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A broken stone arch of Strome Castle on its grassy bluff above Loch Carron.
Wester Ross

Strome Castle

The ruin of a 15th-century castle on a rocky bluff above the Strome Narrows on Loch Carron, blown up by the Mackenzies in 1602.

Welcome

On a rocky bluff above the narrows of Loch Carron stand the broken walls of Strome Castle, a single arch framing the water beyond.

The castle was built in the 1400s to guard the narrows and the old ferry crossing here, with steep drops to the shore on three sides.

It changed hands often, and in 1539 James V granted it to the Macdonalds of Glengarry, who then spent sixty years fighting the Mackenzies of Kintail to keep it. The end came in 1602. With Kenneth Mackenzie's siege about to fail, women of the garrison fetching water mistakenly poured it into the gunpowder barrel. A Mackenzie prisoner overheard the row, slipped away and told his chief the castle could not fight on. The Macdonalds surrendered, and the Mackenzies blew the castle up.

The path in is short but rough; take care near the edges. The views up and down the loch are superb.

A short drive awayKishorn Selfie BoxIt might look like just another red telephone box, but the Kishorn Selfie Box has been made into a selfie station.11 min by roadSee itRed telephone box converted into a village book exchange, decorated with Saltire flags and bunting
Before you go

The ruin is open at all times and free.

The path from the road is short but rough, and the bluff drops steeply on three sides, so wear good shoes and take care.

Where
Strome, on the north shore of Loch Carron, IV54 8YJ.
Built
In the 1400s.
Destroyed
1602.
Where it is

At Strome on the north-west shore of Loch Carron, south-west of Lochcarron village, at the end of the old ferry road.

Close byLochcarron.
  1. Cars parked outside the Spar and Post Office in LochcarronLochcarron4 miles8 min by road
  2. Timber-clad Bealach Café and Gallery below snow-streaked mountains under blue skyThe Bealach Café and Gallery9 miles13 min by road
  3. Hiker in red on a rocky outcrop above a winding glen roadMeall Gorm StrathcarronMeall Gorm is 949m high and is part of the Fannaichs.15 miles20 min by road
  4. Bealach na Bà's hairpin road winds through the glen towards Loch KishornBealach na BàThe great pass to Applecross.15 miles21 min by road
  5. Seals resting on seaweed-covered rocks with forested hills beyondCalum's Seal TripsSeals on Loch Carron from Plockton.22 miles34 min by road
Directions
Red telephone box converted into a village book exchange, decorated with Saltire flags and buntingAttractionsKishorn Selfie Box7.5 miles
Cars parked at a roadside viewpoint amid moorland hillsAttractionsThe Bealach na Bà15 miles
A white two-storey house stands on a grassy point above a rocky shoreline, pine trees rising behind it at sunset.Wester RossRhuroinSleeps 3 · 19 miles
A gable-fronted white and stone house glows from within at dusk, its triangular glazed end lit against the darkening hillside.ArdheslaigThe Net StoreSleeps 4 · 21 miles
Stay nearby

Places to stay near the castle, and when each is next free.

Stone-walled cottage interior with wood-burning stove, leather sofa and kitchen tableLusa Bothy
  • To stay
  • In Wester Ross
  • 12 miles from Strome Castle
Check datesA white two-storey house stands on a grassy point above a rocky shoreline, pine trees rising behind it at sunset.Rhuroin
  • Sleeps 3
  • In Wester Ross
  • 13 miles from Strome Castle
Check datesA gable-fronted white and stone house glows from within at dusk, its triangular glazed end lit against the darkening hillside.The Net Store
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Ardheslaig
  • 14 miles from Strome Castle
Check datesA freestanding bath stands on a decked platform beside a red timber shed, potted plants and a wooden fence surrounding the garden.Ptarmigan Cottage
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Wester Ross
  • 15 miles from Strome Castle
Free 21–25 NovPlaces to stayEvery stay in Wester RossAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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