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Dunstaffnage Castle and Chapel

Dunbeg, by Oban, Argyll
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Open today

Admire one of Scotland’s oldest stone castles. This mighty stronghold of the MacDougalls, was built before 1240 on a huge rock above the Firth of Lorn. Captured by Robert the Bruce in 1308, the castle remained in royal hands until 1469.

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Visitors to Dunstaffnage can stand in awe of the daunting curtain wall – one of the oldest standing castle remains in Scotland. Flora MacDonald was held at Dunstaffnage in 1746 before being sent to the Tower of London for aiding Bonnie Prince Charlie’s escape.

While exploring the grounds, you can find the very special 13th-century Dunstaffnage Chapel tucked away in the trees. A climb up to the battlements allows you to appreciate the superb strategic position of this MacDougall stronghold. You can also step inside the three-storey gatehouse built around 1500.

The castle and the surrounding broadleaved woodland are home to pipistrelle bats, a rare species in the west of Scotland.

The West Tower is currently closed.

Aerial view of a peninsula with a castle ruin at its centre, surrounded by manicured lawns and dense woodland.
A visitor in a white jacket holding up a phone while exploring the interior of a stone ruin, with two other people looking through a small doorway.
A close‑up of an arched stone doorway with a metal balcony attached, set into a thick castle wall.

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