Comming after the grandeur of Caernarfon, the castle at Dolbarden - or tower, as it evidently is rather less than a full castle - might seem like a step down in size and importance.

But most likely due to my contrary and somewhat perverse nature, I found myself enjoying it far more than its huge and stately neighbour.

Stuck atop a lonely hill above Llanberis, Dolbarden consists of a fairly intact main tower with an interior open to the elements, devoid of floors or roof and surrounded by the ruins of what must at one time have been a veritable gaggle of sheds and outhouses.

Unlike the other castles we had seen, this one was built of the native flint and the work of Llywelyn ap Iorweth, a 13th century Prince of Gwynedd to control passage on the important road in the valley below.

The stairs in the tower are cramped and hard going at times, but the view from the top is well worth the climb.