Tag: castles
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Bothwell
The ruins of Bothwell Castle are located about ten miles to the southeast of Glasgow near Uddingston in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The castle stands on a steep bank above the river Clyde which runs on its north side. The river takes a bend here cutting a fairly deep gorge. The oldest parts of the castle were built in 1242 by Walter of Moray. They are made of the most beautiful deep red ...
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Blackness
Located on a rocky promontory at the mouth of the Firth of Forth on its south shore, Blackness Castle is a few miles west of Edinburgh, Scotland. Nicknamed the ‘Ship which never sailed’, it was built at a natural harbor, which served Linlithgow Palace, around 1440 by Sir George Crichton. The Crichtons were one of the most powerful families of Scotland. It was handed over to King James II in 1453.
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Crichton
It may sound unbelievable, but fifteen miles from the center of Edinburgh is an empty stretch along the River Tyne valley where nothing has been built by man in the past 500 years. All that has been built here is Crichton Castle, a looming structure and its collegiate church amidst the trees nearby. The church, built in1449 is remarkably well preserved with only its nave missing. The castle ...
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Dalhousie
Since 1972 Dalhousie Castle is a luxury hotel that stands on acres of forest, parkland and river pasture. The Dalhousie Castle Hotel and Spa combines colorful history with ultimate luxury. Fifteen of the twenty nine bedrooms in the Castle have historical themes, including the Robert the Bruce and the De Ramseia suite.
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Thirlestane
Located in the Scottish Borders to the north east of Lauder on the Southern Upland Way, Thirlestane Castle was originally built in the 13th century. It has been owned by the Maitland family throughout its long history and is among the seven Great Houses of Scotland. Thirlestane was the historic seat of the Earls and only Duke of Lauderdale until the latter part of the 20th Century and is ...
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Hermitage
Hermitage Castle has a forbidding appearance and oppressive atmosphere, partly due to its history of treachery and partly the stories written about it. The bleak fortress, set high in the valley next to the beautiful Hermitage Water is surrounded by open moorland. Its strategic location was the key to the control over Liddesdale and the border area during the wars between Scotland and ...
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Bishops Palace
Kirkwall on Orkney Island is home to the Bishop’s Palace which was built in the mid-12th century for Bishop William the Old, near the St Magnus Cathedral. The Bishop was a friend and crusading companion of Earl Rognvald Kolsson, the cathedral’s founder. The Bishop and his staff moved here from their original seat of power in Birsay. The Islands were then under the rule of the King of Norway.
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Doune
The name Doune Castle comes from dun, meaning fortified town. It lies between a tributary burn and the Teith River and is defended on three sides by the ground sloping steeply down to the rivers. The approach from the north is defended by earthworks. Doune Castle was built at the end of the 14th Century for Robert Stewart, the first Duke of Albany, the Regent of Scotland. His son, Murdoch, ...
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Floors
Floors Castle is the largest inhabited castle in Scotland and is currently the home of the charming Tenth Duke of Roxburghe. It stands on a natural terrace that overlooks the meandering River Tweed. In the distance from the natural elevation one can see the Cheviot Hills. Across the river on the opposite bank is the Roxburgh Castle, which at one time was the strongest fortress along the ...