Top 12 Scottish Castles – Top Scottish Castles with Beautiful Pictures

Scotland

There is a certain romance to castles. When you think of a Scottish castle, you think of windswept Highlands, battlefields and walls built to stand the test of time. Scotland's

castles are certainly a different breed from similar structures found in other parts of Britain. Scotland’s landscapes are certainly more dramatic than the rest of the UK, and when you cram a castle into those dramatic landscapes, well, I couldn’t have said it better.

As with my previous article about the top castles in the UK, the selection of castles on this list is totally to my taste. If you have a favorite castle I’ve stayed at, please let us know in the comments.

So, here’s the Anglo introduction to the best castles in Scotland. The second in our series of posts exploring British castles is

the top castles in Ellian Donan, Scotland. Photo by Maury Stanley on Flickr

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The original castle was built in the early 13th century for defense against the Vikings. By the late 13th century it had become a stronghold of the Mackenzies of Kintyre (later the Earls of Hayworth). In 1511, the Macraes became hereditary constables of the castle as protectors of the Mackenzies. In 1539, Iain Dubh Maheson, the head of House Matheson, represented House Macrae and the Mackenzies while defending the castle on the island of Elian Donan. The family resisted the Macdonalds of Slater. In April 1719,

the castle was occupied by Spanish troops in an attempt to initiate another Jacobite rise. On 10-13 May 1719, three Royal Navy frigates recaptured the castle and then destroyed it. A month later, the Spanish army was defeated at the Battle of Glen Sher. Between 1919 and 1932, Lieutenant Colonel John MacRae Gilsrap restored the castle. Restoration work included the construction of an arched bridge to allow easier access to the castle. In 1983, the MacRae family established the Concla Charitable Trust to care for the castle. A strange difference is that it has only two left-hand spiral staircases in a castle in England, because the king held a sword with his left hand during construction. A curious feature of the castle today is the Ashfield Gun from the Great War, a war memorial and fountain located outside the building, dedicated to the men of the Macrae family who died in the war.

Eilean Donan is the home of the MacRae family. In 2001, there was only one person on the island. The castle is best known for appearing in many Hollywood films, including In the Highlands

Castle Location: Scottish Highlands

Castle: Eilean Donan Castle Official Collongon***

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The red sandstone tower is about 15 meters by 13 meters and 18 meters high, reaching the parapet with corbels. It is built on a stone "pedestal" to support the structure of the marsh. The entrance to the tower still retains the original yet, with a metal grid in front of the door similar to the Porto Tulis. It leads to a vaulted basement with a shaft and two spiral staircases leading above. The main staircase in the northeast corner leads to the vaulted cabin at parapet level, while a second staircase leads to the high table end of the first-floor hall.

The hall is dominated by a large fireplace, carved with the Royal Arms of Scotland. The heraldic emblem is carved into several projecting corbels, an elaborately decorated recess or aumbry, and surrounded by engraved gold leaf, attesting to the relative wealth of the Murray family. At the other end of the hall there was a free-standing fireplace that served the narrow kitchen and was separated from the hall by a wooden screen, where a wall now stands.

The most striking feature of Kanglong Palace is the walls, which are over 4 meters thick in places and filled with many interconnected rooms, to a degree not seen in any contemporary Scottish castle. . The narrow kitchen is such a fresco room. Also in Nederland. The Forbes family were close friends of the Burnett family of Laois, who built both Cres Castle and Mouchar Castle.

The castle originally had more defensive elements, including a walled courtyard and four round towers; today only one round tower remains. On the arch of the round tower are preserved the initials of Sir Thomas Forbes, son of William Forbes. There is also a huge iron door on the entrance door.

The interior of the castle features a great hall with a Stuart Arm above the fireplace; a musicians' gallery; a secret staircase connecting the tower to the great hall; the queen's bedroom; servants' quarters and of course several gorgeous gray Mud ceiling. It contains portraits of the Forbes family, as well as a considerable collection of Forbes furniture, which dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries. During World War I it was used as a hospital for wounded Belgian soldiers.

As of 2006, the castle, its estate and more than 200 acres (0.81 km2) of adjacent farmland and woodland are owned by the National Trust for Scotland. They are open to tourists during the summer. The castle is closed to tour buses and large groups, but can be accessed by guided tours.

Additionally, the castle will be closed at the end of August 2007 due to ongoing restoration work on its exterior.

Castle location: Aberdeenshire

Castle: National Trust for Scotland Cray Chieva Castle Edinburgh Castle Photo by Alex Morris on Flickr

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Edinburgh Castle is an ancient castle that dominates the sky over Edinburgh line, from its location atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site dates back to the 9th century BC, although the nature of the early settlement is unknown. There was a royal castle here from at least the reign of David I in the 12th century until the Crown Union in 1603,

As one of the most important fortresses of the Kingdom of Scotland, Edinburgh Castle has been involved in many historical conflicts, from From the Scottish War of Independence in the 14th century to the rise of the Jacobite dynasty in 1745, it was besieged many times, whether successful or failed. From the late 17th century onwards, the castle became a military base with a large garrison. Its importance as a historic monument was recognized from the 19th century, and since then various restoration plans have been initiated.

Few of the current buildings date back to the 16th-century Siege of Lang, when the fortifications were largely destroyed by shelling. A notable exception is St Margaret's Church, Edinburgh's oldest surviving building, dating from the early 12th century. Other important buildings of the castle include the Royal Palace and the 15th-century Great Hall. The castle also houses the Scottish National War Memorial and the Scottish National War Museum.

The castle is now managed by Historic Scotland and is Scotland's second largest tourist attraction. [1] Although the garrison left in the 1920s, there is still a military presence at the castle, mainly ceremonial and administrative, including some regimental museums. It is also the backdrop for the annual Edinburgh Military Tattoo and has become a recognizable symbol of Edinburgh and Scotland.

Castle Location: Edinburgh

Castle: Edinburgh Castle.gov. Edinburgh Castle Cawdor Castle photo by youngrobv on Flickr

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Cawdor Castle is a tower house set in the magnificent gardens of the parish of Cawdor, approximately 10 miles (16 km) east of Inverness and approximately 5 miles (8 km) southwest of Nairn, Scotland, United Kingdom. It belongs to the Calder family. It remains the home of the Countess of Cador, stepmother of Colin Robert Vaughan Campbell, 7th Earl of Cador and 25th Tarn of Cador. The castle is perhaps best known for its literary association with William Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth, which features the Tarn of Cador. However, the story is highly fictional and the castle itself was built many years after the dramatic events.

The earliest recorded date for the castle is in 1454, when a building license was granted to William, Tarn of Cador (or Calder, as the name is sometimes spelled). However, some parts of the castle may predate this date. Architectural historians date the stonework in the oldest part of the castle to around 1380.

A curious feature of the castle is that it was built around a small living holly tree, the remains of which can still be seen on the lowest level of the tower. Modern scientific testing shows that the tree died around 1372 (which proves an earlier period when the castle was first built).

Originally consisting of only a large tower (or castle), the castle was expanded many times in the following centuries, with many additions in the 17th and 19th centuries. The iron leaves here were brought from nearby Losindburgh Castle around 1455, when the Scottish Privy Council instructed the Tarna of Carvodo to dismantle the castle after it was confiscated by the Earl of Moray.

Castle location: Cavodo

Castle: Cavodo Castle (official of Cavodo Castle) Glamis Castle photo by fialoon Flickr

Wikipedia Provide description:

Glamis Castle is located in the village of Glamis (pronounced /) in Angus, Scotland. It is the home of the Earl of Strathmore and Countess of Kinghorne and is open to the public. Glamis The castle was the childhood home of Elizabeth Powis-Lyon, best known as the Queen's mother. Her second daughter, Princess Margaret, was born there since 1987. There is an illustration of the castle on the back of the note.[1] The stucco ceilings of Glamis are remarkable for their detail and preservation. Along with Muchallers Castle and Craigievar Castle, they are considered the finest castles in Scotland.

The castle has featured extensively in fiction and legend, and according to local legend holds more dark secrets than any other castle in Scotland.

Castle Location: Angus

Castles: Glamis Castle Stirling Castle Picture by Admiral Halsey on Flickr

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Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most historically and architecturally important castles in Scotland. The castle sits on top of Castle Hill, a volcanic rock formation that forms part of the Stirling Beds geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs, making it highly defensible. Its strategic location, which until 1930 was the farthest downstream channel of the River Forth, made it an important fortification from earliest times. Most of the castle's main buildings were built in the 15th and 16th centuries. Some buildings from the 14th century remain, while the town's outer fortifications date from the early 18th century. Several Scottish kings and queens were crowned at Stirling, including Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1543. Stirling Castle was besieged at least eight times, including several during the Scottish War of Independence, the last in 1746 when Bonnie Prince Charlie unsuccessfully attempted to capture the castle. Stirling Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and is now a tourist attraction managed by Historic Scotland.

Castle Location: Stirling

Castle: Stirling Castle Karzahn Castle Picture by gordonour on Flickr

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Calzahn Castle (pronounced cull ANE: see yoga) is a castle near Carrickmayborough, Ayrshire, on the Scottish coast. spe "Inveraray Castle Wikipedia"

"Wikipedia" description:

Inveraray Castle?]) is a castle in western Scotland. It is the seat of the Duke of Argyll, the head of the Campbell family.

The original design of the castle was completed in 1720 by the architect Sir John Vanbrugh, who also designed Blenheim Palace. The design was later developed by architects Roger Morris and William Adam, who oversaw the construction of the castle in 1746 and was influenced by Archibald Campbell, 3rd Duke of Argyll. ) commission. The work was completed in 1789 by John Campbell, 5th Duke of Argyll, and his wife Elizabeth. Built in an eclectic mix of architectural revival styles, it stands on the site of the original village of Inveraray - when Archibald Campbell decided to build the castle, he had the village demolished and rebuilt a mile away so that it would not Affects the appearance of the castle. "KDSP" combines Baroque, Palladian and Gothic architectural features. The castle layout is square, with four round cast towers at each corner, each with a tapered spire. It is surrounded by 2 acres (8100 m2) of formal gardens and 14 acres (57000 m2) of parkland, and is located 1 mile north of the village of Inveraray, close to the shores of Lough Fern in Argyll and Bute.

The castle was damaged by fire twice, in 1877 and 1975, but most of its important artefacts and features remain or have been restored. It contains excellent furniture and interior decoration from the 18th and 19th centuries. The elaborate decoration of the Castle's State Dining Room, completed in 1784, is the only remaining work by the French painters Girard and Girard, who were also commissioned by the then Prince of Wales (later George IV) to decorate his London residence, Carlton House. The Armory Hall contains wall-mounted weapons from around 1740 and has the highest ceiling in Scotland (21 meters, or nearly 69 feet).

Inveraray Castle is the home of the current Duke (Toxier Campbell, 13th Duke of Algyre) and his family, but its unique appearance, beautiful interior and charming surroundings make It became a popular tourist attraction and it is open to visitors at certain times of the year.

Castle Location: West of Scotland

Castle: Inverness Castle Inverness Castle Picture by Connor395 on Flickr

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Inverness Castle sits on a cliff overlooking the River Ness, in Inverness, Scotland. The red sandstone building visible today was built in 1836 by architect William Byrne. It is built on the remains of an 11th-century defensive structure. Today this is Inverness Magistrates Court. There has been a castle at this place for centuries. The castle itself is not open to the public, but the grounds are.

Castle location: Inverness

Castle: Inverness Castle Books about Scottish castles

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