Dunvegan Castle & Gardens

Wonderful castle in a stunning location! Dunvegan Castle & Gardens was certainly one of the highlights of our recent trip to Skye. The castle itself is very well maintained and steeped in history, with lots of useful information available as you wander around. I found some of the displays quite thought provoking. The gardens are huge and varied, with lots of different spaces to explore. Although we weren't able to take our dog into the castle, I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the gardens with her. There is a huge car park with plenty of facilities alongside it, including a gift shop and a cafe, with more facilities available within the castle itself. Overall, the castle provided a highly enjoyable experience for the whole family.

Gorgeous gardens and lots of walks and trails to follow that wind around the castle. Inside was very stately home rather than a traditional castle. It was lovely. There was a key treasure hunt for children to look out for in each room, which was a great way to keep them occupied.

A place of amazing history. The public sections of the castle were well laid out and after years of visiting other stately homes it was nice to see that the paintings were well lit so you could actually see it all. The gardens are also extensive and varied with separate areas for the water garden, round garden, walked garden, woodland walk etc. Very easy to spend a lot of time wandering through the gardens. It is possible to pay less and just visit the gardens. You can also do a seal boat tour from here though we didn't have time for that today

Visited this impressive castle and its gardens in October, just before they closed for the winter, and spent a really enjoyable afternoon here. I was here on a coach trip, and we were all made very welcome. The self guided tour of the castle covered two floors, passing through rooms dating from different periods of its history, from a medieval kitchen and dungeon to elegant 18th and 19th century state rooms filled with fine furniture and ancestral portraits. There were interpretation boards in each room, and helpful guides who were more than happy to share their knowledge with us. We were allowed to take photos, but no flash. Found the collection of historic heirlooms, which included Jacobite memorabilia and remnants of the legendary Fairy Flag, fascinating both to look at and read about. Despite heavy rain and some of the paths being muddy and waterlogged, the gardens were wonderful to explore. I especially loved the water garden with its little bridges and narrow paths meandering among gorgeous flowering shrubs and autumn foliage, across fast-flowing streams and alongside waterfalls. There's a giant monkey puzzle tree, an intriguing pebble sculpture that rotates, a children's play area, and boat trips out to a seal colony. Dogs are welcome in the gardens too, providing they're on a lead. There's a café in the car park which I didn't get time to visit, and the toilets and a gift shop are there too. Far too much here to see and do in one short visit! Would love to return to Dunvegan Castle and Gardens when they reopen in the spring.

Suitable for a half day trip, the garden is not very exquisite but worth a walk. The castle is well maintained, there is a treasure hunt for kids which makes the visit more interesting, the staff are helpful and polite. There is also a boat trip to visit seals.

Nice Castle 🏰 with original artifacts and paintings. Beautiful peaceful gardens to walk, including a walled garden and water falls. Free parking. Well worth the visit. Seal 🦭 tours are also available.

I was very happy that we got to add this Castle to our trip of Skye! Not only is the castle a site to behold, but the garden grounds are also quite stunning. Definitely make sure to go out to the field trip area just to look back at the castle! There are definitely a ton of cool historical facts about the MacLeod family, special shout out to Flora! What a dame she was! There might even be a few hidden spooks in the castle for you as well 😂

This was an interesting place to visit, very informative and, coming from south of the border, we learned a lot. Plenty to look at and see, and lots of information to read, and a good video made by a former clan chief explaining a lot of the history. The gardens are set a little away from the castle but well worth a visit. Helpful staff there identified a wonderful scented tree we'll be trying to find for home. The restaurant was excellent. I grabbed some pastries on the way in and we hsd venison paninis on the way out, all were good. Definitely worth a visit.

Historic, beautiful, well organized castle with many docents. An amazing place full of history, walks and a massive gorgeous garden!! The Dunvegan castle and gardens is the Oldest continually inhabited castle in Scotland. There is a cafe nearby, a short video on the castle, docent guides at the door and in several rooms... and everything has a short description to add meaning. In the warmer weather- April to September there are Seal tours. If you just can't bear to leave there are 5 holiday cottages for rent! That must cost a pretty penny ( or pound)! More info at www.dunvegancastle.com

Duvegan Castle and Gardens Dunvegan Castle (Caisteal Dhùn Bheagain) is located 1 mile (1.6 km) to the north of Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye, off the west coast of Scotland. It is the seat of the MacLeod of MacLeod, chief of the Clan MacLeod, The castle was first built in the 13th century and developed piecemeal over the centuries. In the 19th century the whole castle was remodelled in a mock-medieval style. The castle is built on an elevated rock overlooking an inlet on the eastern shore of Loch Dunvega The gardens are truly mesmerizing and enjoyable to walk through for its well kept and lush presentation.

Loved visiting the castle and seeing the history of the family that lived there. Fun to see the fairy flag and get the different stories associated with it. The Gardens are beautiful I wish we would've been able to take the boat tour as well. Plan to spend 3-4 hours here with doing the boat tour.

The visit to this castle was really a surprise. In a good way. We bought the "Gardens Only" ticket for 12£ each. Our Bulldog was welcome on the grounds as well. What seems like a smaller area from outside is actually a pretty big-sized area. The castle itself is very beautiful. Great location by the water. Be sure to get some views from down at the water. It's a historically important castle. It's the seat of the famous MacLeod Clan.Building started somewhen in the 1200s. And it's the only Highland fortress to have been continuously occupied by the same family for 800 years! And it's one the greatest Hebridean castles. In the 19th century the whole castle was remodelled in a mock-medieval style. What we found equally impressive were the gardens. Especially the Round Garden and the Water Garden. So much green, so many plants and flowers. Small creeks and waterfalls. It's beautiful. Sometimes we felt like being in the jungle. It's just an amazing place to have a walk. Very well worth the entrance fee. We really took our time here to check out all the (to us) rare and unkown plants. Lots of informative signs around the gardens, explaning the flowers and trees. A really fantastic visit. A great castle and breathtaking gardens. A real highlight on the Isle of Skye!

This was a highlight of our day! A very interesting walk through the castle with photos and artifacts. I learned that there was no return after being thrown in the dungeon! People were thrown down in a hole on top of those who went before them, if their remains weren't washed out by the sea. The kitchen was close by so they cut a slit in the wall so those in the dungeon could smell the cooking while they starved to death. The gardens were beautiful! A lovely walk on a beautiful day. Well worth the ticket price.

Despite this attraction being the very last on my Isle of Skye to do list, we were pleasantly surprised and thoroughly enjoyed this castle. Its a smaller and less extravagant castle, but it has lot of charm and interesting history. Not to be missed if you have any Macleod blood in your veins. We did skip the gardens though, the midges(Scottish mosquitoes) were especially fierce and hungry. Wear bug repellent! £11 is a bit excessive compared to other castles, but I suppose its not cheap maintaining and repairing a castle.

My family and I visited Dunvegan castle last week. My son uses a walker as his main form of transportation. Before buying our tickets we asked the woman selling them if he was able to go in. She informed us that there were two flights of stairs but the rest was flat. My husband and I said we could carry him and walker up stairs and then continue our tour. When we reached the castle the woman taking our tickets told us that we could not bring my sons walker in the castle for the tour because 'it was too narrow'. My sons walker isn't even as wide and some adults. She then told us we would have to carry him if that was ok. My son is 65lbs and 4'7". I left with my son super upset and emailed the Dunvegan castle. No response. Their website says they will accommodate special needs with the exception of an electric wheelchair on the second floor. How my family was treated is illegal and their staff (or at least one) are ill informed and mistreat people with disabilities. I do not recommend this castle in any way. Disability or not.

A wonderful castle where you get to learn about the Clan MacLeod. It was not too busy in the late September season when we visited, and we really really enjoyed walking the gardens. Most castles are a bit stuffy and restrictive (no photos, don't touch this, don't touch that etc;). The gardens are where you get to explore, smell, touch and really enjoy the beauty of these castles. Kudos to all the people that upkeep the gardens, truly wonderful work.

If you're looking for Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod, you're storming the wrong castle This impressive castle is the official "home" of the Chiefs of the Clan MacLeod & there is a ton of rich history associated Dunvegan Castle is the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland and has been the stronghold of the Chiefs of MacLeod for nearly 800 years.... lots of Clan battles have fought here but the castle never faltered ... and it was a MacLeod who helped Bonnie Prince Charles escape Cumberland's army Renovations are currently being done on the castle facade but we were still allowed access to the interior - lots of Jacobite relics & other historical items to behold Including the famous Fairy Flag - dated between the 4th and 7th centuries A.D., this flag was magical for when the MacLeod's were in great danger, they were to wave the flag and they would be delivered Walk up an impressive staircase to see portraits of the family & ancestors - rooms are richly furnished & staff around the castle will help people look in old books through family trees to help trace roots Beautiful walled / gated gardens to the side - this is a must-not-miss! The motto of Clan MacLeod is "Hold Fast" - not "There can be only one" ... so they may have filmed Highlander here - but the only Immortals you'll find are the ghosts of history past

Castle is not very impressive. Small actually, when compared to other castles. The history of the castle relates to the MacCleod clans. I toured the whole castle in about 30 minutes tops. One bright spot is the garden. There are also the seal tours (I skipped that but thought it would be interesting). The guides were very helpful, friendly and some are even attractive. In retrospect, this place is not as striking as others, even though many tour companies show this tour spot. There are other places to visit, such as the Uig, Ewing's castle (spelling?), The Kilt rock, Old man of Storr, Quiraing...- these places are far more majestic and beautiful in my opinion.

My son and I loved it all: -the castle with great info about the McCleoud clan -the gardens - so beautiful -the seal tour! Just wow! We are glad we came here! The staff is superfriendly also. Don't miss this castle if you are visiting Skye! You can take a local bus from Portstree to get here!

While the castle itself is not all that spectacular or interesting compared to others, this is worth the trip because of the gardens and the seal boat tours. In late July, the grounds rivaled those of many botanical gardens with a gorgeous variety of flowers. The seal boat tour was 1/2 hour, reasonably priced (7.50 for an adult ticket when we went) and got us very close to some of the seals in the nearby colony, in addition to some excellent bird watching opportunities. This stop was a worthwhile addition to our west loop drive in Skye.