Hermit’s Castle is surrounded by drastic views of waves crashing against the rocks and blue waters. While the area is not the easiest to access from the South and takes over five hours to drive from Glasgow, the tiny “castle” is as unusual as it gets with its Brutalist style geometric shapes and its inside is just big enough to fit a mattress.
Located in Achmelvich three miles north-west of Lochinver, Hermit’s Castle was named the smallest castle in Europe, even though it probably doesn’t fit the definition of a castle. Moreover, no one really knows why the castle was really built, but it is not as old as one may think.
The story behind Hermit’s Castle
According to stories told, David Scott, an architect from Norwich, built Hermit’s Castle in the 1950s. It is said that the architect brought over all the materials by boat, taking around six months to complete the tiny building. It is thought Scott built Hermit’s Castle as a wee bothy, and it had some sort of windows and a door when first constructed.
However, the theories behind the random location in the middle of nowhere were never confirmed. Why did he really build it? As far as the story goes, David Scott spent six months building the castle, yet only spent a single weekend there and never returned again.
While it could be commitment issues, health issues, or something more sinister than that, planning permission has also never been officially seen by anyone.
How to find it?
Visitors can access the castle with ease from the Shore Caravan Site, or head over from the West end of Achmelvich Beach. The castle is located at the very end of the peninsula. From the caravan site, head to the end of the fence until you see an old ruin and cross through the site.
Plus, if you are parking at the Shore Caravan Site, support local businesses by grabbing some fish and chips or by popping into the on-site shop.