Lochranza Castle

Dating back to the 13th century, only the ruins remain of the fortified tower house known as Lochranza Castle. Once believed to have been a royal hunting lodge, the castle was used as a template for the castle in The Adventures of Tintin book ‘The Black Island’ and is now cared for by Historic Scotland.

Visitors to Arran often miss out on this side of the island but the scenery around Lochranza Castle is stunning and shouldn’t be missed. The castle is sitting right out on a promontory on the loch next to the village of Lochranza and with a mountain backdrop. It can be seen from all parts of the village so great for that special holiday photo. The castle is a ruin now but you can access the ground floor and some of the first floor. It was built in the 1200s for the MacSween family but has changed hands several times and has been disused since the 1700s. It has an interesting history and is now cared for by Historic Environment Scotland.