| Address |
| Lewiston, Urquhart Castle (E-bound), UK |
| |
| Information |
Urquhart Castle
Though this castle may be today more associated with the monster believed to lurk in the waters of Loch Ness, it has seen its fair share of conflict as well. The ruins of the castle lie on a northern promontory on the shoreline of Loch Ness, near the village of Drumnadrochit. It is believed to date back to circa 1230, but there are references of a settled fortification dating as far back as the 6th century. The land where it stands today was bequeathed to Alan Durward by Alexander II of Scotland in the 1200s, but was taken over by Edward I of England later that century. The Scots would soon force him out, but he would return in 1303 and again take the castle. And again his stay would be short-lived, as he was forced out by the rise of Robert the Bruce who would take the castle back in 1308.
Such was the existence of Urquhart Castle, which continued to change hands between warring factions. In the 14th century, the rise of the McDonalds, the Lords of the Western Isles, made claim on the area and soon took control over the castle. For the next two centuries, the castle exchanged hands multiple times until peace had been restored at the end of the 16th century. Upon the removal of throne of King James II of England and VII of Scotland and the ascension to the throne by his daughter Mary II and her husband William of Orange, the Jacobite uprising brought battle back to Urquhart Castle in 1689. A garrison loyal to William and Mary successfully defended it and upon their departure, they decided to destroy the castle to block the Jacobites from reutilizing it as a stronghold.
Following the garrison's explosive departure, the castle was never repaired and remained abandoned. Locals in the area would come and claim much of the original stonework and the castle fell into further disarray. In 2003, the property was turned over to the National Trust for Scotland and is now run by Historic Scotland, who built a visitor centre at the site in 2000-2001.
The Loch Ness Monster
The name of Urquhart Castle is today fairly synonymous with that of its cryptid neighbor, the Loch Ness Monster and is typically used in photographs of Loch Ness, making it a familiar landmark. The connection began on September 15, 1934 when the leader of the first large expedition into finding the lake monster shot some footage of something in the water near this site. The footage has since been lost, but scientists at the time dismissed the "creature" as nothing more than a common seal.
On July 29, 1955, a bank manager by the name of Peter MacNab took a photo of something large swimming in the water of the loch next to the ruins of the castle. The photograph has become one of the better-known photos of Nessie, despite various discrepancies between the photograph and its negative. On May 21, 1977, Anthony Shiels would produce another photograph he claimed was taken near Urquhart Castle, though this time the castle was not in the frame. The photo depicts what appears to be head on a long neck protruding from the water. While also quite famous, the photograph is widely known as "The Loch Ness Puppet."
The bay near the castle would be the site of two further expeditions in 1967 and 1970. The 1967 study utilized sonar to create an acoustic net across the bay and director Professor D. Gordon Tucker reported making sonar hits on large moving objects that reached speeds up to 20 miles per hour. During the 1970 expedition, University of Chicago professor Roy Mackal utilized underwater microphones (hydrophones) to listen for signs of the creature. In the bay, he recorded a series of knocks and clicks that were indicative of echolocation - a trait that was not shared by any known forms of life in Loch Ness.
In 1992 and 1993, the Natural History Museum and Fresh Water Biological Association used the castle's name to launch a new expedition into the mystery behind Loch Ness. However, rather than turn up any evidence of a large aquatic animal living there, Project Urquhart's conclusions were that the small number of fish in Loch Ness were insufficient to support a population of predators.
Urquhart Castle Today
The castle has been the site of many other Loch Ness Monster sightings over the years and has become something of a hotspot for "Nessie watchers." It is open to the general public 365 days a year with reduced hours in the winter. Guests can learn about the castle's history through an exhibition and audio-video display in the visitor center, as well as examine various historical artifacts that were found on the property. It also features a café and gift shop and visitors can tour the ruins, where they can also keep an eye on the water. For more information, please visit their site below. |
| |
| GPS Interface |
Save Waypoint to Garmin Device.
|
|
| |
| User Trips |
| There are no user trips associated with this location. |
| |
| Related Sites |
Urquhart Castle
The official Web site of Urquhart Castle at Historic Scotland. The castle has seen various bloody battles over its history, but today known as a hotspot for tourists trying to spot the Loch Ness Monster. |
| |
| Similar Destinations |
| The Surf Ballroom |
| The Statue of Liberty |
| The Sixth Floor Museum |
| |
| See Also on TheCabinet.com |
| There are no other pages on this site associated with this location. |
| |
| Available from Amazon.com |
The World's Most Mysterious Castles |
Lonely Planet Scotland |
Loch Ness Monster |
Field Guide to Lake Monsters, Sea Serpents, and Other Mystery Denizens of the Deep |
Lake Monster Mysteries: Investigating the World's Most Elusive Creatures |
Three Men Seeking Monsters: Six Weeks in Pursuit of Werewolves, Lake Monsters, Giant Cats, Ghostly Devil Dogs, and Ape-Men |
| |
