Going to Skye, Oban, Mull, and Callander area over 12 days with rental car. If we only had time to do one castle what would be the most interesting one to visit?

Can you confirm if your interest is in ruins or furnished houses?

furnished I guess. I've never been to a castle before.

So many choices for this topic. I guess my first choice in Scotland and maybe all of UK for scenic appeal is Eilean Donan near Skye. Also interesting is Glamis castle and I could go on and on--

Stirling was wonderful. I wouldnt miss it - and I would wait for one of the guides to give you the tour. Our guide was animated and really brought things to life for us...

And I would agree with Margo about Eilean Donan for pure aesthetics....it is what you think of when you think "castle".

As for others....
We made a quick stopoff at Duone Castle in Duone, and though it was closed, we had a nice time walking around the outside. It is a small, very rustic early medieval castle.
We went to Balloch castle - which was closed to the public and reallly, really run-down. The park surrounding it made for a nice break from a long ride in the car though. We walked down to the water and were treated with a nice view. Castle itself is a total bust.

We also went to Dunvegan Castle while on Skye. It is a worth a visit, but not very spectacular. It seems really run-down - like the family that owns it really cant afford to maintain it anymore. The video about the castle which runs on a loop in the basement - was probably filmed in 1970.
Though the stories behind the family that lived here and the people in history that have visited here are quite interesting. There are relics of family members that visited Africa, stories about rich heirs marrying women 1/4 their age, a small exhibit about a town of people that lived on a remote island (sending their mail by "message in a bottle" ). And the Castle's collection of art/portraits was wonderful.

I think the scenery and exterior of Eilean Donan are perfect. However, the inside is a major disappointment-somewhat touristy and tacky.

If you are going to Mull, then Torosay Castle is very attractive http://www.torosay.com/
The gardens are very beautiful
For something more bleak and rugged, there is Duart Castle http://www.duartcastle.com/

W/ 12 days on that route you will have time for <b>many</b> more than one castle. Castles are thick on the ground in Scotland so you will pass many and be close to many more.

A very short list of ones near Skye, Oban, Mull, Callander would include:

Oban - Dunsstaffnage, Kilchurn
Mull - Craignure, Torosay
Skye - Dunvegan, Eilean Donan (exterior only - so it only take minutes)
Callander - Stirling, Doune, Inchmahome Priory (not a castle but a really lovely ruin)

All of the above are basically on your routes w/o even taking detours.

The musts for me would be Kilchurn, Stirling, Inchmahome, Craignure, Dunvegan and the outside of Eilean Donan (But you really can fit all of them in w/o much effort)

Shoot - I said Craignure TWICE and meant <u>Duart</u> (it is at Craignure where the ferries land.

we saw Sterling, Doune (where Monty Python's Holy Grail was filmed), and Castle Campbell from Callendar. My favorite castle (ruin) in Scotalnd is Treave castle, but it is quite a ways away

I visited Duart Castle with my backpack oooh just about 30 years ago and I still have the mugs I bought to prove it!