The ruins of Duntulm Castle on the north west side of the Trotternish peninsular have the makings of some stunning photographs. During the 17th century it was the seat of the chiefs of Clan MacDonald of Sleat. It is a scheduled monument.
On Location: 19th April 2024
Parking: The A855 road around the top end of the Trotternish peninsular is nearly all single track with passing places. However, there is a parking space indicated on the OS maps with room enough for a couple of cars. This is at What Three Words: ///profile.garlic.region or GR: NG 41070 74055. This area is sort of a small layby on a bend in the road so be considerate when leaving your car.
Refreshments: There are no facilities here, the nearest townships are Staffin which is on the eastern side of the peninsular or at Uig which is a few miles to the south from here. However, after a bit of research I have found the possibility of a café along the road at Kilmaluag called Burr Skye I can’t vouch for it as I haven’t been but it may be worth a look if you are in the area. Check website or their Facebook page for opening times.
This is only a very short walk to the castle from the parking space. Therefore I would class this more as a photo location than a hike. Take the marked path down from the layby and follow the simple path through the field north towards the castle. It’s only about 200m. Please note, due to the state of the castle there is a fence surrounding it with signage restricting access. With care you can still get some great images without putting yourself at risk of injury.
Due to it’s location perhaps the best time of day to visit would be as we did, at late afternoon as the sun sets. For us the light wasn’t ideal but hopefully you will get some inspiration from this short post.
An aerial shot of the castle which is surrounded on three sides by cliffs. This limits potential angles for photographs.
This view is from the approach to the castle from the road. You can see the warning sign on the gate advising of the state of the ruins. A tall cairn can also be seen, commemorating the MacArthur’s, the hereditary pipers to the MacDonald’s. On the horizon are the hills of Lewis and Harris.
Another aerial shot, this time looking to the west. As can be seen, the outer fencing is in a sorry state so do take care if wandering around the grounds of the castle.
We didn’t spend too much time at the castle as the light wasn’t in our favour. There is definitely potential here for some good images so it could be worth checking out if you are in this area of Skye.
Thanks for reading.
