.
Written 17 August 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.
Catherinetas
Devonport168 contributions
Aug 2019 • Couples
Parts of the castle are still in use by the family while others are managed as museum exhibits. Brief local and ancestral history is depicted on the walls, sometimes with brutal honesty.
Outside the gardens are quite lovely.
It was almost too nice on a warm sunny day to get a sense of the hardships this place experienced in the past.
Very popular, arrive early to secure a carpark.
Outside the gardens are quite lovely.
It was almost too nice on a warm sunny day to get a sense of the hardships this place experienced in the past.
Very popular, arrive early to secure a carpark.
Written 14 April 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.
Is it worth going off-season, when it's closed? Can you see anything from the outside, or is it better to skip it?
Written 13 November 2019
Basically no! The ticket gate entry is a couple of hundred metres from the castle and it is partly hidden by the gardens. You can get around to the foreshore and see it from a distance, but perhaps that is not worth the trip, unless you still want to visit Dunvegan.
Written 17 November 2019
Ja, In England und Schottland gibt es fast überall Ermäßigungen für Schwerbehinderte und bei Merkzeichen "B" auch freien Eintritt für die Begleitperson. Man ist generell sehr hilfsbereit. Auch die Parkmöglichkeiten für "Disabled" sind fast überall und dort auch nicht von Nicht-Behinderten besetzt.
Written 28 July 2019
Probably about 1-2 hours. I don’t think the Castle is very well presented and could show a lot more history. This comment in relation to Castles elsewhere that are a lot better
Written 11 June 2019
Yes on a lead and please clean up any mess. Thank you
Written 11 September 2018
I plan to visit Dunvegan Castle in mid-August with three friends. How busy is it around that time of year? Is there a maximum number of visitors allowed? Is it advisable to buy tickets in advance, or can you always be sure of being able to get them when you arrive?
Written 29 May 2018
This attraction can accommodate a very large amount of people. You will not have a problem getting tickets at the location when you arrive. There is no way they would reach the limit for visitors at any one time. It's huge and relatively out of the way for many travellers to go. Be sure to leave yourself enough time to tour. They close the gates and ask you to leave by 5:00 and the souvenire shop closed at 4. We only arrived just before 4 so we had to rush and didn't get to enjoy the amazing gardens surrounding the castle. It's well worth spending at least 2 hours there.
Enjoy!
Written 29 May 2018
Vamos muy mal de tiempo, por lo que no se si nos va a dar tiempo a visitar el interior del Castillo y los jardines.
Se puede ver por fuera? Se puede llegar hasta la entrada del Castillo, por lo menos para verlo y hacer una foto...?
Written 20 March 2018
Como bien te han comentado, poco vas a poder ver desde fuera :)
Written 21 March 2018
I know I can buy tickets online but we are doing a lot of hiking the same day and I'm not sure if we will have time to visit Dunvegan Castle. If we do have time can we buy tickets on site? We will be there October 6th. How busy do you think it will be around that time?
Written 23 September 2017
On site is a good option and you should not have a problem with it being overly busy.
Written 23 September 2017
Hello
Is the castle anywhere near Glen Brittle?
Thanks
Written 10 September 2017
Sorry for late response to this question - been incomunicado in the Oz outback.
It's an easy enough drive and well worth the effort.
Written 25 September 2017
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