Dunluce Castle / Pyke Castle of House Greyjoy

Exterior shots of Dunluce Castle were used in Game of Thrones for Pyke Castle of House Greyjoy on Pyke Island. But that’s not the only exciting thing about this 16th-century structure. It has many other claims to fame and tales from within its walls.

Featuring on the HBO TV series wasn’t the first time that Dunluce Castle was shown to the world. In the early 70s, it also featured on the inner sleeve of the Led Zeppelin album Houses of the Holy. It was also the one-time home of the famous Scottish warrior chieftain Sorely Boy MacDonnell. It was during Sorely’s reign that the Girona, a vessel from the Spanish Armada, was caught in a storm and wrecked on nearby rocks. The canons were taken from the ship and installed as the castle’s security system.

A local legend also claims that at one time, due to cliff beneath the castle eroding, the castle’s kitchen suddenly plummeted into the sea. The only member of staff left alive was the kitchen boy. He was sitting on a stool in the inside corner of the room when it fell.