Scotland

Back
DUNVEGAN CASTLE & GARDENS

Dunvegan
Isle of Skye
IV55 8WF
t: 01470 521 206
e: info@dunvegancastle.com
w: www.dunvegancastle.com

No visit to the Isle of Skye would be complete without savouring the wealth of history offered by Dunvegan Castle and Gardens.


 

Built on a rock in an idyllic lochside setting, Dunvegan is the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland. It has been the ancestral home of the Chiefs of MacLeod for 800 years and is still home to the Clan MacLeod Chief.

There is plenty to do for all our visitors, including:

Castle Tours – take a tour of this historic castle and see:

  • The Great Sword of Dunvegan on display in the North Room - one of only three surviving Scottish medieval claymores.
  • Portraits of the Dunvegan Clan Chiefs and their wives in the Dining Room, including "The Red Man" by Ramsay.
  • The “Fairy Flag”.
  • Conservation in Action – see the meticulous work needed to care for the collection, going on in the show rooms.


Seal boat trips – you cannot get closer to the protected common seals anywhere else on Skye.

Fabulous shops with a wide range of Highlands and Islands gifts, jewellery and knitwear:

  • Castle Shop - Beautiful bespoke gifts inspired by the castle collection.
  • Gift shop – including nature based children’s toys, and many new lines under £10, including delicious chocolates.
  • St Kilda Shop (on the Dunvegan Pier road) - Harris Tweed handbags, jackets and accessories, cashmere knitwear and quality locally crafted gifts, beautiful prints and paintings (by local artists).


MacLeod Tables Café

  • Excellent coffee and homemade soup and snacks at the Café, made using produce from the Walled Garden.


Beautiful Gardens and Walks, including

  • The Water Garden with its ornate bridges, islands and rich, colourful planting.
  • The Round Garden featuring a Boxwood Parterre as its centrepiece.
  • The Walled Garden (formerly the castle's vegetable garden), features Roses, formal planting and herbaceous borders, the fountain in the lily pond and the Victorian style glasshouse.
  • The Garden Museum – with images of the garden before our current head gardener, David McLean, began his work here over 50 years ago.


Holiday Cottages

If you would like to extend your stay, why not book one of our holiday cottages? These are beautifully appointed and open all year round.

Over the years, the castle has given a warm Highland welcome to visitors including Sir Walter Scott, Dr Johnson and Queen Elizabeth II and we now look forward to welcoming you.

Opening times: 1st April to 15th Oct, 10am to 5.30pm, last admission 5pm

For further information, see our website: www.dunvegancastle.com