Inverness in Highland, Scotland, United Kingdom — Northwestern Europe (the British Isles)
Loch Ness and the Great Glen
Photographed By Michael Herrick, August 26, 2018
1. Loch Ness and the Great Glen Marker
People have sought to control this route since ancient times. The castle commands Loch Ness as well as Glen Urquhart, which includes the best farmland in the area.
The Loch Ness Lynchpin
Traces of the earliest locals date back some 5,000 years and there was probably an important Pictish fortification here by the middle of the first millennium AD.
Medieval Urquhart was the prosperous hub of a network that brought timber, cattle hide and other raw materials from the Highlands to the markets of Inverness and beyond.
Waterside Guest House
Guests may have stayed in the building on your right in the 1200s. Later, it might have been used as a smithy.
Did You Know …
The last recorded beavers in mainland Britain lived nearby before the species was hunted to extinction in the 1500s. The animals were reintroduced as a trial in Argyll in 2009.
‘Ther was an erth-quak quhilk maid all the North parts of Scotland to trirable’ [quhilk: which; trirable: tremble] James Melvill, 1597
Earthquakes and Glaciers
The castle sits on top of an epic geological struggle —
this page online
Loch Ness is the longest of the lochs scooped from the glen by Ice Age glaciers. Its deepest point, which at 227m is more than twice the average depth of the North Sea, is right in front of you.
( photo captions )
- Below: Beavers have recently returned to Scotland. - Left: Timothy Pont’s map of 1580 shows Urquhart guarding the route along Loch Ness.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Forts and Castles. A significant historical year for this entry is 2009.
Location. 57° 19.439′ N, 4° 26.491′ W. Marker is in Inverness, Scotland, in Highland. Marker can be reached from Scotland Route A82, 3.7 kilometers south of River Enrick (Route A831), on the left when traveling south. Located at Urquhart Castle. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Inverness, Scotland IV63 6XL, United Kingdom. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Service Close (a few steps from this marker); The Great Kitchen (a few steps from this marker); The Great Raid of 1545 (a few steps from this marker); The Great Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); The Stables (within shouting distance of this marker); The Chapel
Photographed By Michael Herrick, August 26, 2018
2. Loch Ness and the Great Glen Marker
Also see . . .
1. Urquhart Castle. (Submitted on December 10, 2018, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
2. Urquhart Castle on Wikipedia. (Submitted on December 10, 2018, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
Photographed By Michael Herrick, August 26, 2018
3. Loch Ness and the Great Glen Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on January 27, 2022. It was originally submitted on December 10, 2018, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut. This page has been viewed 325 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 10, 2018, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.
