On this day of our itinerary we would start from Spean Bridge in the morning and eventually arrive in Inverness, where we'd sleep. My question is it reasonable and/or worthy to drive A87 to Eilean Donan and still get in some sights (Loch Ness) on the way to Inverness. It involves some backtracking. And, regrettably, Skye is not a part of our trip (next time!) otherwise it would be a no-brainer to see Eilean Donan. But is it worth a 1-2 hour sidetrip? Thanks.
Posted by
New York City, NY, USA
5678 posts
Eilean Donan is a lovely castle, I finally saw it on my ninth trip to Scotland. If you have your heart set on seeing it, I wouldn't backtrack to Loch Ness, but rather would hook up with A890 to circle into Inverness from the North. You can get down to Loch Ness pretty easily from Inverness the next day and unless you want to catch monster tourist traps and Urquhart Castle. The castle is pretty cool, but I've always given the monster tourist stuff a miss. It depends on how many castles you've already seen. BTW to get the best picture go beyond the castle to the west and stop to take you picture. ; ) Pam
Posted by
Charlotte, NC, USA
3428 posts
Eilean Donan castle is a good place to visit. We don't drive in Scotland, so I can't address that part of your question. How long will you be in Inverenss? There are companies that do great day trips to Eilean Donan and Isle of Skye, with some beautiful stops in picturesque glens.
Posted by
Texas
518 posts
We really enjoyed seeing Eileen Donan, but we were just coming from Skye. We stayed there about 3 hours looking around. It was interesting. However, we were already in the area. I'm not sure I would drive out of my way to see it.