Castle Stalker is located on the West Coast of Scotland, by the village of Appin in Argyll, roughly mid-way between Oban and Fort William. It sits on its own little island a few hundred meters offshore in Loch Linnhe (a sea loch). With views over the loch to the mountains in the background, its easy to understand why it is photographed so often.
Its quite old, having been built in the early 1300s. Although I've been to the shore to admire the castle many times, I've never been inside. You can walk out to it on a very low tide (wellies are needed and you need to be absolutely sure about your tide times - dont risk it if not). Tours are available, and you get taken over by boat and given a guide around. Its on the list of things still to be done ! I think it is privately owned, and allegedly it is fully habitable (which seems a little hard to believe) - but I dont think anyone lives there year round.
There is a nice view of the Castle from the road between Fort William and Oban (A828), with a cafe (Castle Stalker View Cafe) situated at the top of the hill which has fantastic viewpoints over the castle - well worth the stop if you are passing by.
When the sun is shining, it is hard to beat as a location. In this pic the tide is just going out on a low spring tide - and its nearly possible to walk across.
There are remains of old rails on the shore (land side) which may have been used for boat launch and recovery, or some means of loading cargo onto boats. Here you can see our old dog Buster enjoying himself - running around like a nutter !
Its not a huge castle, but it fits nice and snug on the island, with not a lot of space for anything else !
There is a nice walk on the shore, which is part of the Argyll coastal path that runs past Appin, an old station (no buldings left) and a marina. Its nice and flat and well worth a stop. It has some info boards along it, including one for the Castle.
So if you ever are in these parts - make sure and take your camera - it'll be worth it ! Heres a more dramatic shot on a typically grey day in Argyll !
There are various different views you can capture of the castle from along the walk on the shore.
All in all, its well worth the visit - and I definitely have to take that tour one day !
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For a reasonable annual membership price, both provide access to numerous historic properties across Scotland which are great for days out. Once you've been a member for more than a year you also got free access to other properties across England, Wales and Northern Ireland (including half price entry during your first year) - so its well worth the investment, plus its all for a good cause.
