Want to visit a fairy-tale castle?
Don’t miss the Inveraray Castle, Scotland, with its green look and stunning gardens.
It is one of the most photogenic Scottish Castles.
Below is my guide to help you plan your visit of the interior of Inveraray and the gardens.
Before my tips + photos, here are my favorites for Scotland:
My favorite platform to rent a car in Scotland: DiscoverCars
The unmissable boat tour: Seal spotting on Loch Linnhe from Fort William
My favorite excursion from Edinburgh: Glenfinnan and Glencoe
My favorite places to stay:
- Edinburgh: see best rated hotels – e.g. Balmoral Hotel
- Glencoe: see best rated hotels – e.g. The Glencoe House Hotel
- Portree: see best rated hotels – e.g. The Cuillin Hills Hotel
- Inverness: see best rated hotels – e.g. Kingsmills Hotel
Why visit the Inveraray Castle in Scotland?
Inveraray is one of the most beautiful castles in Scotland (see my list) and I think one of the best places to visit in the country.
It is such a typical Scotland location:
- A fairy-tale looking castle
- A beautiful garden
- A loch and rolling hills around
- And a charming village nearby
Below is a short video to give you an idea of what a visit could look like.
More photos after the planning tips.
Planning Tips – Inveraray Castle, Scotland
How to get to the Inveraray Castle location
- In the town of Inveraray, Scotland – North West of Glasgow
- Along Loch Fyne (Scotland’s longest sea loch), on A83
- 1h30 drive from Glasgow
- 2h40 drive from Edinburgh – it can be visited by car on a day trip from Edinburgh
- 30min drive from Tarbet (mid of Loch Lomond, Trossachs) via a stunning road in Glen Croe through the Argyll Forest
- And if you don’t want to drive, check out the program of this great day trip from Edinburgh that will allow you to visit the castle and see amazing scenery.
Inveraray Castle, with its GPS coordinates, is included in my travel guides eBooks that help you plan amazing road trips in Scotland:
Plan your dream trip to Scotland with my guides!
- 15 easy-to-plan maps
- 170+ pre-selected locations
- GPS coordinates
- Useful planning tips
- 170+ large photos
- 8 easy-to-plan maps
- 60+ pre-selected locations
- Useful planning tips
- 115+ large photos
- GPS coordinates
Visit Tips
- Inveraray Castle opening hours: from 1st April to 31st October only – 10am to 5:45pm (last admission at 5pm)
- Entrance fee: £13.5 per adults
- See official website for latest prices and hours
- Toilets and café down near the exit gate
- No backpacks allowed inside
- Photos allowed inside but without flash
- They have set up sheets with explanation in different languages in most rooms inside the castle
- Some stairs to climb in order to visit inside the castle
- They have also a small gift shop
- Best views and spots to photograph the Inveraray Castle include: the Inveraray Bridge, the Garden, the Woodland walk and from the top of the Dun na Cuaiche – Discover them below.
Inveraray Accommodations
The city has a lot of charm and can make a good stopover.
See Inveraray’s accommodations
Need to rent a car in Scotland?
My tips:
- Compare prices on my favorite platform: Discovercars.com – one of the best rated comparison sites!
- Prefer a compact car for the single-lane roads
- Consider their full coverage option – it for peace of mind!
- Book early to have a large choice of vehicles!
Inveraray Castle photos – from the Bridge
From the town of Inveraray you can see this bridge below.
It is a one lane bridge with no place to park around.
It is a 10min walk from the town of Inveraray, walking on the side of the road.
From there you can already enjoy beautiful views of the Inveraray Castle with the River Aray.
And when you turn around you see the small town of Inveraray. Great clouds that day!
Inveraray Castle – History, Family & Downtown Abbey
Let’s discover a few facts about the Inveraray Castle History to imagine it in context:
- It has been the seat of the Dukes of Argyll since the 18th century
- Castle of the Clan Campbell
- Its construction started in 1743, replacing another castle (you can learn more about the Inveraray Castle history here)
- The original style is Gothic Revival (bringing back Gothic features when neoclassic was in fashion)
- It was badly damaged during a fire in 1975
- The collections include more than 1300 weapons (swords, muskets, pikes…)
- The Duke still lives in the Castle with his family
- The Inveraray castle was featured in one of the season finales of the famous TV show Downton Abbey
Entrance
There is a large carpark near the castle. You pay at the booth in the parking.
The visit starts by entering the castle and exploring the interior before getting to the gardens.
As you walk by the exit gate you can see the lovely terrace of the café:
Visiting the inside – Inveraray Castle Interior tour
The visit of the Inveraray Castle’s interior includes many rooms including dining, bedrooms and the Clan Campbell history room.
However, the Inveraray Castle Scotland is mostly famous for its weapon room. Swords, muskets and pikes are displayed all around creating geometric patterns.
Below are a few photos for my visit inside the castle:
From the upper level of the castle, you can see the garden, the carpark behind and the mountains of the highlands in the back
I don’t drink coffee 
But I also like other drinks and sweets!
Do you like the free content you find on my blog? All my tips and practical information, without intrusive advertising…
The Gardens
However, the best part of the visit is to explore the garden and the park and admire the castle from the outside. The stones are really green.
Luckily, I visited in Spring and the garden was really beautiful
Definitively one of my favorite Scottish Castles!
Woodland Walk
One of my favorite things to do in at the castle was to go on the woodland walk in the park. Most visitors only stay in the Garden. I was alone on that walk and it was great!
You walk away from the garden, under a forested area with old trees and a peaceful atmosphere.
You get close to the bridge about which we talked earlier in this article.
And you rediscover the Inveraray Castle Scotland from the distance.
Things to do in Inveraray
Hike for views of the Castle
It is possible to get a view of the Inveraray Caste from above. For that you have to complete the 3-mile return hike of Dun Na Cuaiche. It goes to the tower at the top of the hill that you can see in the photo below. It takes 1h30 to 2h30 depending on how good you are at climbing steep sections… Find the hike directions here.
Enjoy the charming village of Inveraray by the loch
And you can also enjoy a stroll in the charming village of Inveraray with beautiful views of the sea loch.
Want to see more fascinating Castles in Scotland? Here are a few:
- The impressive Edinburgh Castle Fortress – read article
- The Famous Eilean Donan Castle with its mountain backdrop – read article
- The ruins of Sinclair Girnigoe Castle balancing on the cliffs – read article
- The fairy-tale looking castle of Dunrobin – read article
- The unique triangular castle of Caerlaverock – read article
- Or check out my list of the 16 best castles in Scotland
Planning a trip to Scotland? Check out my travel guides to help you plan it:
Plan your dream trip to Scotland with my guides!
- 15 easy-to-plan maps
- 170+ pre-selected locations
- GPS coordinates
- Useful planning tips
- 170+ large photos
- 8 easy-to-plan maps
- 60+ pre-selected locations
- Useful planning tips
- 115+ large photos
- GPS coordinates
And keep track of your own trip!
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