Inverlochy Castle ruins are impressive and is an ancient site of some importance. Built to defend access the Great Glen, and through this the Scottish Highlands, the castle is located on the south bank of the River Lochy, near the town of Fort William.

Access to the castle is easy from the A82, with plenty of parking just outside the castle walls.

~ History ~

790 ~ An alliance is made by King Achaius with the king of the Franks & Charlemagne the Great and Holy Roman Emperor. As a result, Inverlochy becomes an important trading centre with merchants from the territories of France and Spain. However, this also attracted the attention of the Vikings who utterly destroyed the trading centre of Inverlochy.

1270's ~ John Comyn 'the black', Lord Badenoch and Lochaber builds himself a fortress at Inverlochy.

1306 ~ John Comyn, a pretender to the throne of Scotland is killed in a Franciscan church in Dumfries by his rival to the throne Robert the Bruce.

1308 ~ After two years of fighting the power of the Comyn family is finally broken by King Robert. The castle passes to the Crown.

1431 ~ King James I Royal army commanded by Alexander Stewart, 1st Earl of Mar and Allan Stewart, 4th Earl of Caithness, are attacked by the rebel Lords of the Isles MacDonald's and their Highland allies at Inverlochy. The Royal army is overwhelmed resulting in 900 if the king's men being killed, including the Earl of Caithness.

1505 ~ The fortress is given to Alexander Gordon, who undertakes large-scale repairs on the neglected castle.

1645 ~ The castle is garrisoned for the Royalist army led by 1st Marquess of Montrose against the Covenanter forces of the Marquess of Argyll. The Royalist army are victorious in the resulting battle.