Armadale Castle on the Isle of Skye is one of the island’s most popular tourist attractions. The estate, which served as the MacDonalds of Sleat’s former clan stronghold, is now under the control of a nonprofit organisation that promotes Clan Donald history.
Visitors can explore extensive grounds that feature an arboretum, landscaped gardens, woodland walks, and a children’s play park, as well as the castle ruins and a fascinating museum.
| Address: | Armadale, Sleat, Isle of Skye, IV45 8RS |
| Opening Hours: | Gardens, Museum & Gift Shop: Open daily 09.30-17.00. Last entry 16.30 Stables Cafe: Open daily 10.00-16.00 |
| Admission Price: | Adult: £14.00 Concessions: £12.00 (65 and over, students with ID card) Child under 5: Free Child 5-17: £8.00 Family: £38 Disabled carer: Free |
| Parking: | Free on-site parking |
| Contact: | 01471 844305 office@armadalecastle.com |
| Facilities: | Museum, gardens, cafe, gift shop, toilets |
| Photos: | Virtual Tour YouTube Video |
Overview
The Sleat Peninsula on the Isle of Skye is easily missed by first-time tourists, mainly because day-trippers tend to make a beeline straight to the centre of the island. Attractions like The Storr and the Fairy Pools are certainly worth visiting, but the fact is, that’s exactly what everyone else is doing. Meanwhile, the southwest of the island is just as scenic and has almost as many places to visit, the highlight of which has to be Armadale Castle and Gardens.
The Armadale estate covers a mightily impressive 20,000 acres and during a visit you’ll be able to explore landscaped gardens, woodland trails, a fascinating museum and the castle ruins, as well as an exceptional café and a children’s play park.
The gardens and the museum are the main events though, as the castle is really just the ruins of a stately home that’s sadly closed to the public.
Behind Armadale Castle lie further landscaped gardens, ponds, an arboretum, and the award-winning Museum of the Isles. The museum is surprisingly big and has plenty of exhibits that will interest all ages, including children’s trails where they can discover the story of the Highlands and islands and six interconnecting galleries that examine Skye’s culture and history.
In total, you can expect to spend around an hour in the museum, an hour in the gardens and woodland surrounding the castle, and another one to two hours on the walking trails. There’s also a children’s play park, a café set in a restored stable, and a gift shop, meaning a visit to Armadale Castle and Grounds will keep most families occupied for a good chunk of the day.
The Highlights
1: The grounds at Armadale are lovely and, in my opinion, rival the equally magnificent Brodick Castle gardens on Arran. The entire estate is vast, at over 20,000 acres, and it’s possible to go on a great walk around it during a visit. There are a number of paths that offer an hour or two of countryside walks, and once you reach the hillside sections, you’ll be rewarded with superb views of Mallaig and the Knoydart Peninsula.
2: The museum is a very enjoyable addition to this attraction. It’s set in a corner of the estate behind the castle ruins and it’s much bigger inside than you might expect. A self-guided tour of the museum allows visitors to learn the history of Skye and Clan MacDonald through a series of informative displays and curated exhibits.
3: The café at the entrance is excellent. I wouldn’t normally include a café as a highlight, but the one at Armadale Castle has friendly staff, delicious food, and is set in restored 19th-century stables.
Visiting Tips
1: Take your time exploring the grounds, as they’re the focal point of a visit to Armadale Castle. The ‘castle’ is completely in ruin and is inaccessible to the public, so other than snapping a few photos, you’ll spend no more than a few minutes looking at it. The grounds are enormous, though, and the spiderweb of footpaths that thread their way around the estate deserves to be explored in their entirety.
2: If you have children with you, you pretty much have to take them to the play park near the entrance. The park has lots of wooden swings and things to jump and climb in and there’s a lovely viewpoint at the far end where parents can stand and take in the stunning views of the mainland.
3: Make sure you get a map of the estate from the ticket office. Although the trails are marked, it would be easy to miss out on them if you didn’t know where they started. There’s a red trail that takes visitors along the shore of the Sound of Sleat for 1.5 miles and a blue trail behind it that heads off into Armadale Hill for 1.7 miles.
Tourist Information
Getting to Armadale Castle and Gardens is easy, especially if you’re visiting Skye via the ferry from Mallaig. The ferry port at Armadale is less than a mile from the castle entrance, so you’ll be able to get there in around 15 minutes on foot or 2-3 minutes by car. Alternatively, from the Skye Bridge, it’s a 30-minute drive to Armadale via the A87 and A851.
When you arrive you’ll find a car park at the entrance next to the stables café as well as a bus stop on the A851 which is ideal for exploring the area by public transport for anyone staying in the estate’s self-catering lodges.
Heading into the gardens, you’ll pass the ticket office and gift shop, after which you’re free to wander around the estate at your leisure, though no doubt you’ll head straight to the castle first. The paths in this area of the estate are wide and comprised of well-maintained tarmac, so all abilities will be able to get around them, including wheelchair users and parents pushing buggies.
The path leading to the play park spurs off in the direction of the shore, while the castle is straight ahead on Lord MacDonald’s Drive. Sadly, the ruins are barricaded, so you can’t do much more than walk around the buildings, but at least you’ll have spectacular views from the manicured lawn at the front.
Another grassy area at the back of the castle has three lovely ponds to the west, along with trees and a lovely flower border surrounding it. Walking a little further to the north, you’ll find the museum, which is free to enter, so if you need the toilet, I recommend heading inside as there aren’t any others in the estate apart from the café at the entrance.
The museum has an exceptional collection of exhibits that tell the story of the Lords of the Isles as well as the story of Clan Donald and there are informative displays that explain historic moments in Skye’s history, including the Jacobite uprisings and the Highland clearances.
The collection features numerous weapons, portraits and everyday objects used by the working men and women of Skye, along with lots of information panels, all of which are very thoughtfully presented. It’s no wonder the museum is an award winner.
These areas – the museum, the castle, and the gardens – make up the bulk of the attraction and it would be easy to spend an entire afternoon in that section without venturing further into the estate, though you’d be missing out on some exceptional walking trails.
There are two waymarked footpaths heading up the hill behind Armadale Castle, both of which will take around an hour to complete. During my visit, I walked both routes, and I’m happy to report that they both offer stunning views along the way.
The red trail sticks to the lower region of the estate, heading north along the shoreline before diverting through woodland and up a hill, while the blue trail spurs north through woodland and fields. Both paths follow a mild incline where there’s a good chance you’ll be rewarded with sightings of red deer and golden eagles.
Things to Do
Explore Armadale Castle: Spend time exploring Armadale Castle and Gardens. Once the ancestral home of Clan MacDonald, it’s now one of Skye’s top tourist attractions.
Visit the Museum of the Isles: Dive into the history and culture of the Scottish Isles at the museum. With six interconnecting galleries, you can gain a deep understanding of Skye’s heritage from the earliest settlers to the people who live there in the present day.
Walk through Armadale Gardens: The 40-acre woodland gardens offer a serene experience and are a haven for gardeners and nature enthusiasts alike. Home to a wide variety of trees, shrubs, and flowers – many of which are not native to Scotland – Armadale Gardens are worth the entry price alone.
Stay Overnight: The Sleat Peninsula is one of the most beautiful parts of Skye, and visitors who book a self-catering cabin at Armadale Castle can wake up to spectacular views of the sun rising over the mountains of Knoydart and the twinkling waters of the Sound of Sleat.
Enjoy Local Cuisine: Visit the castle’s café, which offers delicious locally sourced dishes. The cafe is located in a restored stable block, which has lovely views overlooking the gardens thanks to an outdoor terrace. It’s the perfect way to wind down after a day of exploration.
Things to Do Nearby
Tormore Community Forest. Isle of Skye, IV45 8RU. 6-minute drive.
A community-owned and managed forest that offers lovely walks into the hills of Sleat. A number of footpaths run through the forest which offers visitors superb views of the mainland as well as plentiful wildlife spotting opportunities (sea eagles are a common sight).
Sandy Beach. Aird of Sleat, IV45 8RN. 15-minute drive plus a 30-minute walk.
A beautiful golden-sand beach that is sheltered and is a popular location for swimming.
Point of Sleat. Aird of Sleat, IV45 8RN. 1/2 mile south of Sandy Beach.
This promontory is the furthest southwest point on Skye and is a popular destination for walkers exploring the Sleat Peninsula.
Torabhaig Distillery. Teangue, IV44 8RE. 9-minute drive.
A traditional Scotch whisky distillery featuring guided tours, whisky tastings, a gift shop and a café.
Armadale Bay Beach. Armadale, IV45 8RB. 1 mile from Armadale Castle.
This is a small beach near the Armadale ferry jetty. The beach is an ideal departure point for sea kayaks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What castles are on the Isle of Skye?
Armadale Castle – Former home of Clan MacDonald. The estate features a ruined castle, expansive gardens and woodland, and a museum.
Caisteal Maol – ruined castle near the village of Kyleakin.
Dun Ringill – A ruined hill fort on the Strathaird peninsula that was the stronghold of Clan MacKinnon.
Dunscaith Castle – Ruined castle situated on a coastal promontory in the Parish of Sleat.
Duntulm Castle – Ruined Castle situated on the coast of the Trotternish Peninsula. It was the stronghold of Clan MacDonald of Sleat.
Dunvegan Castle – Large castle that was originally constructed in the 13th century. The castle is located north of Dunvegan where it served as the home of Clan MacLeod.
Knock Castle – A ruined castle that is a former stronghold of Clan MacDonald. The castle is located five miles north of Armadale.
Who owns Armadale Castle?
The Clan Donald Lands Trust oversees Armadale Castle Estate, which includes the castle ruins, museum, landscaped gardens, and 20,000 acres of land.
What happened at Armadale Castle?
Armadale Castle is a ruined fortified manor house that was built in 1790 and extended in 1815. The house was partially destroyed by fire in 1855 and abandoned by the MacDonald family in 1925, after which it was left to fall into ruin.
Where is Clan Donald from?
Clan Donald, also known as Clan MacDonald, is one of the largest Scottish clans. They had strongholds throughout the Western Isles, including Islay, Mull, Jura, Arran, and Skye, as well as castles on the mainland. The clan can trace its roots to the Norse Lords of the Isles and the ruler Somerled, whose descendent Dugall mac Somhairle (died 1175) was a King of the Isles.
The MacDonald dynasty also has bloodlines mixed with those of the High Kings of Ireland. Recent DNA studies of living clan members prove the lineage has a mix of Norse and Irish descendants.
When was Armadale Castle built?
The Clan Donald, who had owned the land for centuries, constructed Armadale Castle in the early 19th century. The castle was designed in the Scottish Baronial style and features a number of towers and turrets.
It was completed in 1815, and the Armadale area of the estate was retained by the Macdonald family,Clan Donald,until 1971, when the charity Clan Donald Lands Trust was set up to purchase part of the traditional Macdonald estates and ensure ownership of Armadale and the surrounding area was retained by the Clan.
Other parts of the Macdonald Estates, including North Uist, were sold in 1855.
Is Armadale Castle and Grounds pushchair friendly?
All indoor areas of Armadale Castle and Gardens are wheelchair and pushchair friendly, including the museum and the cafe. The majority of the main paths around the outside of the castle are gravel and tarmac and are also pushchair and wheelchair friendly.
