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Eilean Donan Castle
The name Eilean Donan, or island of Donan, is most probably called after the 6th century Irish Saint, Bishop Donan who came to Scotland around 580 AD. There are several churches dedicated to Donan in the area and it is likely that he formed a small cell or community on the island during the late 7th century. The first fortified structure was not built on the island until the early 13th century as a defensive measure, protecting the lands of Kintail against the Vikings who raided, settled and controlled much of the North of Scotland and the Western Isles between 800 and 1266. From the mid 13th century, this area was the quite seperate “Sea Kingdom” of the Lord of the Isles where the sea was the main highway and the power of feuding clan chiefs was counted by the number of men and galleys or “birlinns” at their disposal. Eilean Donan offered the perfect defensive position.
Dunrobin Castle
Dunrobin Castle has been called home to the Earls and Dukes of Sutherland since the 13th century and was first mentioned as a stronghold of the family in 1401. The Earldom of Sutherland is one of the seven ancient earldoms of Scotland and the Sutherlands were one of the most powerful families in Britain with many important matrimonial and territorial alliances. The Earldom of Sutherland was created in 1235 and a castle appears to have stood on this site since then, possibly on the site of an early medieval fort. The name Dun Robin means Robin’s Hill or Fort in Gaelic and may have come from Robert, the 6th Earl of Sutherland who died in 1427. The early castle was actually a fortified, square keep, with walls six feet thick and a vaulted ceiling, looking out from a cliff-top position. The keep stood isolated for some 200 years until a staircase and a high house were added. It was encased by a series of additions from the 16th century onwards. In 1785 a large extension was constructed. Remarkably this early keep still survives, much altered, within the complex of these later extensions, making Dunrobin one of the oldest inhabited houses in Scotland. Sir Charles Barry was retained in 1845 to completely re-model the castle, to change it from a fort to a house in the Scottish Baronial style that had become popular among the aristocracy, who were inspired by Queen Victoria’s new residence at Balmoral. Barry had been the architect for the Houses of Parliament in London and was much in demand. There is very much a French influence with conical spires to the whole project, including the gardens, based on Versailles, which he laid out in the 1850s. Much of Barry’s interior was destroyed by a fire in 1915 and the interior today is mainly the work of Scottish architect, Sir Robert Lorimer, who altered the top of the main tower and clock tower at the north side of the building to the Scottish Renaissance style. Following the death of the 5th Duke in 1963, the Earldom and Dukedom were separated. The Dukedom passed on through the male line whilst the present Countess of Sutherland inherited the Earldom. The Castle became a boys’ boarding school for a period of seven years from the late 1960s before reverting back to being a family house.
Urquhart Castle
Urquhart Castle overlooks Loch Ness from the rocky promontory that it dominates and upon which some famous names have set foot. Urquhart has a lively history. It was one of the great castles taken by the English when Edward I invaded in 1296. The Lords of the Isles then seized the castle repeatedly in the later Middle Ages, in an effort to expand their territory into the north-east. In the 1500s, Clan Grant was given the castle and charged with its repair and with bringing it back into use. Urquhart Castle was garrisoned for the last time in 1689, following the exile of the Catholic King James VII, and his replacement by the Protestant monarchs William II and Mary II. In 1692, the towering gatehouse was deliberately blown up so that the castle could never again be a military stronghold.
Dunnottar Castle
Dunnottar is much more than just a topographical curiosity. This rock and the magnificent buildings on it have borne witness to much of the rich and tragic tapestry of Scotland's history. Visit us to create your own unforgettable experience and discover the importance of Dunnottar – an impregnable fortress that holds many secrets of this country's colourful past. Steeped in history, this romantic and haunting ruin is a photographer’s paradise, a history lover’s dream and an iconic tourist destination for visitors the world over.
Wallace Monument
On September 11, 1297 atop the heights of the rocky promontory, the Scots army stood poised. William Wallace and Andrew de Moray’s troops watched the farcical crossing of the English host over Stirling Bridge. They knew the time was ripe for a strike. They stormed down the Craig towards the bridge, forging their names into posterity in one of the most decisive and romanticised battles in Scottish history. It is for this reason that the Wallace Monument stands where it does today, rivaled in its supremacy over the landscape only by Stirling Castle itself. It has attained the status of a national icon, not only for its significance to the story of Scotland but for its jaw-dropping effect on visitors approaching Stirling via road or rail. Completed in 1869 and funded entirely by subscriptions, the monument’s striking Victorian Gothic aesthetic is complemented by excellent historical displays inside. The monument’s four levels not only tell the story of Wallace and the victory at Stirling Bridge, but of famous Scots throughout the centuries and the construction of the tower itself.
Cawdor Castle
The name Cawdor immediately conjures up images of Shakespeare's play Macbeth, but Cawdor was a thanedom in the 11th century, long before the Bard of Avon dramatised - and completely altered - the history of Scotland for his play. The original fort of Old Cawdor stood about 1 mile north of the current castle, and it is quite possible that the real Macbeth was familiar with the original castle of Cawdor. Macbeth's successor, Malcolm Canmore, granted lands at Cawdor to Hugh de Kaledouer, in gratitude for Hugh's help in restoring Malcolm's family to the throne. The king wanted a loyal presence to help control the untamed Highland clans. The castle dates to the 14th century, but it has been strengthened several times by the Scottish crown since then. In 1454 James II granted the Thane of Cawdor permission to crenellate a tower (to fortify it and add battlements) on condition that he be allowed to come and go without hindrance. According to legend, the Thane decided where to build his new tower based on a dream.
Brodie Castle
The original Brodie Castle was built in 1567 by Clan Brodie, but was then destroyed by fire in 1645 by Lewis Gordon of Clan Gordon, who was the 3rd Marquis of Huntly. It was originally built to a Z-plan design and it is believed that King Malcolm IV gave the land upon which it sits to the family in 1160. In 1824, architect William Burn was commissioned to convert Brodie Castle into a large mansion house in the Scots Baronial style, but the remodelling was never completed and the castle was later redesigned again by James Wylson in 1845. The Brodie family called the castle home until the early 21st century. Ninian Brodie was the castle's last resident member of the family, and he died in 2003.
Ballindalloch Castle
Constructed around 1542 when the Highlands were rife with clan feuds and prey to the avarice of monarchs, both English and Scottish, Ballindalloch Castle was once a fortress as well as a family home. The original castle was formed in the shape of a ‘Z’ plan, with the living quarters, a three-storey square block of stone, flanked to north and south by two high circular towers, each protecting two sides of the rectangle. The Rivers Spey and Avon formed a natural moat to north and west, and the entrance to the castle was guarded by an apparatus designed to drop stones and sewage upon unwanted visitors. Some essential modernisation took place in the 1960s as Sir Ewan Macpherson-Grant added bathrooms and tamed somewhat the excess of the Victorian additions. A wing to the North East was taken down – it had dry rot – and the plan of the Castle was updated for modern living by the addition of several bathrooms. Further, during the 1980s Clare Russell, Sir Ewan’s daughter, oversaw the further modernisation of the Castle inside, with fabulous interior design being applied to the public rooms.
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