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