Appin travel guide

The road runs around Loch Creran and enters the district of Appin, made famous in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Kidnapped, which was based on the ‘Appin Murder’ of ‘The Red Fox – Campbell of Glenure’ – in 1752 for which the prominent Jacobite, James Stewart was tried by a ‘kangaroo court’ of Campbells and subsequently hung in Ballachulish with his body left to rot for three years. A road turns southwest off the main Fort William road to Port Appin, on the western tip of the peninsula, the departure point for the passenger ferry to Lismore. To the north of Port Appin is the irresistibly photogenic Castle Stalker. Standing on its own tiny island with a background of islands and hills, it’s probably second only to the famous Eilean Donan in its portrayal of Scotland’s romantic image. It was built upon the remnants of a previous MacDougall stronghold built in the 15th century by the Stewarts of Appin before falling into Campbell hands after the ill-fated 1745 rebellion. The current owners open it to the public for a limited period in July and August. Check opening times at the tourist office in Oban. Castle Stalker View Cafe overlooks the castle from the north and is a great place to eat and photograph the ancient site .