Inverness · GB

Kilravock Castle

Kilravock Castle (locals say 'Kil-rawk') is a tall, harled Highland stronghold near the village of Croy, between Inverness and Nairn, that has stood as the seat of Clan Rose for over 700 years. Begun around 1460, its five-storey medieval tower and the later mansion ranges that wrap around a courtyard make it one of the most architecturally significant private castles in the northern Highlands. What gives Kilravock its romance is a pedigree of astonishing continuity and an almost novelistic guestbook: Mary, Queen of Scots dined here in 1562, Bonnie Prince Charlie stayed just days before the Battle of Culloden, his rival the Duke of Cumberland came right after, and the poet Robert Burns visited in 1787. A Category A-listed building now held in trust, it is best appreciated for its exterior, its storied past and its position in the castle-rich country around Inverness, as the castle itself is not open for interior visits.