Castles in the Scottish Highlands, Castles in Scotland

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Castles in the Scottish Highlands

Most likely your travels through Scotland will take you to the Scottish Highlands. These incredibly beautiful and mountainous regions of Scotland are a sight to behold. Here the breath-taking splendor of rugged mountains combined with serene lakes has earned the Highlands the reputation of being on of the most scenic regions in Europe. Though the Highlands are sparsely populated, they have a fairly high concentration of striking Scottish Highland castles which dot the landscape. Some of these castles have fallen into disrepair while others have been carefully preserved. Still others act as private homes which let out accommodation on their expansive grounds. Why not add a new dimension to your trip to the highlands and combine a few interesting old castles with the rest of your sightseeing ideas? You’ll be amazed at the natural and man-made variety that can be found in the Scottish Highlands.

Balnagown Castle

Balnagown Castle, also spelt as Balnagowan, is an ancient seat of the Ross family. Their name and title is derived from the County of Ross Highland, where they held ancestral land. Located near Tain on the southern bank of the Balnagown River, the castle is two miles northwest of Invergordo in the Parish of Kilmuir Easter. Surrounded by thickly forested hills, the castle dominates the narrow wooded valley of the Balnagown River as there are very few structures around.

Carbisdale Castle

Carbisdale Castle was built for the controversial, much married Dowager Duchess of Sutherland Lady Mary who was the second wife of George, 3rd Duke and 18th Earl of Sutherland. He bequeathed his entire estate to her on his death, which was contested by her step-son, the 4th Duke. After much litigation and bitterness a settlement was reached whereby the Sutherland family agreed to build a suitable residence of her choice at their expense outside the Sutherland estate.

Dunbeath Castle

It stands high on a rocky peninsula like a lone white sentinel, overlooking the North Sea that lashes the cliff on all sides. Pristine white-washed walls are topped by romantic turrets and perched over swirling waves. Dunbeath Castle on its estate is situated on the northern tip of Scotland, just south of Wick. A driveway leads through deep, dense woods, past stone pillars and a gatehouse covered with ivy. Suddenly you glimpse the pristine white castle at the end of driveway, when you least expect it.

Dunvegan

Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye is the pride of the Hebrides. Located 22 miles west of Portree, it has been the home and seat of the Chiefs of MacLeod since the 1200s. Built on a rock that was once entirely surrounded by the sea, it stands on the edge of Loch Dunvegan, the most famous landmark in Skye.

Eilean Castle

Eilean Donan Castle rises like a silent vision where three Scottish sea lochs, Loch Long, Loch Duich and Loch Alsh meet. The name means Island of Donan, for a hermit St Donan who lived on the island in beginning of the seventh century. The original fort was built on the island of Eilean Donan at least eight hundred years ago but the castle you see today is mostly built in the early 20th century.

Inverness Castle

Shakespeare’s tragedy ‘Macbeth’ was supposedly based in the earlier 11th century Inverness Castle, the location of Duncan’s murder. The present Inverness Castle may not be witness to anything so dramatic, but as the premises of the Sheriff’s Court it may not be without its own tales of crime and passion.

Mey Caslte

It was love at first sight. The late Queen Mother of England saw the Castle of Mey for the first time in1952 while on a visit to Scotland. She was mourning the recent death of her husband, King George VI and the castle, known as Barrogill Castle at that time, immediately charmed her. On hearing it was to be abandoned, she decided to purchase it.

Skibo Castle

Skibo Castle in the Scottish Highlands is one of the most exclusive hotel resorts in Scotland and is home to the prestigious Carnegie Club. Originally a13th century stone tower house with a courtyard, built as a residence fortress of Gilbert de Moravia, Bishop of Caithness, and Skibo Castle continued as a residence for Bishops till 1545. Its Gaelic name is Schytherbolle, which means place of peace or fairyland.

Stalker Castle

25 miles from Oban, on the west coast of Scotland, Castle Stalker stands at the mouth of Loch Laich. It is near Loch Linnhe, on a rocky islet known as the Rock of the Cormorants. Its Gaelic name Stalcaire, means falconer or hunter and it has had a long history of violence, particularly murder of its owners, associated with it. Right from Lord of Lorn, Sir John Stewart, who built the castle in its present form in the 1440s, and was murdered in1463, till the Governor of Sarawak, Duncan Stewart who owned the castle when he was murdered in 1947, many of the owners have had violent deaths.

Tioram Castle

Tioram Castle, which lies in ruins, is in the middle of a bitter controversy about its future. On one side is Historic Scotland who wants it to be preserved as a picturesque ruin that reflects the history of Scotland. On the other is Scottish businessman Lex Brown whose company Anta Estates owns Tioram Castle since 1997. He wants to re-roof and restore Castle Tioram and create a residential flat for himself, with a Clan Ranald museum on the ground floor.

Urquhart Castle

There is no better place to wait in hope of catching a glimpse of the Loch Ness Monster, or Nessie, than the ruins of Urquhart Castle. Built on an uneven a rocky promontory on the edge of Loch Ness, the castle was just two miles outside Drumnadrochit in the north of Scotland. It strategic location guarded the major route to the Highlands.

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