⚓ Scottish AnchoragesCharles Warlow
Lochaline Castle
Lochaline Castle

There are loads of castles from the well restored and occupied like Castle Duart and Mingary Castle, to the crumbling and very ruined Ardtornish Castle. Eighty are in Argyll alone, I understand, out of about 2000 in Scotland. For maximum castle density head for the Sound of Mull. Or take your pick from, in alphabetical order of anchorage:

Achadun Castle, Lismore: very ruined

Ardencaple Bay, Firth of Lorne: Ardfad Castle; hardly anything left

Ardtornish Bay, Sound of Mull: Ardtornish Castle, ruined, great viewpoint

Aros Castle, Sound of Mull: ruined

Canna: Coroghan Castle, very ruined but lovely beach

Castle Sween, Kintyre: massive ruin, plus caravans

Dallens Bay, Lower Loch Linnhe: Castle Stalker, picture post card, and does tours

Duart Castle, Sound of Mull: the epicentre of Clan Maclean, well worth a visit

Dunstaffnage, Lower Loch Linnhe: good example of medieval castle, quite a lot left

Gallanach Bay, Firth of Lorne: Duntrune Castle, privately owned, restored

Garvellachs, Firth of Lorne: Dun Chonnuill castle, hardly anything left, hard of access

Gylen Castle, Firth of Lorne: great position, a lot of ruin to inspect

Kinlochaline Castle, Loch Aline, Sound of Mull: privately owned, hidden away

Lagavulin, Islay: Dunyvaig castle, very ruined

Loch Breachacha, Coll: the old castle, restored, privately owned

Loch Buie, South and East Mull: Castle Moy, ruined but now stabilised

Loch Moidart, North of Ardnamurchan: Tioram Castle, disintegrating

Mingary Bay, Loch Sunart: Mingary Castle, now a boutique hotel

Oban, Firth of Lorne: Dunollie Castle, now less creepy than it was, a sanitised ruin of note 

Port na Moralachd, Lismore: Castle Coeffin, ruined

Rum: Kinloch Castle, a must see before it is too late, but maybe it already is

Shuna, Lower Loch Linnhe: ruined

Shuna, Loch Melfort: ruined

South Shian, Loch Creran: Barcaldine Castle, wonderfully restored L-plan house, now an up-market B&B

Tarbert Castle, Head of Loch Tarbert, Kintyre: best view outside from afar 

Torosay, Sound of Mull: Victorian Gothic, now closed to the public