Dunvegan is an impressive place, strung out along the east shore of the sea loch of the same name, it does make quite a good base for exploring the interesting peninsula of Duirinish.<br> The main tourist trap in the village is Dunvegan Castle (daily: April-Oct 10am-5.30pm; Nov-March 11am-4pm; £5.50, gardens only £4) which sprawls on top of a rocky outcrop, sandwiched between the sea and several acres of beautifully maintained gardens. <br>It's been the seat of the Clan MacLeod since the thirteenth century, but the present greying, rectangular fortress, with its uniform battlements and dummy pepper pots, dates from the 1840s. Inside, you don't get a lot of castle and the contents are far from stunning, the most intriguing being the battered remnants of the Fairy Flag in the drawing room. This yellow silken flag from the Middle East may have been the battle standard of the Norwegian king, Harald Hardrada, who had been the commander of the imperial guard in Constantinople.