Castles
Saved From Ruin: Castle Menzies
As with so many Scottish castles, Castle Menzies was on the brink of utter ruin by the mid-20th century. Roofs were in a state of collapse and ancient walls were crumbling. Once the seat of one of Scotland’s powerful Clans, it has apparently come to a sad end. That is, until the re-formed Menzies Clan…
Read MoreUrquhart Castle, Scotland
In the Great Glen of the Scottish Highlands, you will find the magnificent Loch Ness – the second largest lake in Scotland. And on the rocky western bank of the loch, stands the ruins of Urquhart Castle – a place with a long and violent history. Early History of Urquhart Castle, Scotland …
Read MoreSt Andrews’s Castle, Scotland
Once the residence of bishops and archbishops, St Andrew’s Castle stands majestically overlooking St Andrew’s Bay, on the East coast of Scotland. Within these walls, Scottish kings held elaborate feasts, high-ranking prisoners were kept, and the bloody murder of a cardinal took place. During its long history, St Andrew’s Castle have accumulated a great…
Read MoreCastle Leod, Scotland
I never need an excuse to explore a castle. So, making the trip North to the Scottish Highlands to visit Castle Leod, was no hardship. And, in the case of Castle Leod, we had another reason to visit – Castle Leod is the seat of Clan MacKenzie – and my partner is part of…
Read MoreHylton Castle, Sunderland
Robert Skelton was executed because he overslept. And so, he became the “Cauld Lad of Hylton” – a ghost said to haunt Hylton Castle. Or, at least, so the story goes. Robert was a stable boy at Hylton Castle and his master, the 13th Baron Hylton had ordered him to prepare his horse for…
Read MoreUttershill Castle, Scotland
With spectacular views over the little town of Penicuik and the Pentland Hills to the North and West, Uttershill Castle stands atop a rocky hill beside the B6372. It was pretty easy to find – Castle ruins tend to stand out against the landscape, even from a distance. Parking our vehicle was less…
Read MoreRosyth Castle, Scotland
It is strange to think that, where I am standing looking up at Rosyth Castle, would have been under water not too long ago. You see, Rosyth Castle used to be on a tiny island in the Firth of Forth – reached only at low tide. Today, the landscape looks very different. The Rosyth…
Read MoreRoslin Castle, Scotland
The hill is terribly steep and slippery after two days of solid rain. Squishing my way through the mud and wet leaves, I finally reach the midway point, and to my right are the beautiful ruins of Roslin Castle. And the slog was so worth it! A stone bridge takes me across a…
Read MoreMoy Castle, Isle of Mull
A low fog was rolling in from the sea. I pulled my raincoat closed and flipped the hood up over my head as the rain became more insistent. It is only a seven-minute walk to Moy Castle, from where I had parked my car, but I knew I’d be soaked in minutes if I…
Read MoreDuart Castle, Isle of Mull
Powerful, dominant, and intimidating. These are the words that spring to my mind seeing the castle fortress of Duart on the Isle of Mull for the first time. Sailing to Craignure on Mull, from Oban on the mainland, Duart Castle stands prominently on a high crag at the end of a peninsula, jutting out…
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