Urquhart Castle closes for £300,000 upgrade work, but visitor centre stays open
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The visitor centre remains open but the paths at the castle itself will be off limits while new non-slip surfaces are installed, and a new stairway is created in the Grant Tower to give visitors easier access to the viewing platform.
Historical Environment Scotland, which manages the site, said the new staircase will be crafted from oak supplied by an Inverness firm – although tourists who prefer the tower’s traditional spiral staircase will still be able to use it.
The visitor centre will also see its toilets refurbished, with the shop following suit in late March.
From mid-March, much of the castle will be open as normal, with restrictions only on the Grant Tower, while installation of the stairway is completed.
Visitor services manager Euan Fraser said “We welcomed more than 480,000 people to the castle last year. These improvements mean we will have the best possible facilities to welcome our visitors over the coming years.
“The new staircase in the Grant Tower will make access easier, giving more people a chance to enjoy the unrivalled view over the loch. We’re also very pleased to have the opportunity to work with local suppliers.
“We don’t want to turn anyone away while work is going on, so the visitor centre and café will be open as normal, but for the next few weeks access to the castle itself will be limited.
“We are reducing ticket prices while work is going on, and will be advising visitors of the other great sites that they can visit in the local area, such as Fort George, Beauly Priory and Clava Cairns.”
