Castle Tioram
Castle Tioram (pronounced Cheerum or Churum) is a magical place. After the winding road, the first thing that strikes the visitor is the vast bay, surrounded by hills, with a narrow opening to the sea. Beyond, the Small Isles can be seen. At low tide, the bay is alive with waders.
The castle itself sits on a small tidal island, accessed by a shingle and sand bar at all but high tide. Framed by the trees on the island to its north, it can be breathtakingly beautiful and yet stern and forboding.
The most striking feature is the windowless, almost featureless, curtain wall. Yet as the visitor approaches, details reveal themselves -windows, crenellation, a latrine. It must be pointed out that the castle is crumbling; bureaucratic wrangling prevent both its development and its restoration. This means that it is dangerous to approach too close, and the internal parts of the castle are not accessible.
There are centuries, indeed millennia, of history in this place, which my little guide can scarcely hint at. For much more detail, wander over to the Moidart Local History Group’s website.
At low tide the mudflats are busy with waders, ducks and gulls.
Visitors in June will see the hills purple with rhododendrons
The castle perches on its dry island, dominating the bay, yet, in a way, itself dominated by the grandeur of the surrounding hills.
Sea pink or thrift carpets the sand bar approaching the castle
A tantalising (and dangerous!) glimpse inside.
Ivy clings to the western tower.
You will probably have missed it on the way in, so make sure you pause to enjoy this beautiful bridge over the River Shiel as you head away from Tioram.