Dolbadarn Castle

• The round keep, the dominant surviving feature, with a single stair leading up inside it.
• Low ruins of the rest of the castle, including slate-slab curtain walling, spread across the rocky knoll.
• Wide views over Llyn Padarn, the village below and the mountain pass inland.
• A short, scenic walk in and out through fields and farm tracks above Llanberis.

Access to the top of the tower is by a single ruinous staircase that is narrow and awkward, and the interior space is small. Guardrails are in place, and there are posted warnings about falls and falling masonry. Take the steps slowly, keep hold where handrails exist, and do not climb over fixed installations or onto walls. If you are uneasy on tight, worn stairs, or carrying small children, the views from the base and the rock outside are still excellent without going up.

The castle was probably built by Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, Llywelyn the Great, in the late 12th or early 13th century. It guarded the strategic route through the Llanberis Pass inland from Caernarfon toward the upper Conwy Valley and formed part of the defences of the medieval kingdom of Gwynedd. It is one of a group of mountain castles associated with Llywelyn, which is why a comparatively modest ruin occupies such a commanding rock.

• Plan food, water and toilets in Llanberis before you walk up, as facilities are not confirmed at the castle itself.
• Dogs on short leads are allowed on the ground-floor levels of the site.
• Take a windproof layer; the knoll is exposed even when the village feels sheltered.
• Combining the castle with a walk by Llyn Padarn makes an easy, rewarding outing from the village.