VISITOR INFORMATION

OPENING TIMES & GENERAL INFORMATION

OPEN 29 MARCH – 15 OCTOBER
Dunvegan Castle & Gardens is open daily 10am – 5.30pm (last entry 5pm). All areas to be vacated by 5.45pm. We reserve the right to amend these opening hours and/or restrict public access at any time without notice. For our terms & conditions, please click here.

SEAL TRIPS OPEN 29 MARCH – 30 SEPTEMBER
Our popular 25min seal trips depart daily from the jetty below Dunvegan Castle between 10am and 4.30pm on a first come first served basis, subject to capacity, sea and weather conditions. For more information, please click here.

CONCESSIONS
Please note that there is no need to pre-book online tickets for Friends of Dunvegan, RHS Partner Gardens, Historic Houses Friends, BBC Gardeners World 2 for 1 and Blue Peter Badge holders. Please present your cards/badges at the main gate ticket office on arrival and a complimentary ticket will be issued.

PARKING & TOILETS
Free parking is available to visitors during our open season. There are dedicated parking bays for coaches and minibuses. All RVs and campervans must park in the overflow car park at the rear. All users of the castle car park do so at entirely their own risk. The MacLeod Estate will not accept liability for any accidents, damage or loss incurred. No overnight parking is permitted. The car park toilets are only open during our seasonal opening times. When they are closed, the nearest public toilets are located in the Dunvegan village car park.

DOGS
Dogs are welcome in the castle gardens, but they must be kept on a lead at all times and please clean up any mess. Only assistance dogs are permitted inside the castle.

We look forward to giving you our trademark warm Highland Welcome.

N.B. If you would like to support your heritage today so you can enjoy it tomorrow, please purchase a Friends of Dunvegan membership or one of our wonderful products from our e-shop which is open all year. You can also make a donation to the dedicated account below:

Account: Dunvegan Castle Appeal Account
Sort code: 60-93-03
Account: 14026396
IBAN: GB90WBYS60930314026396
SWIFT/BIC: WBYS609303

Weatherbys Bank
2 Rutland Square
Edinburgh EH1 2AS

Please cite APPEAL in any bank payment or transfer. Any donations large or small will be gratefully received. They will help us to preserve, develop and share this iconic part of Scotand’s heritage for future generations to enjoy. Thank you for your support.

TICKETS & PRICES

There is no need to pre-book. You can purchase your Dunvegan Castle & Gardens entry ticket on arrival at the Ticket Office, or online using our secure booking system. Please note that you must present your e-ticket at the Ticket Office in order for it to be validated. Dunvegan Castle & Garden Admission Tickets and e-tickets are non-transferable, and cannot be exchanged, refunded or replaced after purchase. For our full terms & conditions, please click here.

There is no need to pre-book online tickets for Friends of Dunvegan, RHS Partner Gardens, Historic Houses Friends, BBC Gardeners World 2 for 1 and Blue Peter Badge holders. Please present your cards/badges at the main gate ticket office on arrival and a complimentary ticket will be issued.

CASTLE & GARDENS
Adult £16.50
Child (5-15yrs) £11.50
Students/Seniors (65yrs+) £13.50
Groups (min. 10) £13.50
Family ticket (2 adults, 4 children): £37.50
Cruise ships using pontoon facilities £26.00

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GARDENS ONLY
Adult £14.50
Child £9.50
Students/Seniors £11.50
Groups (min. 10) £11.50

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LOCH DUNVEGAN SEAL TRIPS
(PRICES VALID WITH A CASTLE OR GARDEN TICKET)
Adult £13.00
Child £10.00
Seniors/Students/Groups £11.50
Infants under 5yrs FREE
Our boat trips are subject to capacity, sea and weather conditions.

FISHING TRIPS & LOCH CRUISES (ADVANCED BOOKING ONLY)
Adult (min. 2 people) £95.00
Child £85.00
Our special two hour-chartered Loch Cruise or Fishing Trips must be booked at least two days in advance and are subject to crew availability and weather conditions. Please call our Ticket Office on +44 (0) 1470521206 (ext. 214) during our open season to book this unforgettable experience.

Your ticket revenues support our mission to preserve, develop and share the unique history of Dunvegan Castle & Gardens for future generations to enjoy. To find out more about our extensive restoration and conservation projects which have resulted in us becoming an RHS Partner Garden in 2022, and winning the prestigious Historic Houses Restoration Award in 2019, the ‘Helping it Happen Tourism Award’ in 2018, and a 5* quality assurance award from VisitScotland in 2016 among others, please click here. Your support is greatly appreciated.

CASTLE SHOPS & E-SHOP

Dunvegan Castle & Gardens has three gift shops and an e-shop. The Castle Shop inside the castle itself, the Gift Shop in the car park and St Kilda Shop just by the Dunvegan Pier. 

All our gift shops offer an excellent range of high quality Scottish gifts and souvenirs to suit every taste from clothing, artworks, jewellery, books to our very own MacLeod of MacLeod Single Malt Scotch Whisky and Dunvegan Castle Gin distilled with herbs grown in our Walled Garden. Open all year round, why not browse our e-shop to find out more about our special offers online.

CASTLE GUIDED TOURS

Explore the wealth of history and clan MacLeod legend at Dunvegan Castle by taking a castle guided tour or enjoy a self-guided tour at your own pace with the Dunvegan Castle guidebook. Some fixed information in the public rooms is available in a variety of languages.

Castle guided tours depart from the main castle entrance hall at regular intervals between 10.30am and 4.15pm. At peak times, guided tours may be suspended at short notice to reduce the possibility of overcrowding inside the castle.

GROUP VISITS

Dunvegan Castle & Gardens extends a warm Highland welcome to Group visitors.

We aim to offer your group a wonderful day out and hope they will take pleasure in exploring everything Dunvegan has to offer. The discounted admission rates are available to groups of 10 people or more. Free parking is available to group tours during our open season. There are dedicated parking bays for coaches and minibuses at the rear of the castle car park.

Our minimum recommended dwell time is two hours to allow groups sufficient time to explore the castle’s rich history, extensive formal gardens, our popular seal trips, shops and the MacLeod Tables Cafe which caters for 76 people. For more information please contact [email protected].

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CRUISE SHIP OPERATORS

For Cruise Ships wishing to anchor close to Dunvegan Castle & Gardens, Loch Dunvegan provides an ideal natural harbour which is protected from the prevailing winds by the MacLeod Tables mountains to the west. It offers a deep sheltered anchorage for cruise ships and the chance for passengers to experience the scenic seaward approach to Dunvegan Castle & Gardens.

Tender operations are easy. Journey time from anchorage is under 5 minutes with passengers disembarking on to a pontoon facility at the picturesque Dunvegan Castle jetty. We charge £22.00 per passenger (min. 10 people) for the use of this private landing facility to visit Dunvegan Castle & Gardens.

Loch Dunvegan Location: 57° 26.48’ N – 06° 35.45’ W
No. of Berths: N/A – Anchorage only
Anchorage: Yes
Distance to Landing Facility: 0.4 NM
Tidal range/movement: None discernible at anchorages
Pilotage: Not required

For more general information about Loch Dunvegan, please visit the Dunvegan Pier.

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SCHOOLS & COLLEGES

At Dunvegan Castle, we want to share the rich history of Dunvegan with everyone who visits us whatever their age. Our dedicated team work hard to bring the history and wonder of this wonderful castle to life with a full programme of educational tours, resources and competitions.

Book your school trip with us and be guaranteed a fun and engaging day out. For more information please contact [email protected].

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INFANTS & SMALL CHILDREN

As part of our family ticket offering, there is a special castle key hunt and lots of activities for children to enjoy in the gardens including our popular Wild Wood Trail and the rotating ‘Dunvegan Pebble’ sculpture in the Walled Garden. The seal trips are not to be missed, and they are free for children under 5yrs. Please ask a member of staff about the family workshops and activities during the school holidays, such as our annual Easter Egg hunt.

Please note that for safety reasons, pushchairs and baby backpack carriers are not permitted inside the castle. They must be left and reclaimed at the main entrance. Parents carrying infants should take extra care when entering the Dungeon and Medieval Kitchen due to low ceiling heights.

Baby changing facilities are available in the carpark and cafe. All children under the age of 12 must be supervised by an adult at all times.

ACCESSIBILITY

Committed to providing an accessible attraction, Dunvegan Castle & Gardens strives to ensure that visitors with disabilities can enjoy as much of the MacLeod Estate as possible.

We warmly welcome visitors with physical, sensory and learning disabilities. We recognise that some areas of Dunvegan Castle & Gardens may present difficulties for people with disabilities. We are continually reviewing our procedures to make access improvements wherever possible to ensure that our visitors have a safe and enjoyable day out.

WHEELCHAIR & LIMITED MOBILITY
Although there is level access to the castle gardens from dedicated parking bays in the castle car park opposite the main gate Ticket Office, some sections of the garden path network are steep in places due to the nature of the terrain itself. Steps on these moderately steep sections were not installed in order to facilitate wheelchair access, and more accessible paths connecting the three formal garden areas have been put in place in order to resolve previous access issues in other areas.

The castle’s entrance hall is accessible with assistance via a ramp (6 steps) and more limited access to the 1st floor (12 steps). Access to the 1st floor is not encouraged, but it may be possible depending on the nature of the visitors’ disability and visitor numbers at the time. When a visitor is unable to access the castle, an armchair visit can be provided by one of the castle guides who will arrange to screen the castle video on a portable electronic device in the flower room or outside on the land bridge weather permitting. Unfortunately, powered wheelchairs cannot be accommodated inside the castle.

HEARING IMPAIRED
Visitors should be encouraged to self-identify on entry. In our video room, subtitles are shown on the video. Information cards in various languages are available in all the state rooms.

VISION IMPAIRED
Visitors should be encouraged to self-identify on entry. Braille information is currently unavailable.

PETS – DOGS
Registered assistance dogs are permitted in all public areas of the castle. Dogs are permitted in the castle gardens, but they must be kept on a lead at all times. Dog owners must ensure they clean up after their dog. A dog drinking bowl is located outside the MacLeod Tables Cafe in the car park.

INFANTS & SMALL CHILDREN
As part of our family ticket offering, there is a special castle key hunt and lots of activities for children to enjoy in the gardens including our popular Wild Wood Trail and the rotating ‘Dunvegan Pebble’ sculpture in the Walled Garden. The seal trips are not to be missed, and they are free for children under 5yrs. Please ask a member of staff about the family workshops and activities during the school holidays, such as our annual Easter Egg hunt.

Please note that for safety reasons, pushchairs and baby backpack carriers are not permitted inside the castle. They must be left and reclaimed at the main entrance. Parents carrying infants should take extra care when entering the Dungeon and Medieval Kitchen due to low ceiling heights.

Baby changing facilities are available in the car park and cafe. All children under the age of 12 must be supervised by an adult at all times.

PHOTOGRAPHY, PHONES & DRONES

Non‑commercial use of photographic, film and video equipment including wearable devices without flash, selfie sticks and tripods is permitted inside the castle.

Drone filming is not permitted onsite without prior consent and approval of the necessary insurance and licence documents.

Mobile phones must be in silent mode or switched off inside the castle in consideration of other visitors.

FINDING US

Dunvegan Castle & Gardens is located one mile north of Dunvegan village in the North-West of the Isle of Skye.

What3words: ///blushed.mile.promising


ROAD APPROACH:

From Inverness A82 to Invermoriston, A887 to Kyle of Lochalsh 82 miles.

From Fort William A82 to Invergarry, A87 to Kyle of Lochalsh 76 miles.

From the Kyle of Lochalsh to Dunvegan via the Skye Bridge 45 miles.


SAT-NAVS:

Unless you intend on ‘sailing your car over the sea to Skye’, you should programme your sat-nav route via Kyle of Lochalsh.


JOURNEY TIMES:

From Fort William – 4 hours (includes ferry crossing)
From Inverness – 3 hours
From Glasgow – 5 hours
From Edinburgh – 6 hours


FERRY OPTIONS:

From Mallaig to Armadale in Skye, booking is essential.

www.calmac.co.uk/skye

Glenelg to Kylerhea, operates April to mid-October.

www.skyeferry.co.uk


RAIL: Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh or Fort William to Mallaig

www.nationalrail.co.uk
www.thetrainline.com


BUS: Portree – 25 miles or Kyle of Lochalsh – 45 miles.

www.citylink.co.uk

VISITOR MAP