How to build Highland Loch Castle in Minecraft

A Scottish highland castle on a rocky islet where three lochs meet, in the style of Eilean Donan. A long stone bridge on six arches runs out from the mainland to a gatehouse with corner turrets. Inside the curtain wall: a cobbled courtyard with a well, a crow-stepped hall range, three round towers and a tall square keep with a corbelled parapet, pepper-pot bartizans, a cap-house and the saltire flying above. The keep holds a great hall with a roaring fireplace, a long oak table, clan banners and lantern chandeliers. Pine-covered hills, heather and drifting mist surround the loch, and a rowing boat waits at the jetty. Lovely at Sunset and Night.

• DifficultyExpert
• Size98 × 70, 39 layers tall
• Blocks19,653
• Build time12–16 hours
• CategoryMedieval Castles

Open the interactive 3D plan above to build it one layer at a time: every layer has a numbered top-down plan, a block list and full-screen step-by-step instructions you can tick off as you go. You can also download it for Litematica, WorldEdit or Minecraft Bedrock, or view it in your room in AR.

Materials list

Building tips

1. Shape the islet first: a flat top at one height, then broken rocky slopes down to the water. Mix stone, andesite, cobblestone and a little mossy cobblestone so the rock never looks like one block.
2. The curtain wall follows the edge of the rock rather than a neat rectangle. Peg out the corners, join them with a wall two blocks thick, and let the wall start lower where the rock drops away so it rises straight out of the cliff.
3. Build the bridge pier by pier: two-wide piers every seven blocks with pointed cutwaters on both sides, then step the arch underside up 3, 4, 5, 4, 3 between them. Lanterns on the parapet over each pier light the way at night.
4. Scottish details sell the look: a corbelled parapet that sticks out one block from the keep on upside-down stairs, small round bartizans with pointed slate caps on the corners, and crow-stepped gables (a stepped stone edge instead of a sloped one) on the hall range.
5. In the great hall put the fireplace on the end wall with a stone mantel over it and a brick back so the fire is safe. Hang banners as strips of wool between the windows and a lantern chandelier from the beams.
6. Spread pines thinly over the hills and leave the steep crags bare. A few blocks of purple terracotta in the grass read as heather from a distance.
7. The mist is white stained glass floating one block above the hillside along a contour. It is optional, but it makes Sunset screenshots look like a postcard.

Step-by-step: all 39 layers

1. Layer 1 Andesite ×51, Sand ×49, Stone ×48, Gravel ×47, Cobblestone ×43, Stone Bricks ×40, Dirt ×31, Mossy Cobblestone ×13, Mossy Stone Bricks ×8, Cracked Stone Bricks ×7, Spruce Log ×6
2. Layer 2 Water ×2646, Stone ×64, Stone Bricks ×64, Andesite ×54, Gravel ×54, Dirt ×50, Cobblestone ×44, Sand ×21, Mossy Cobblestone ×15, Spruce Planks ×9, Mossy Stone Bricks ×8, Spruce Log ×6, Cracked Stone Bricks ×3, Oak Slab ×2, Spruce Slab ×2, Spruce Stairs ×1
3. Layer 3 Gravel ×75, Stone ×53, Stone Bricks ×53, Andesite ×44, Cobblestone ×41, Dirt ×36, Sand ×32, Mossy Cobblestone ×15, Spruce Slab ×14, Mossy Stone Bricks ×12, Cracked Stone Bricks ×9, Oak Fence ×2
4. Layer 4 Grass Block ×92, Stone Bricks ×86, Dirt ×49, Stone ×47, Cobblestone ×46, Andesite ×39, Mossy Stone Bricks ×14, Mossy Cobblestone ×13, Purple Terracotta ×12, Cracked Stone Bricks ×11, Gravel ×11, Magenta Terracotta ×10, Moss Block ×6, Spruce Fence ×1
5. Layer 5 Grass Block ×107, Stone Bricks ×105, Stone ×52, Andesite ×45, Cobblestone ×45, Dirt ×42, Cracked Stone Bricks ×18, Stone Brick Stairs ×16, Mossy Cobblestone ×15, Gravel ×13, Moss Block ×13, Mossy Stone Bricks ×13, Purple Terracotta ×10, Magenta Terracotta ×4, Spruce Log ×3, Lantern ×1
6. Layer 6 Stone Bricks ×137, Grass Block ×131, Cobblestone ×57, Stone ×47, Andesite ×46, Dirt ×30, Mossy Stone Bricks ×22, Gravel ×19, Mossy Cobblestone ×10, Moss Block ×8, Cracked Stone Bricks ×6, Magenta Terracotta ×5, Purple Terracotta ×5, Spruce Log ×4
7. Layer 7 Grass Block ×251, Cobblestone ×236, Spruce Planks ×198, Stone Bricks ×98, Gravel ×91, Moss Block ×60, Andesite ×55, Mossy Cobblestone ×52, Spruce Leaves ×40, Stone ×32, Dirt ×24, Red Carpet ×21, Mossy Stone Bricks ×15, Purple Terracotta ×13, Dirt Path ×12, Bricks ×6, Spruce Log ×6, Magenta Terracotta ×5, Cracked Stone Bricks ×1
8. Layer 8 Stone Bricks ×154, Grass Block ×116, Andesite ×58, Cobblestone ×55, Stone Brick Stairs ×51, Dirt ×49, Stone Brick Wall ×48, Spruce Leaves ×45, Stone ×45, Mossy Stone Bricks ×31, Red Carpet ×16, Cracked Stone Bricks ×15, Moss Block ×14, Purple Terracotta ×11, Spruce Stairs ×10, Bricks ×8, Gravel ×8, Magenta Terracotta ×7, Spruce Log ×7, Dirt Path ×6, Mossy Cobblestone ×5, Hay Bale ×4, Spruce Fence ×4, Chest ×3, Fire ×3, Spruce Planks ×3, Bookshelf ×2, Dark Oak Fence ×2, Cobblestone Stairs ×1, Dark Oak Door ×1, Dark Oak Stairs ×1, Spruce Door ×1, Water ×1
9. Layer 9 Stone Bricks ×177, Grass Block ×117, Spruce Leaves ×94, Andesite ×55, Cobblestone ×48, Stone ×42, Dirt ×38, Mossy Stone Bricks ×33, Cracked Stone Bricks ×16, Lantern ×11, Spruce Log ×9, Bricks ×8, Mossy Cobblestone ×8, Dirt Path ×7, Moss Block ×7, Purple Terracotta ×7, Gravel ×6, Spruce Fence ×6, Stone Brick Slab ×6, Dark Oak Slab ×5, Bookshelf ×2, Cobblestone Stairs ×1, Dark Oak Fence ×1, Hay Bale ×1, Magenta Terracotta ×1, Spruce Slab ×1
10. Layer 10 Stone Bricks ×169, Grass Block ×106, Spruce Leaves ×79, Andesite ×66, Cobblestone ×55, Dirt ×45, Stone ×42, Mossy Stone Bricks ×30, Spruce Log ×13, Cracked Stone Bricks ×12, Moss Block ×12, Lantern ×11, Gravel ×10, Bricks ×8, Mossy Cobblestone ×8, Yellow Stained Glass Pane ×8, Dirt Path ×6, Glass Pane ×6, Purple Terracotta ×5, Glowstone ×4, Iron Bars ×3, Magenta Terracotta ×2, Spruce Fence ×2, Cobblestone Stairs ×1
11. Layer 11 Stone Bricks ×158, Grass Block ×100, Spruce Leaves ×91, Andesite ×57, Cobblestone ×57, Stone ×50, Dirt ×44, Mossy Stone Bricks ×36, Yellow Stained Glass Pane ×20, Cracked Stone Bricks ×16, Bricks ×14, Mossy Cobblestone ×13, Spruce Log ×13, Stone Brick Stairs ×13, Magenta Terracotta ×9, Purple Terracotta ×9, Spruce Slab ×9, Moss Block ×7, Glass Pane ×6, Gravel ×6, Red Wool ×4, Stone Brick Slab ×4, Dirt Path ×3, Glowstone ×3, Blue Wool ×2, Green Wool ×2, Cobblestone Stairs ×1
12. Layer 12 Stone Bricks ×191, Spruce Leaves ×153, Grass Block ×102, Cobblestone ×92, Dirt ×60, Stone ×51, Andesite ×49, Cracked Stone Bricks ×19, Spruce Log ×16, Bricks ×14, Stone Brick Slab ×11, Mossy Cobblestone ×9, Moss Block ×7, Glass Pane ×6, Gravel ×6, Purple Terracotta ×6, Yellow Wool ×4, Magenta Terracotta ×2, Red Wool ×2, White Wool ×2, Cobblestone Stairs ×1
13. Layer 13 Stone Bricks ×182, Grass Block ×119, Cobblestone ×93, Spruce Leaves ×92, Dirt ×57, Stone ×44, Andesite ×35, Cracked Stone Bricks ×15, Spruce Log ×15, Bricks ×14, Lantern ×10, Moss Block ×8, Mossy Cobblestone ×7, Purple Terracotta ×7, Glass Pane ×6, Gravel ×6, Blue Wool ×4, Red Wool ×4, Dark Oak Fence ×2, Green Wool ×2, Magenta Terracotta ×2, Cobblestone Stairs ×1
14. Layer 14 Stone Bricks ×165, Cobblestone ×111, Spruce Leaves ×94, Grass Block ×91, Stone ×55, Andesite ×41, Dirt ×38, Cracked Stone Bricks ×19, Spruce Log ×15, Bricks ×14, Moss Block ×9, Stone Brick Stairs ×9, Mossy Cobblestone ×7, Magenta Terracotta ×6, Stone Brick Slab ×6, Gravel ×5, Red Wool ×5, Purple Terracotta ×4, Blue Wool ×2, Green Wool ×2, Iron Bars ×2, Yellow Wool ×2, Cobblestone Stairs ×1, Dirt Path ×1
15. Layer 15 Stone Bricks ×158, Cobblestone ×110, Grass Block ×99, Spruce Leaves ×90, Dirt ×47, Andesite ×34, Dark Oak Log ×33, Deepslate Tile Stairs ×32, Stone ×23, Cracked Stone Bricks ×16, Spruce Log ×14, Bricks ×12, Moss Block ×9, Purple Terracotta ×7, Dirt Path ×4, White Terracotta ×4, Gravel ×3, Blue Wool ×2, Iron Bars ×2, Mossy Cobblestone ×1
16. Layer 16 Spruce Planks ×111, Stone Bricks ×110, Grass Block ×104, Spruce Leaves ×74, Cobblestone ×69, Stone Brick Stairs ×54, Deepslate Tile Stairs ×36, Dirt ×34, Stone ×16, Spruce Log ×15, Andesite ×14, Bricks ×14, Moss Block ×14, Cracked Stone Bricks ×9, Stone Brick Slab ×4, Yellow Stained Glass Pane ×4, Mossy Cobblestone ×3, Purple Terracotta ×3, Gravel ×2, Magenta Terracotta ×2
17. Layer 17 White Stained Glass ×115, Spruce Leaves ×91, Grass Block ×75, Stone Bricks ×53, Deepslate Tile Stairs ×36, Dirt ×34, Cobblestone ×27, White Terracotta ×18, Stone ×16, Andesite ×15, Bricks ×14, Spruce Log ×13, Yellow Stained Glass Pane ×13, Cracked Stone Bricks ×8, Purple Terracotta ×7, Moss Block ×6, Deepslate Tile Slab ×4, Glowstone ×4, Gravel ×4, Magenta Terracotta ×4, Stone Brick Slab ×4, Mossy Cobblestone ×1, Spruce Door ×1
18. Layer 18 Spruce Leaves ×74, Grass Block ×71, Stone Bricks ×68, Cobblestone ×27, Dirt ×23, Andesite ×16, White Terracotta ×16, Stone ×15, Bricks ×14, Spruce Log ×12, Stone Brick Slab ×8, Yellow Stained Glass Pane ×6, Cracked Stone Bricks ×5, Magenta Terracotta ×5, Moss Block ×5, Mossy Cobblestone ×3, Glowstone ×2, Purple Terracotta ×2, Gravel ×1
19. Layer 19 Spruce Leaves ×119, Stone Bricks ×78, Grass Block ×70, Cobblestone ×28, Dirt ×22, Stone ×20, White Terracotta ×19, Andesite ×15, Bricks ×14, Spruce Log ×14, Cracked Stone Bricks ×8, Glowstone ×8, Yellow Stained Glass Pane ×8, Purple Terracotta ×5, Gravel ×3, Moss Block ×3, Magenta Terracotta ×2, Mossy Cobblestone ×2, Lantern ×1
20. Layer 20 Stone Bricks ×130, Spruce Leaves ×92, Grass Block ×57, Dirt ×38, Cobblestone ×26, Andesite ×18, Hay Bale ×18, Bricks ×14, Stone ×14, Spruce Log ×13, Cracked Stone Bricks ×11, White Terracotta ×9, Yellow Stained Glass Pane ×8, Mossy Cobblestone ×6, Purple Terracotta ×6, Magenta Terracotta ×4, Gravel ×2, Moss Block ×2
21. Layer 21 Stone Bricks ×84, Spruce Leaves ×82, Grass Block ×57, Smooth Stone ×37, Dirt ×34, Cobblestone ×19, Andesite ×18, Hay Bale ×18, Deepslate Tiles ×16, Stone ×16, Bricks ×14, Spruce Log ×14, Yellow Stained Glass Pane ×8, Gravel ×7, Magenta Terracotta ×7, Mossy Cobblestone ×5, Purple Terracotta ×5, White Terracotta ×5, Stone Brick Slab ×4, Moss Block ×3, Glowstone ×2, Cracked Stone Bricks ×1
22. Layer 22 Spruce Leaves ×72, Stone Bricks ×69, Grass Block ×51, Dirt ×39, Deepslate Tiles ×28, Andesite ×24, Cobblestone ×24, Hay Bale ×18, Bricks ×14, Spruce Log ×13, Stone ×13, Gravel ×9, Stone Brick Slab ×8, Mossy Cobblestone ×6, Cracked Stone Bricks ×5, Magenta Terracotta ×5, Moss Block ×4, Purple Terracotta ×4, Yellow Stained Glass Pane ×4, Glowstone ×1, Spruce Fence ×1, White Terracotta ×1
23. Layer 23 Spruce Planks ×110, Spruce Leaves ×62, Grass Block ×60, Stone Brick Stairs ×54, Deepslate Tiles ×36, Stone Bricks ×35, Dirt ×32, Stone ×31, Cobblestone ×27, Andesite ×26, Mossy Cobblestone ×11, Spruce Log ×10, Hay Bale ×8, Gravel ×6, Purple Terracotta ×6, Magenta Terracotta ×5, Moss Block ×3, Cracked Stone Bricks ×1, Lantern ×1
24. Layer 24 Grass Block ×74, Spruce Leaves ×64, Deepslate Tiles ×52, Stone Bricks ×38, Stone ×35, Dirt ×34, Andesite ×32, Cobblestone ×22, Spruce Log ×10, Stone Brick Slab ×10, Gravel ×9, Purple Terracotta ×6, Magenta Terracotta ×5, Moss Block ×3, Mossy Cobblestone ×3, Cracked Stone Bricks ×2
25. Layer 25 Grass Block ×60, Stone Bricks ×55, Dirt ×40, Stone ×39, Deepslate Tiles ×36, Spruce Leaves ×34, Cobblestone ×24, Andesite ×18, Spruce Log ×12, Glowstone ×10, Yellow Stained Glass Pane ×10, Gravel ×9, Mossy Cobblestone ×7, Cracked Stone Bricks ×5, Purple Terracotta ×5, Moss Block ×2, Magenta Terracotta ×1
26. Layer 26 White Stained Glass ×127, Spruce Leaves ×61, Deepslate Tiles ×56, Grass Block ×50, Dirt ×32, Cobblestone ×24, Stone ×23, Andesite ×20, Stone Bricks ×16, Gravel ×10, Spruce Log ×10, Yellow Stained Glass Pane ×10, Mossy Cobblestone ×7, Moss Block ×5, Cracked Stone Bricks ×2, Magenta Terracotta ×2, Purple Terracotta ×2
27. Layer 27 Spruce Leaves ×80, Deepslate Tiles ×74, Grass Block ×37, Dirt ×35, Andesite ×23, Stone ×22, Stone Bricks ×21, Cobblestone ×17, Yellow Stained Glass Pane ×10, Mossy Cobblestone ×8, Spruce Log ×7, Gravel ×5, Magenta Terracotta ×3, Cracked Stone Bricks ×2, Moss Block ×1, Purple Terracotta ×1
28. Layer 28 Spruce Leaves ×68, Stone Bricks ×59, Grass Block ×37, Dirt ×28, Deepslate Tiles ×27, Stone ×17, Andesite ×16, Cobblestone ×15, Stone Brick Slab ×10, Spruce Log ×7, Cracked Stone Bricks ×4, Mossy Cobblestone ×4, Gravel ×3, Moss Block ×3, Purple Terracotta ×3, Magenta Terracotta ×2
29. Layer 29 Stone Bricks ×62, Spruce Leaves ×61, Stone Brick Stairs ×42, Grass Block ×27, Dirt ×26, Deepslate Tiles ×17, Stone ×14, Andesite ×12, Cobblestone ×9, Spruce Log ×7, Cracked Stone Bricks ×3, Mossy Cobblestone ×3, Gravel ×2, Iron Bars ×2, Moss Block ×1, Purple Terracotta ×1
30. Layer 30 Smooth Stone ×146, Stone Bricks ×78, Spruce Leaves ×56, Deepslate Tiles ×28, Grass Block ×12, Dirt ×10, Stone ×10, Bricks ×6, Spruce Log ×6, Andesite ×5, Mossy Cobblestone ×5, Cobblestone ×3, Gravel ×1, Iron Bars ×1, Purple Terracotta ×1
31. Layer 31 Stone Bricks ×74, Spruce Leaves ×37, White Terracotta ×21, Deepslate Tiles ×12, Dirt ×6, Grass Block ×6, Spruce Log ×6, Andesite ×5, Stone ×5, Glowstone ×4, Bricks ×3, Cobblestone ×2, Gravel ×2, Mossy Cobblestone ×2, Iron Bars ×1, Magenta Terracotta ×1, Spruce Door ×1, Spruce Fence ×1
32. Layer 32 Stone Bricks ×57, Spruce Leaves ×34, White Terracotta ×21, Deepslate Tiles ×20, Dirt ×7, Mossy Cobblestone ×4, Spruce Log ×4, Stone ×4, Bricks ×3, Cobblestone ×3, Grass Block ×2, Andesite ×1, Gravel ×1, Magenta Terracotta ×1, Moss Block ×1, Spruce Fence ×1
33. Layer 33 Deepslate Tiles ×56, White Terracotta ×18, Spruce Leaves ×15, Dirt ×5, Yellow Stained Glass Pane ×4, Andesite ×3, Bricks ×3, Grass Block ×3, Spruce Log ×3, Cobblestone ×2, Mossy Cobblestone ×2, Stone ×2, Glowstone ×1, Gravel ×1, Spruce Fence ×1
34. Layer 34 Deepslate Tiles ×88, White Terracotta ×22, Spruce Leaves ×13, Dirt ×4, Bricks ×3, Spruce Log ×3, Andesite ×2, Stone ×2, Cobblestone ×1, Gravel ×1, Magenta Terracotta ×1, Spruce Fence ×1
35. Layer 35 Deepslate Tiles ×40, Spruce Leaves ×12, Deepslate Tile Stairs ×10, White Terracotta ×8, Stone Bricks ×4, Spruce Log ×3, Stone Brick Slab ×3, Cobblestone ×2, Dirt ×2, Grass Block ×2, Spruce Fence ×1
36. Layer 36 Deepslate Tiles ×41, Deepslate Tile Stairs ×10, Spruce Leaves ×6, Stone Brick Slab ×4, Stone Bricks ×4, White Terracotta ×4, Stone ×2, Spruce Fence ×1, Spruce Log ×1
37. Layer 37 Deepslate Tiles ×37, Deepslate Tile Stairs ×10, Stone Brick Slab ×4, Stone Bricks ×4, Blue Wool ×3, Spruce Leaves ×3, White Wool ×2, Spruce Fence ×1
38. Layer 38 Blue Wool ×4, Deepslate Tiles ×4, Stone Bricks ×4, Iron Bars ×1, Spruce Fence ×1, Spruce Leaves ×1, White Wool ×1
39. Layer 39 Iron Bars ×5, Stone Brick Slab ×4, Blue Wool ×3, White Wool ×2, Spruce Fence ×1

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