Duart Castle

Castles

Lochdon, Isle Of Mull, Argyll, PA64 6AP

Tel: +44 (1680) 812309

or +44 (1577) 830311

Visit the ancestral home of Clan McLean on the Isle of Mull.

Spectacularly situated on a clifftop overlooking the intersection Sound of Mull, Loch Linne and the Firth of Lorne, this imposing castle has been the base of Clan MacLean for over 400 years. Dating from the 13th century, Duart was originally a rectangular wall enclosing a courtyard. In 1350 Lachlan Lubanach, the 5th chief, married Mary Macdonald, the daughter of the Lord of the Isles and she was given Duart as her dowry. It was Lachlan who ordered the building of the impressive tower house on the outside of the curtain wall. Later in the mid 17th century the castle was extended once again with the addition of small vaulted cellars with a within the courtyard on the South East side and a two story gatehouse. In 1691 the Macleans surrendered Duart and all their lands on Mull to the Duke of Argyll. The castle, although in a fairly ruinous condition was used as a garrison for government troops until 1751. It was abandoned until 1910 when it was purchased by Sir Fitzroy Maclean, 26th chief. He then set about the enormous task of restoring the building to its present condition. It has since served as a filming location for number of motion pictures, most notably the 1999 film Entrapment with Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Information

Duart Castle Website

Gradings

4 Castle

Opening Times

Open All Year

2013 Opening Times (28/03/2013 - 18/10/2013)

* 2013 Opening Times: Open Thursday 28th March for Easter Weekend April – Sunday to Thursday, 11am to 4pm. May to October – Daily 10:30am to 5pm Castle closes 18th October. (Tearoom and Gift Shop close 11th October)

Road Directions

Oban - Glasgow (3hrs)

The straighter road is through Invereray and Dalmally.

Oban - Edinburgh (3½hrs)

Drive through Stirling, Callender and Crianlarich.

Oban - Perth (2¾ hrs)

Drive through Crieff and Crianlarich.

All times are approximate. If you're taking your car on the ferry you must arrive at the ferry terminal in Oban 30 mins before departure time.

Driving on Mull

Most roads to Mull are single track. Please take care and use the passing places to allow overtaking as well as allowing cars from the opposite direction to pass, use the passing space on the left or stop on the road opposite a passing place on the right.

Public Transport Directions

Getting there by railway:- From Oban Station, contact Caledonian MacBrayne to discover ferry times to Craignure on the Island of Mull. On Mull take the A849 for Iona, after 2 miles turn onto the road to Duart Castle. If you have no car then it is a 3 miles walk or buy a ticket for the Duart Coach, whose bus will bring you to Duart.

Getting there by aeroplane:- From Glasgow Airport, take the M8 for Greenock and then onto the M898 over the Erskine Bridge, turn onto A82 for Crianlarich. At Crianlarich turn left and turn left at Tyndrum onto the A85 to Oban.In Oban contact Caledonian MacBrayne to discover ferry times toCraignure on The Island of Mull. On Mull take the A849 for Iona, after 1 and a half miles turn left onto the road for Kilpatrick, Duart is 1 and a half miles. If you have no car then it is a 3 mile walk or buy a ticket for the Duart Coach whose bus will bring you to Duart.

Getting there by ferry:- At Craignure, the Duart Coach, meets the 10am, 12 noon and 2pm ferries, Sunday to Friday. The coach is easy to identify as it is painted with the Duart Castle logo.

On Saturday the timings are slightly different, 10.30am and 12.30pm.

The ferry journey takes 40 minutes and the coach trip to the castle takes 10 minutes.