Summary

A Category A listed tower house castle on a small tidal island in Loch Laich, an inlet of Loch Linnhe in Argyll, Scotland, built in its current form by Clan Stewart around the 1440s, occupying an island linked to the shore by a causeway at low tide; restored in the 1960s and remaining in private ownership; used as a filming location for Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), Highlander: Endgame (2000), Sense8 (Netflix, 2016), and Black Mirror (Netflix, 2023).

About this location

Castle Stalker stands on a small tidal islet in Loch Laich, a shallow inlet of Loch Linnhe on the Appin coast of Argyll, approximately twenty-five miles south of Fort William. The castle is visible from the A828 road between Connel and Ballachulish and is one of the most photographed castles in Scotland, its four-storey tower rising from the water against a backdrop of the mountains of Morvern.

The site has been fortified since at least the early 14th century. A first structure was built around 1320 by Clan MacDougall, who were then Lords of Lorn. Around 1388 the Lordship of Lorn passed to the Stewarts of Appin, and the castle was rebuilt in its present rectangular tower form in approximately the 1440s. The tower is four storeys high, with walls of rubble and ashlar dressing rising directly from the rock of the islet. King James VI of Scotland is recorded as visiting the castle, and around 1620 it passed to Clan Campbell following a wager. After several changes of ownership between the Stewarts and Campbells, the castle was finally abandoned by the Campbells around 1840 when it lost its roof.

The castle was acquired by Charles Stewart of Achara in 1908, who carried out basic conservation work. In 1965, Lt. Col. D.R. Stewart Allward took ownership and over approximately ten years fully restored the castle, reinstating the floors and roof. Castle Stalker remains in private ownership by the Allward family and is open to the public at selected times during the summer months.

The castle’s dramatic island setting has made it a sought-after filming location. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Python Pictures/Michael White, 1975, directed by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones) used Castle Stalker as the exterior of “The Castle Aaaaarrrrrrggghhh”, the final destination of King Arthur’s quest, seen at the film’s climax — the same production also used Doune Castle more extensively. Highlander: Endgame (Davis-Panzer/Miramax, 2000, directed by Douglas Aarniokoski, starring Adrian Paul and Christopher Lambert) used the castle as a location. Sense8 (Netflix, 2016, produced by Lana and Lilly Wachowski) used it as the Scottish estate of the “Old Man of Hoy”. Black Mirror’s episode “Loch Henry” (Netflix, 2023, directed by Sam Miller, written by Charlie Brooker) used the castle and surrounding landscape as a primary location.