Nessie (a monster supposed
to be living in the lake) may or may not exist. But the possibility
that she does provides a powerful draw to the visitors who
flock to the area year after year. And although Loch Ness
has roads on both sides, access to the loch is relatively
limited, and the views from the A82 are often restricted by
trees, especially in Summer.
It is therefore no surprise that the coincidence at Urquhart
Castle of good access to the loch, good views across and along
it, and a stunning set of ruins, should be so popular.
Opinions differ as to whether Urquhart Castle was originally
the site of a Pictish fort dating back to a visit by St Columba
in 597, but there was certainly a Pictish settlement in the
area at that time. The first real evidence of anything recognisable
as a castle dates back to the years following 1230, when Alexander
II crushed a revolt in the province of Moray, to the north,
and decided to defend this strategic route.
Visitors to Urquhart Castle will find an odd, waisted shape
built around two points of focus on separate rocky outcrops.
To the southern end, the highest part of the castle is the
upper bailey, commanding extensive views. At the other end
of the castle lies the tower house, once the five storey hub
of the castle capable of being defended even if the rest of
the castle fell to whoever wanted ownership at the time. In
the middle lies the gatehouse on the landward side, and the
water gate on the lochside. More than once during its troubled
history the castle held out because it could be resupplied
by ship.
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