Dunstaffnage Castle stands four miles north of Oban on a rocky promontory jutting into Dunstaffnage Bay, its thirteenth-century walls rising directly from the rock. It is one of the oldest and best-preserved medieval castles in Scotland and has been significant enough to figure in some of the country's most important historical moments.
The castle is managed by Historic Environment Scotland and is open to visitors most of the year. The walls are walkable and give excellent views across the Firth of Lorn toward the mountains of Mull and the entrance to Loch Etive. Beside the castle ruin stands a small roofless chapel dating from the same period — also well preserved and worth seeing. The round trip from Oban by car takes under an hour.