ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Places To Visit In Scotland: Six Scottish Castles

Updated on May 4, 2012
Source

Eilean Donan Castle

Eilean Donan is situated in one of the most beautiful locations in Scotland and has become something of an icon. It was built in the mid 13th century, but it is believed that the site was occupied from the 6th century. The castle has been ruined and rebuilt at different times throughout Scotland's turbulent history. The castle was restored in the 20th century, having been partially destroyed during a Jacobite uprising some 200 years earlier. The castle is open to the public and there are the usual amenities you would expect at a visitor centre.

If you like Eilean Donan, another castle you might like is Urquhart Castle on the banks of Loch Ness.

Source

Brodie Castle

Now maintained by the National Trust for Scotland, Brodie Castle is a 16th century tower house which is located a few miles outside of the small Moray town of Forres. The setting is spectacular and there are beautiful walks within the surrounding woodland to enjoy. The castle is home to some magnificent paintings and antiques. The castle is not far off the A96 which is the main road between Inverness and Aberdeen. The castle is well known for the array of daffodils which grow in its grounds in the springtime.

Another great castle, located not far from Brodie, is Cawdor Castle which is the historic seat of the Thanes of Cawdor. Fans of Shakespeare will recognise this term from Macbeth but, unfortunately, truth and fiction are miles apart here and the castle has no real associations with the Scottish king.

Source

Blair Castle

Although Blair Castle dates back to the mid-13th century, much of the castle you see today is the result of remodelling work done in the Georgian and Victorian periods. There are hundreds of great antiques and works of art to enjoy in the castle and visitors have the opportunity to learn all about the rich history of the castle and the Earls and Dukes of Atholl who have resided within its walls. There are beautifully maintained gardens and woodland walks to enjoy.

The castle is located a short distance from the A9, the main road between Perth and Inverness, about 7 miles from the pretty little town of Pitlochry.


Source

Glamis Castle

Glamis is a castle with a fascinating history. It began life as a medieval fortress but after centuries of building additions and re-modelling the castle little resembles the original. The castle has associations with major historical events and it is believed that King Malcolm II was murdered within its walls in the 11th century. In 1540, the widow of Lord Glamis, Lady Janet Douglas was burned at the stake on the orders of King James V after being accused of witchcraft. Glamis also has associations with Shakespeare's Macbeth and was the ancestral home of the late Queen Mother.

Source

Stirling Castle

Overlooking the central Scottish town of Stirling, the castle occupies a key strategic location which offers views for miles around. It has associations with key Scottish historical figures like William Wallace and Mary Queen of Scots. There are some structures from the 14th century still in place at the castle. The Great Hall was the largest banqueting hall in medieval Scotland. There is a beautiful chapel and the King's Old Building houses a regimental museum which is a must-see for visitors who are interested in military history.

However, the most impressive part perhaps is the 16th century palace built by King James IV which is considered to be one of the finest Renaissance buildings in Britain. The castle complex serves as a reminder of the importance of Stirling to the Stewart Kings of Scotland.

Source

Kisimul Castle, Isle of Barra

This castle is a bit off the beaten track but if you happen to be enjoying a tour of the Scottish Highlands and Islands and Barra is on your itinerary, then it is well worth a visit. Once the stronghold of the MacNeils, the castle is first mentioned in a written document in 1549 but scholars tend to date its construction to the 13th century. Castlebay, where the castle is located, was an important point of anchorage in the Outer Hebrides during the turbulent Middle Ages as it is the first safe harbour north of Ireland and upon visiting the castle, you begin to understand the strategic advantage its construction gave the occupants.

The castle fell into a state of disrepair as the clan system declined but efforts to restore it to its former glory were begun during the 20th century. These days, visitors can access the castle by boat. Lighting and some of the doors are modern, but there is still much of the original castle remaining. Some parts of the castle are accessed by fairly steep steps and you do need to be reasonably fit to cope with this. Amongst the areas to explore are the Watchtower and Dungeon, Chapel, Great Hall and Kitchen House.

While some castles give you a sense of opulence and grandeur, Kisimul will leave you with a real sense of what life for the ruling classes in the Middle Ages was like.

A
eilean donan castle:
Dornie, o/s Eilean Donan Castle, Highland, UK

get directions

B
brodie castle, forres:
Brodie Castle, Forres, Moray IV36 2TE, UK

get directions

C
blair castle, blair atholl:
Blair Castle Mains, Blair Atholl, Pitlochry, Perth and Kinross PH18 5TL, UK

get directions

D
glamis castle, angus:
Glamis, at Glamis Castle (Unmarked), Forfar, Angus DD8, UK

get directions

E
stirling castle:
Stirling Castle, Castle Esplanade, Stirling FK8 1EJ, UK

get directions

F
barra, scotland:
Barra, United Kingdom

get directions

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)