Lochindorb Castle

Lochindorb Castle stands as the ruins of a lowland fortress on an artificial island in Lochindorb, a freshwater loch twelve kilometres north-west of Grantown-on-Spey. The castle was built in the 13th century by the Comyns, Lords of Badenoch, to control the surrounding land. In 1303 Edward I captured it, and his son later enlarged the stronghold. Alexander Stewart, known as the Wolf of Badenoch, took possession in 1372 and held it until royal forces destroyed the castle in 1458. Archaeologists proved in 1993 that the island itself was man-made. The remaining walls form a rectangular enclosure with round towers at each corner, and the entrance in the east wall shows little sign of heavy defence. Despite being slighted, the curtain walls still rise close to their original height. Excavations in 2009 and 2010 for Historic Scotland revealed foundations of four buildings in the courtyard, thought to be the remains of a great hall and a sleeping range. The similarity to nearby Inverlochy Castle, another Comyn stronghold, suggests shared design and purpose. Visitors reach the site by a short walk from the lochside car park along a grassy path. The ruins stand exposed on the island, offering clear views across the water and surrounding moorland. The scale of the surviving masonry gives a sense of the castle’s former strength. The loch itself is quiet, with few boats, so the atmosphere is undisturbed. The combination of water, ruins and open sky makes Lochindorb Castle a quiet but impressive place to explore.