Castle Day Trips From Oban, Scotland

In July 2022, we were in Scotland for the U.S. Open and ended up staying in Ballachulish, near Glencoe, because the pictures looked beautiful. We had no idea just how incredible the western highlands actually are and spent a few days in perpetual "wow" mode.

So as we began planning this trip Blake & I both knew that we needed to head to the west coast again. Initially, I tried to find a place near Ballachulish, but to my chagrin, there were very few options and definitely none for a realistic sum in the popular summer months. I cast a wider net and found a super cute home in Connel, just ten minutes down the road from Oban and about 45 minutes away from Ballachulish and Glencoe.

I didn't know much about the area but Blake knew of Oban because of the distillery. Initially, I just assumed we would head into Glencoe for the majority of the time to hike and explore. Oh, how little I knew then.

Oban and Connel absolutely stole a piece of my heart. I'm going to break up my recap into several different categories because I don't want to just write about Oban once. For today, I'm going to recap the castles we went to while we stayed in the area.

Blake and I have a running tally while we're here in Scotland of castles we've visited vs. rounds of golf I join. Blake had to do some scrambling in Oban because he played quite a few rounds of golf at the Glencruitten course, but he made up for it with some solid castles before we left.  

Dunstaffnage Castle

Built before 1240 and known as the mighty stronghold of the MacDougalls, Dunstaffnage was an impressive castle located between Connel and Oban and built up on a huge rock above the Firth of Lorn.

Dunstaffnage has a fascinating history. It is where Flora MacDonald was held before being taken to the Tower of London. Flora MacDonald is known for her part in helping Prince Charles escape out of Scotland after the Battle of Culloden.

For its part, the castle is a formidable fortress. When you walk up you're greeted with a wall of stone. From the ramparts, you can see all of the surrounding waterways, a strong defense against attackers by both land and sea. You can still tour inside of the well-preserved gatehouse building, built around 1500, but the rest of the castle remains a shell of its former glory. On the property, there is also the remains of a 13th-century chapel.  

I enjoyed visiting Dunstaffnage mostly for its sheer size. It's easy to imagine the fortress this building was in its prime and I'm not surprised by the role it's played in Scottish history.

Dunollie Castle

This may be a strange descriptor for a castle, but Dunollie was fun. Located just a mile north of Oban along the coast, we pulled into Dunollie on a whim as we were headed to the beach. We were greeted with the sight of kids playing yard games on the lawn and families enjoying drinks and snacks from the café. Dunollie feels a little more developed in terms of on-site amenities compared to other castles, you get the sense that you can stay and sit for a while.  

And indeed, we did. Once we walked up the hill a bit and actually explored the castle, we sat down on some benches overlooking Oban and the surrounding isles and waterways. It was peaceful and tranquil and fun to watch the ferries scuttle back and forth between the isles. Later I read they sometimes hold yoga classes in this spot.

The castle we see today is believed to have been built around the 15th century, but some version of it is estimated to have been there since before the late 600s. The Dunollie Preservation Trust manages the estate today and does a lovely job with the property.

We met some travelers from Oklahoma when we were on the Isle of Skye with connections to the trust, and from what they shared, there's a whole host of people around the world committed to keeping the spirit of Dunollie alive. To which I say, well done.

Castle Stalker

Perhaps one of the most recognizable castles in Scotland (I'd argue on par with Eileen Donan), Castle Stalker is only accessible through a limited number of boat tours. We did not take one of these, but we did go to the Castle Stalker café several times and enjoyed the view. Castle Stalker is located about 30 minutes away from Oban and is a great stop on the way to either Fort William or Glencoe.  

On our first visit, we hiked down the trail to get a closer look. If you stop where the trail ends at a road the view is…fine? However, I had seen better pictures on Instagram so I knew there had to be a way to get closer. While a few other tourists turned around back up the path, we bypassed the path and walked up a road for a bit, past a few cattle guards and houses, until we reached a rocky shore. This was the place for the poetic, lonely pictures of Castle Stalker.

We had the beach to ourselves and frolicked around for a bit, looking at seashells and walking the coast, until the looming storm clouds loomed a little too close and we booked it back to the car.

As far as history goes, Castle Stalker was also a MacDougall’s original before changing hands throughout the ages (typically sordid affairs) and falling into disrepair in the 1840s. It was then purchased and revived over the years by several different parties and is currently privately owned.

Gylen Castle

Gylen Castle is our hardest-earned castle, namely because of the weather we experienced trying to get to it. Located on the Isle of Kerrera, it is, in theory, an easy day trip to visit. You drive about ten minutes south of Oban to the Gallanach port. Port may not be the right word, it's a boating ramp where the small ferry backs up, you hop on, then voyage for less than five minutes to Kerrera on the other side. We chatted with the friendly ferry worker while we waited for the ferry to dock. He spent years traveling the States for work but eventually landed back home in Scotland. He wished us on our merry way as the rain started to pour.

It's worth noting that we have had beautiful weather in Scotland all summer. To date, that was the only truly rainy day we've experienced. Sure, it's drizzled here and there, but this was rain. And alas, we were not dressed appropriately. The hike to the castle is really just a walk, for the most part on a paved path or well-defined trail, with only a few sludgy spots. It's 6 miles out and back or 7 miles if you loop the island. We did the out and back because, by the time we arrived at the castle, we were waterlogged and ready to wrap it up.

That being said, Gylen Castle remains one of our favorite castles we've seen for its sheer magic. It stands tall, overlooking the coast and isles. I walked underneath the castle, a stinky, sheepy terrain, but worth it just to walk underneath a fortress. The castle itself is very small, a single tower with just a small space to view today. I had a hard time picturing what it must have looked like back in its prime. 

Built by Duncan MacDougall in 1582, it was then burnt by a Covenanter army in 1647. It has never been restored. A sad, brief story for such a striking building.

A Few Tips Before You Visit

A quick brief in case you're referencing this blog for travel planning purposes, most castles in Scotland have varying visiting hours depending on the season. We were here in the summer months so we didn't run into any limitations, but in the winter months, many castles either close completely or have very limited hours.

We also bought a membership to Historic Scotland, which gives us access to various landmarks and events. The other major membership is to the National Trust, which we haven't purchased but I think may be a better choice depending on where you’re going. It seems like most of the places we've visited on the east coast of Scotland have been part of the Trust instead of Historic Scotland. Lastly, there are a good number of castles that are privately owned and you have to pay for them independently.

I’ll keep writing about the castles we’ve visited because no matter where you turn it seems like you’re a stone’s throw away from a gruesome history and ruined fortress. Is it too American to say…I love it?