Used in the movie as the home of the MacLeods, Eilean Donan is actually situated on Loch Duich, near the isle of Skye. It was originally built in 1220 but has been much altered and added to over the centuries and is probably one of the most photographed castles in Scotland. I've found a couple of websites - the official Eilean Donan site, and an unnofficial one. They both have some lovely pictures of the Castle.

Eilean Donan was the ancestral home of clan MacRae from the late 14th century, when they were left in charge by the owners, the MacKenzies. The MacRaes by this time had been the hereditary constables of Eilean Donan for generations. The castle was wrecked by bombardment from the Royal Navy in 1719 while it was being garrisoned by Spanish troops, in support of the 'Old Pretender' (James Francis Edward Stewart, the Catholic son of the exiled James II, and father of Bonnie Prince Charlie). The castle is said to be haunted by the ghost of a Spanish soldier who died in the destruction.

 

Eilean Donan lay in ruins for many years until it was lovingly restored early this century by Colonel John MacRae, a direct descendant of the last constable, between 1912 and 1932. Last time I went they had a small exhibition about filming Highlander there and a display of Scottish claymores amongst other Clan MacRae memorabilia. (If you want big swords, go to the Wallace Monument by Stirling. William Wallace’s sword is on display, and it’s absolutely huge!).

Loch Duich is said to have it's own monster a la Nessie and several sightings have been reported. It is also reputed to be a place where Selkies come to change their form. A Selkie is a creature that lives part of it's life as a human and part as a seal, though they were originally entirely human. They must assume their seal form regularly to survive. I must admit that to the best of my knowledge I've never seen either the monster or the Selkies. That isn't to say they don't exist though...

This is a capture of Eilean Donan from the first Highlander film. Click on the thumbnail to access the larger image.

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