This Image of A Castle Perched on Top of a Rock is Edited!

An image of a castle, which seems to rest on top of a rock, located amidst a mid of water body, has been circulating for many years among various social and digital media platforms. The claim also attributes the castle's location to Dublin, Ireland.

However, our investigation found that this image was, in fact, a doctored image.

Social Media Posts

The social media posts claim that Castle Island in Dublin is located on top of a tall V-shaped rock, and the steps provide the entrance to the bottom part of the rock, where a door is carved into the rock, as seen below.

Facebook | Archived

Users commented to those like below.

Fact Check

First, we did a reverse image search and keyword search and found that the image was digitally manipulated using photos of two separate places outside of the UK.

The image below depicts Khao Phing Kan Island, also known as “James Bond Island,” in Thailand, corresponding to the rock formation shown in the viral image.

Wiki | Archived Atlas Obscura

Similarly, using a reverse image search, we found that the upper part of the viral image was created by editing a portion of the Lichtenstein Castle near Honau in the Swabian Alb, Baden-Württember, Germany. Here is the Google Maps location of the castle.

Below is a side-by-side photo comparison of Castle Lichtenstein and the one in the viral image, which clarifies that it’s the same castle, with slight digital manipulations.