Castle Tioram and Loch Moidart

The oldest parts of the castle were built in the 13th century and until it was burned in 1715 it was the principal seat of the Chief of Clanranald. Its ivy-clad walls, still intact, reach a height of 60 feet (18 metres) in places and enclose a two-tiered courtyard some 80 feet (24 metres) across.

To explore the castle, it is best to enter by a narrow passage in the north wall that leads to the keep in the south-west corner. There is a three-storeyed hall in the east corner and the kitchen in the south-east corner (featuring an old oven and a well — the latter reputedly bottomless, but now choked), with remnants of spiral staircases climbing to the parapets. After exploring the interior, a walk around the outside gives an idea of its impregnability, and a steep little path leads down to a small bay on the west shore of the island from where the castle looks very impressive indeed.

Loch Moidart is a lovely sea loch studded with sandy bays and tree-clad islands. A 19th-century path known as the Silver Walk (named after a cache of old silver coins found during construction) follows the loch's rocky shoreline north of the castle. Paved with rock steps in places, it has deteriorated over the years into an adventurous, often boggy walk requiring good balance and footwear.

In early summer this is the spot for lovely displays of rhododendrons and woodland scenery, with close-up views of the loch and the two beautifully wooded islands of Riska and Eilean an Fheidh enclosing a sheltered stretch of water where boats anchor and seals seek shelter from the open sea.

From the shores of Loch Moidart a path climbs 500 feet (150 metres) onto the moor to link the Silver Walk with the roadside near Castle Tioram. Overgrown and boggy in parts, it passes through an eerie abandoned village offering superb views over Loch Moidart, two lovely moorland lochans, and out to sea towards the distant islands of Eigg and Muck.

Acknowledgment: Text derived from the Out and Out Series; Discovering the Countryside on Foot. Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia.