Tag: castles
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Eilean
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.
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Dunbeath
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 ...
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Dunvegan
Dunvegan Castle, located 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.
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Mey
It was love at first sight. The late Queen Mother of England saw the Castle of Mey for the first time in 1952 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.
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Carbisdale
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 ...
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Balnagown
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 ...
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St Andrews
St Andrews Castle was not really a castle, but has been the main residence of the bishops and archbishops of St Andrews since the 1200s. It was the seat of power and administration of the Scottish Church and was the location for some of the turning points in the long history of Scotland. As a part of Robert Bruce’s policy the original structure was destroyed by the Scots in 1337 to avoid it ...
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Kellie
Kellie Castle is a very fine example of the domestic architecture of Lowland Scotland. It lies two miles inland, northwest, from the charming coastal villages of Pittenweem and St Monan's. The land here rises gently from the north shore of the Firth of Forth to the cairn on top of Kellie Law with dense woods to the south of the castle.
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Denmylne
Denmylne Castle gets its name in a curious way. The castle stood near an old water mill on land that was granted by the king to the Balfours. Mylne in Gaelic means mill and it is known as King's Mill as the land was forfeited by the early owners, the Earls of Fife to the Crown. The ruins of the castle can be seen southeast of Newburgh in north Fife, opposite the entrance to a large quarry.