Castle Stalker

Castle Stalker

A tower on a tiny island

Castle Stalker is one of the most perfectly placed castles in Scotland. A single tall tower house, four storeys high, stands alone on a tiny rocky islet in Loch Laich, a quiet sea inlet in Argyll near the village of Appin. With mountains rising behind it and the still water all around, the little castle looks like something from a dream. At low tide a stretch of seaweed-covered rock appears to link it to the shore; at high tide it is completely surrounded by the sea.

The Stewarts of Appin

The tower was built around the 1440s by the Stewarts of Appin, a Highland branch of the royal Stewart family. Its name comes from the Gaelic word Stalcaire, meaning a hunter or falconer, and tradition says it was used as a hunting lodge — there is even a story that King James IV, who loved to hunt, visited the castle. From this strong island home the Stewarts controlled the lands and waters around the loch.

Lost in a bet

One of the most famous tales about Castle Stalker tells how the Stewarts lost it. According to the story, in the seventeenth century a Stewart chief made a drunken wager with a Campbell rival and bet the castle against a small rowing boat — and lost. Whether or not it happened exactly that way, the castle did pass from the Stewarts to the Campbells, and back again, as the two great clans struggled for power in the west of Scotland.

Ruin and rescue

In time Castle Stalker was abandoned and lost its roof, and for many years it stood empty and crumbling on its island. Then, in the twentieth century, a new owner fell in love with the romantic little tower and set about restoring it. Today it is privately owned and lovingly cared for, opened to visitors only on a few special occasions each year.

A castle on screen

Castle Stalker found worldwide fame in 1975, when it appeared at the very end of the comedy film Monty Python and the Holy Grail as the mysterious "Castle of Aaargh." Its lonely, fairytale setting was perfect for the film's final scene, and fans of Monty Python still make the journey to Argyll just to glimpse it across the water.

Visiting today

Most visitors admire Castle Stalker from the shore, where a roadside viewpoint looks straight across to the island — and the sight of the grey tower mirrored in the loch, with the Highland hills behind, is one of the most photographed views in Scotland. It is a reminder that a castle does not need to be huge to be unforgettable.