Eilean Donan Castle (the Highlander Castle)

The next stop on my tour of Scottish castles was Eilean Donan Castle (Eilean Donnain in Gaelic if you want to get technically accurate). I'd seen pictures of this place and thought it looked beautiful. And it was.

Sadly, Mary Queen of Scots never had any real association with this castle. Our pilgrimage was put on hold for a day.

I'll let the pictures mostly speak for themselves. One of my favorite things about Scotland is the changing sky. It can go from sunny, to cloudy, to rainy in minutes. But the sky always looks amazing with those patches of light shining through the clouds at random interludes.

The way it lights off the water and countryside is amazing. Certainly not like the sky I see every day in Texas. I really noticed the changing sky here.


As is my go to - I'll give you the brief synopsis from Wikipedia.

This castle is on a small tidal island (meaning because of the way it's situated, it experiences low and high tide. I was there at low tide). This island is where three lochs (lakes) meet - Loch Duich, Loch Long, and Loch Alsh in the western Scottish Highlands.

This is one of the most photographed castles in Scotland, and appears often in films and television as well. The castle was restored in the early 20th century, when a footbridge was added connecting the island to the mainland Dornie.

"The castle was founded in the thirteenth century, and became a stronghold of the Clan Mackenzie and their allies the Clan Macrae. In the early eighteenth century, the Mackenzies' involvement in the Jacobite rebellions led in 1719 to the castle's destruction by government ships. It was then restored in the 20th century.


"The castle is today entered from the south, via a modern portal complete with a portcullis. Above the door is a Gaelic inscription with in translation reads: 'As long as there is a Macrae inside, there will never be a Fraser outside,' referring to a bond of kinship between the two clans, and a similar inscription which once adorned the Fraser's home at Beaufort Castle."

For more specific information, you can check out the detailed Wikipedia entry at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eilean_Donan#Eilean_Donan_castle  or you can visit the castle's website at http://www.eileandonancastle.com/

 

Funnily enough, the group The Piano Guys filmed a music video here. It's a beautiful video that really brings out how stunning this little piece of the world is, as well as how incredibly talented they are.

 

https://youtu.be/mOO5qRjVFLw 

 

 

 

Stirling Castle - Mary Queen of Scots Tour Continues

It was a sunny, beautiful Scottish drive from Linlithgow Palace to Stirling Castle. But as soon as we arrived, the skies opened up and the freezing rain came pouring down. After getting our tickets to enter, we ran straight for the indoor attractions until the rain let up and we could wander the grounds.



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Of course, continuing on our unofficial Mary Queen of Scots pilgrimage, this is the castle she was crowned at. Just making sure we aren't forgetting the underlying sightseeing going on throughout this trip.


The inside was a cozy relief from the freezing outdoors. I can only imagine how much more snug it would have been with a real, roaring fire going. The rooms aren't very large, which would help keep the heat in. Those drafty castles would be miserable come winter time, even with a roaring fire.

One thing I love about Scotland is that their national emblem is the unicorn. I've always loved unicorns. And they are everywhere in Scotland.

 On top of that, I finally found my knight in shining armor. He was certainly the strong silent type, but it works for me!

Now, I'll give you a brief synopsis of the castle, as per Wikipedia. How did we survive without it?

Stirling Castle is on of the largest and most important castles, historically and architecturally, in Scotland.

It is situated in a strong, defensive position, surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs. Most of the principle buildings of the castle date from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. A few buildings from the 14th century remain, while the out defenses date from the early eighteenth century. The castle has been sieged at least eight times.

 William Worcester associated the castle with the court of the legendary King Arthur. The first castle record dates from around 1110, when King Alexander I dedicated a chapel there.


It is assumed that the castle had been an established royal center by this time. Alexander died there in 1124.

  

For more detailed information on the history of the castle, you should go to an actual library and check out some books on the subject. When was the last time you were actually in a library? If you are feeling lazy, as I often am, you can click on the Wikipedia link. But you're going to find better information at the library. Just sayin.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stirling_Castle

Once the rain let up and we wanted to wander outside, we discovered we could see the William Wallace monument across the way (guy Braveheart was about). Luckily my camera has a really great zoom lens. It would have been another fun stop if we'd had time.

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Once gallivanting through the castle was done, we headed for our little hotel. An important tip about Scotland: road and street signs are not well marked or visible.

Our room was supposedly on 3 miles from the castle, but it took over an hour, and 4 stops asking for directions, before we finally found it. Next time in Scotland, a GPS is going to be a necessity. When we did find the hotel, the rain again lightened up for a moment. Not only did we get to see a Scottish rainbow, but we got a DOUBLE Scottish rainbow. I think that should be extra lucky.

We finished the long, cold day at the restaurant across the way (I made that rhyme on purpose). Steak, fries, potatoes, burgers, and hot cobbler with ice cream for dessert. Best way to end an cold, soggy day of castle browsing.