A romantic ruined tower house on a spit of land at the head of Loch Awe, with Ben Cruachan rising behind
Open to visitorsa Historic Environment Scotland site — many are free to wander; staffed ones charge and keep set hours
Substantial ruinsruined, but plenty survives above ground
Kilchurn Castle sits on a low spit of land at the north-east end of Loch Awe, a ruined tower house and courtyard with the peaks of Ben Cruachan rising steeply behind. That combination of water, mountains and empty walls makes it one of the most photographed castles in the West Highlands. Colin Campbell of Glenorchy built the first tower here around the middle of the 1400s, and over the next few centuries the Campbells added a hall and, later, barrack blocks when the castle was used to house soldiers.
Kilchurn was abandoned in the 1700s and lost its roof; a toppled turret still lies in the courtyard where it fell. The walls are otherwise remarkably complete, and you can climb the stair in the old tower for a view down the loch.
Historic Environment Scotland cares for the castle and it is free to visit. You reach it on foot, following a track and a path across low, sometimes boggy ground from a car park off the A85 near Dalmally, so decent shoes help after rain. There is no charge and no ticket office. Nearby, the Ben Cruachan Inn is a short way along the loch, and St Conan’s Kirk, an extraordinary hand-built church, is well worth the stop.
