Castles in Scotland

Castles and Historical Sites

We had many hiking adventures in Scotland.  Now we wanted to check out some historical sites and castles.  Bruce had mapped out a couple of castles that were along our route to help the kids better understand the history of Scotland.  We were excited to venture off into the castles and learn more about Scotland from centuries ago.

Eilean Donan Castle was our first Castle in the highlands.  Eilean Donan or also referred to as the Island of Donan is thought to have been named after an Irish Saint, Bishop Donan.  Bishop Donan established a community in the area and was a predominate figure for the community during that time.  Thus, the castle was named after him.

This castle is one of the most photographed castles in the country and is recognized around the world.  It is situated on an island where three great sea lochs meet and has incredible mountain landscapes in its background.  Because of its unique settings, it has appeared in many movies; The Golden Age, Highlander, James Bond- The World is Not Enough, etc and has been the site of many celebrity weddings.  From our visit, we understood why this castle is one of the most visited and photographed castles in Scotland.... It is beautiful.

Eilean Donan Castle

Close up of the Castle

Another view- provided by internet

Eilean Donan's history is incredible.  It was built in the mid 13th century for Alexander II as a defense against the Vikings.  It is believed that the first castle probably had seven towers and a curtain wall that encompassed nearly the entire island.  BUT over the centuries the castle expanded and contracted in size, being built and rebuilt approximately four times.

In 1719 the castle was involved in the Jacobite uprising, which was its downfall.  It housed Jacobite leaders and Spanish soldiers who were plotting and supporting the rebellion against the British Government.  The castle stored necessary supplies for the revolution; gunpowder and weaponry and was awaiting the delivery of more weapons and cannons from Spain.  The British Government learned about the uprising and the castle.  They sent three heavily armed warships to the castle to stop the insurgency.  The ships bombarded the castle for several days with little effect.  The Captain then sent his men ashore to overwhelm the Jacobite soldiers and seize the castle, to which they achieved victory.  Following the seizure of the castle the Brits located 343 barrels of gunpowder within the castle walls and used those barrels of gunpowder to blow up the castle.  This battle destroyed the castle and it laid in ruins for almost 200 years.

In 1911, Lieutenant Colonel John MacRae-Gilstrap purchased the island containing the castle ruins.  He then spent the next twenty years laboring over the restoration of the castle.  His plans for the castle came from the last known surviving plans of the castle and according to a dream he had where he saw the castle in its original state.  In the end, he restored the castle to a magnificent structure that is breathtaking.

We walked around the castle and enjoyed the historical displays and artifacts.  There were many fabulous rooms educating the tourist through displaying the different time periods of the castle, the weaponry from different eras, furniture, and art all describing the castle's history throughout the centuries.  Photography was not allowed inside the castle; therefore, we only photographed the exterior of the castle.  We loved the history lesson, the displays and the castle.

Inside the castle walls

The Urquhart Castle was our next Highland castle.  It is nestled on the banks of Loch Ness and is a 500 year old medieval castle.  This castle has seen its share of battles between the English and the Scots, since its existence.  It's control has alternated between the countries many times throughout the centuries.  In fact, there have been so many battles for the control of the castle that I can't list them all.  In the end, a small group of supporters of a new Monarchy was the castle's demise.  This small group of supporters held off an attack from the Jacobite rebellion.  AND then they blew up the castle prior to leaving so the Jacobite rebellion would not be able to return later and gain control.  This castle has never been restored and has laid in ruins ever since.  

*Question;  what is the deal with blowing up castles as a defense mechanism to prevent opposing rebelling groups from using it.  It is almost as if they are saying: if we can't keep it then no one can have it.

Urquhart Castle

Different Angle of the Urquhart wall and tower

A catapult

Urquhart Castle is not only visited for its historical value, beauty, and the ability to walk through the castle ruins, BUT it also offers the largest view of Loch Ness.  Tourists visit that area, because the castle is situated on a peninsula which provides the best view of Loch Ness and may provide them with a possible glimpse of Nessie.  Yes, Nessie.

Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster, first came into public attention in 1933.  A "water bailiff" for the Loch Ness reported seeing a prehistoric animal that was crossing the water carrying an animal in its mouth before submerging underwater.  After his story was posted in a newspaper many other people started reporting their sightings of: a monster fish, a sea serpent, or a dragon.  They eventually named it the Loch Ness Monster. 

We were on alert while walking through the ruins.  We wanted to photograph and see the famous Loch Ness Monster.  We were looking and looking, when all of a sudden....   we saw something in the water and took a picture;

A view of Loch Ness from the tower

AND there it is...  The Loch Ness Monster-  We found it!

OK...   This is a staged prank.  Just after leaving the Castle there is a Nessie Museum with a big Nessie in the water.  So this is a staged prop in the water for tourist to photograph.  We thought it was just hilarious so we had to get a couple of pictures.

Walking around the castle was wonderful.  The Scots work hard to help educate tourists about living in the castle, the hardship of castle life, the weaponry available to fend off would be scavengers, and how magnificently large the castle grounds were (containing:  barns, kitchens, jails and such).  We had a great time walking around using our imagination.  

Now, we were off again.  We went to see Clava Cairn, which is a Bronze Age cemetery (4,000 years old).  Apparently the rocks used in these Cairn Rings came from demolished houses in the area.  They used the rocks to build up a circular tomb with one passage into it and a hollowed out center.

This was amazing to see.  There were four Cairns built very close to one another in this area.  Walking around seeing these amazing rock formations we realized that to make this burial site, usually built for one or two people, was very hard and took a lot of time and effort.  Hmm, I wonder who was so important to have such a grave?

A Cairn

The passage and center of a different Cairn

Quite the headstones near the other Cairn

Another view of a Cairn

The kids enjoyed walking around the rock formations.  It was just starting to rain, so out came the umbrellas.  They thought it was pretty neat to walk into the middle of the rocks and check out how difficult it would be to stack that many rocks together.  We enjoyed this little stop.

The final stop was the site of the Culloden Battle.  Throughout the blogs about Scotland we have referenced the Jacobite rebellion many times.   The Jacobite rebellion is a significant historical event for Scotland.  Our finale to our tour of Scotland was to see the site where the final battle between the Jacobites and the Brits took place -the Culloden Battle.

Some history about the Jacobite Rebellion;  Jacobite is the Latin name for James and was a popular Christian name among Kings.  Prince Charles (Charles Edward Stuart) was the son of James Francis Edward Stuart and Grandson to King James VI.  Prince Charles raised support among the Highland Clans to reclaim his throne in Scotland.  There are different versions about Prince Charles' true intentions with the throne and who he was claiming it for, but the Scottish Clans believe him and his proposal to win it back for the Scots.  Since Prince Charles was the lineage of James, the rebellion was called the Jacobites.

This was an eight month long battle where the Scottish clan (Jacobite) fought against the British army.  It was a battle that marched through the countryside of Scotland and into England.  The French and Spanish supported the Jacobite rebellion, but barely.  The Jacobites made it all the way to Derby, England and took over that town.  BUT that is where the Council of the Jacobites decided that the French failed to supply enough men or supplies for the Jacobite Army to continue on further into England with their battle.  Thus, the Jacobites turned around to return back to Scotland (a retreat).  

The retreating Jacobite Army had to fight their way back into their country, because defeated towns or forts were not always secured with enough people to hold it for them upon their return.  These battles depleted resources, but they continued on.  The Jacobites were finally defeated at Culloden on April 16th in 1746, when they attempted a night surprise attack on a British force.  There were many contributing factors to their demise in that battle:  The Jacobites were outnumbered significantly (9,000 to 6,000 - approximately), they were crossing through rough terrain in the dark which physically exhausted the men, the dark of the night caused confusion with directions and locations with some men getting lost, the command had miscommunication amongst themselves about the attack (some commanders returned back to base thinking they were going to regroup and change the plan of attack), and disheartened Jacobite men left for home which further decreased their fighting numbers.  The Jacobites were valiant fighters with the battle lasting about an hour, but all those factors took a toll on the Jacobites and led to their demise.   

Prince Charles Stuart, the leader of the rebellion, survived the battle and fled to the Highlands.  Later he sailed to his exile in France.   AND that was the end of the historical Jacobites' eight month rebellion against the British Government.

Connor trying out a sword

Nate had better be careful....   Someone has a sword

Connor could not believe the size of the gun

Walking around the battle field

A monument recognizing all who lost their lives

Visiting the Culloden Battlefield was incredible.  The visitor center had interactive exhibitions.  We walked through displays, touched weapons from that time, watched a 3D Battle reenactment, and had an audio guide that walked us through the battlegrounds.  It was a wonderful adventure learning about the Culloden battle and the boys really had fun.

Scotland has come to an end.  We had many adventures walking through historic villages, hiking through a variety of terrains, drinking from fresh mountain waterfalls and pools of water, and learning about the history of Scotland through interactive castles and battlefields.  Our week of adventures filled us with wonderful memories and stories that we will share for a lifetime.  And who knows, maybe we will return someday.

Scotland's Countryside -Part 3

We are into Scotland's Countryside blog part three.  This trip was filled with so many amazingly different highlights ranging from scenic landscapes, castles, and history; therefore, there is still much to tell about this vacation.  Our hiking excursions were not over and as a matter of fact we had one mountaintop that we just had to explore.  So that is where this blog will start; on our next hiking excursion.

On the Isle of Skye is the Quiraing Mountains (Cuith-Raing).  This was another hiking trip that the boys were excited to get out and experience.  So we stopped at the car park and off we went hiking into the mountains.

Quiraing Mountain was formed by a series of landslips.  AND the Quiraing is the only mountain that is still slipping in that area.  Apparently, the road at the base of this mountain needs yearly repair due to this phenomenon.  This mountain has some interesting rock formations, cliffs, and valleys with a trail running through it all giving a hiker some fantastic views.

We walked the narrow path up and down the slopes heading towards a point called the Prison.  Having three children we were not going to be able to walk the entire path around the mountain, but we were going as far as we could.  The hike was not too difficult.  It was a single file walk where certain points in the path you had to watch your step, but overall this was a magnificent well laid out path that allowed even novice hikers enjoy the view from the mountain tops.  Quiraing was outstanding.

The Quiraing Mountains

We were heading to the Prison- the farthest rock sticking out

We are almost at the Prison

Photo stop for the family- what a gorgeous view

Our tour guide and the boys

We almost made it to the Prison

We were really high up and saw some incredible landscapes

What amazing views we experienced on this hike

We hiked back to the vehicle, got in and the kids immediately asked about our next adventure.  We laughed, because we had not even had a chance to catch our breath.  BUT the boys were excited and did not want to stop exploring.  Bruce told them that after lunch we were going to hike into the fairy pools area.  They were very happy to hear that we were hiking some more and our day was not done. 

The fairy pools are a hilly area at the base of Cuillin Mountain.  The mountain feeds different pools of water, streams, and waterfalls.   We had a great time strolling through the area and could not believe this scenery.  It then hit us that all our hikes have been so different in landscapes and nature scenes, yet all are so beautiful.  Unlike other hikes, this hike was about viewing the assortment of pools and waterfalls made from the streams coming down the mountain.   We enjoyed this scenery and adventure as well.

This hiking path was very distinct and easy to follow.  The rolling hills led us to many different pools and waterfalls.  We took our time hiking and taking in the scenes.  The children loved drinking from these beautiful pools of water and from the waterfalls.  Again, it is hard to describe the smell of the fresh air, the sounds from the running streams and waterfalls, and the taste of the fresh ice cold water, but the word "incredible!" does comes to mind.

A Fairy Pool with a waterfall

And another one

The hillside and the hiking trail

The Cuillin Mountains in the background

A stream/valley with a waterfall

Sam drinking from the pool

And another waterfall

Two very different great hikes in one day.  One hike far into the mountaintops with some difficulty and then another hike with very little difficulty through rolling hills filled with different streams, pools of water, and waterfalls.  What a great day sunny day with two fantastic hikes through such different terrain viewing wonderful spectacular views.  The boys loved it and slept very well that night.

Scotland's Countryside- Part 2

The countryside of Scotland; The Highlands, Glencoe, Glen Nevis, Glenfinnan, Isle of Skye, Portree, Staffin, Loch Ness, and Culloden was a four-day excursion.  No wonder I was not able to write about all the places we visited during our tour in one post.  So here is part two of Scotland's Countryside.

Glenfinnan is historically known as the place where Prince Charles raised his "standard" to begin the 1745 Jacobite Rising.  Prince Charles went to Glenfinnan to meet many different clan families in order to reclaim the throne in the name of the Scots.  Unfortunately, this rebellion ended in failure eight months later.

Glenfinnan also has a unique twenty-one concrete arched single railway viaduct.  This viaduct has been used in such films as: Harry Potter, Stone of Destiny, and more.  This viaduct is commonly used as a passenger train route from Glasgow to Mallaig.  BUT during the summer months it is a popular scenic tourist attraction where tourists ride the Jacobite Steam Engine Train across some very picturesque landscapes. 

Glenfinnan's Loch Shiel and

 Glenfinnan's Monument to the Jacobite Clansmen (lower right corner)

Glenfinnan's Viaduct

The Jacobite Steam Train on the Viaduct

The Jacobite Steam train

We liked Glenfinnan.  We hiked to the top of a hill that overlooked the viaduct and Loch Sheil.  It was very windy and beautiful at the top of this hill.  We were able to take some cool pictures of the scenery from that location. The boys really liked the huge viaduct made from concrete.  They thought it was amazing that they were looking at the same viaduct featured in all of the Harry Potter movies.  AND then to watch a steam train cross it right in front of their eyes was just impressive.  

After checking out the viaduct, we strolled down to the shore area to see the Monument dedicated to the Jacobite clansmen who died in the rebellion.  This monument was incredible.  We were able to climb a very narrow staircase to the top and view the impressive landscape before us.  WOW! Glenfinnan was a small stop with a bakery that served amazing shortbread, but we got to do and see a lot in that short amount of time.

The Isle of Skye is an island off of the West Coast of Scotland.  To get to the Isle of Skye a person has to either drive over Skye Bridge or take the car ferry in Mallaig.  The Isle of Skye is a very popular tourist destination and is known for its beautiful mountain scenery, geology, lochs, and wildlife.  The mountains are a favorite among mountain climbers, hikers, and hill walkers of all levels, because of the remarkable landscapes and views that the area provides.  So we were going to the Isle of Skye to hike and take it all in.

We drove to Mallaig and took the car ferry to the Isle of Skye.  It was a very short ferry ride, but a boat ride none the less.  The kids love boats and enjoyed the experience of driving a car onto the ferry, parking, and then riding on the top area of the boat.  They had a great time getting a snack and watching the boat sail across the open waters.

First stop in Isle of Skye was a small fishing village called Elgol.  This little fishing village has been photographed and used in postcards all over the world.  This area has some of the most striking mountain and seascape sceneries and we were going to check it out.

We loved walking the shoreline, skipping rocks and hunting for seashells.  It was a brief but fun stop in this village.

The shoreline

The village

Next, we drove to hike in Sligachan town.  Sligachan is a small settlement on Skye.  It is close to the Cuillin Mountains and is a common tourist place for hikers and mountain climbers.  We felt it was a nice hike with great footpaths through the rolling hills.  Connor and Sam were having a race and ran far ahead.  We lost sight of them for a brief moment, with my heart skipping a beat.  But then over the crest of a hill we saw them and we were wondering how we were going to get their attention to stop them from running any further.  I had to use my really loud whistle and we waived our hands high in the air, so that when they looked back they would see that we were trying to get their attention to stop.  They finally looked in our direction and stopped.  Nate ran to their location to tell them to come back while Reed and I walked to their location.  After that experience we had to establish some boundary rules; all family members were to remain in sight of one another and within earshot of the whistle.  Whew. 

The bridge in Sligachan 

Nate used the rocks and not the bridge to cross the stream

A beautiful view during our hike



Portree is the largest town in Skye and has a harbor.  We did not do much in Portree, but it was a great location for us to house our luggage and stay the night.  We were interested in the mountains and sites that were near the city.  But the few shops that we did visit showed us that this town is quaint and the owners are very friendly. 

A view of the lodging on the cliff side

The harbor

Portree

Kilt Rock is near Portree, we had to stop and check it out.  Kilt Rock is on the Trottenish Peninsula that has two amazing land structures;  beautiful sea cliffs and a waterfall.  The sea cliffs are called the Kilt Rock, because they are 90 meter high sea cliffs that give the appearance of a pleated tartan kilt.  Right in front of these sea cliffs is a waterfall.  The waterfall is called; Mealt Waterfall and is amazing, as you can see.

The boys had fun running around the viewing area checking out the waterfall and the sea cliffs. There was no hiking for us in this area.  So this was only a short stop to see the magnificent landscape, take photos and stretch our legs.  The boys loved the sound of the waterfall and enjoyed watching the sea waves crashing into the shoreline.

Mealt Waterfall and Kilt Rock

Different angle showing the depth of the waterfall

Back in the vehicle, a short drive down the road, and we were on the Staffin Beach.  Staffin beach is known for its beautiful sandy beach and dinosaur tracks.  Yes, I said dinosaur tracks.  A local resident in 2002 found a dinosaur track in sandstone on the shoreline.  Experts believe an Ornithopod made the footprint.  Experts then explored the area and found a different set of dinosaur prints in a cluster.  They believe those prints are similar to the Megalosaurus dinosaur.  The sea at high tide and then the sand at low tide covers the sandstone, making it a challenge to locate the dinosaur footprints.

The tide was out, so decided to search the area for those dinosaur prints.  We were sure that we would find them, because we were a family of five and could spread out.  Unfortunately, we did not find any dinosaur prints.  We did get to see a man walk onto the sandy beach, strip to his swimming shorts, and head out to the ocean to swim.  We were all frozen in wonder watching him swim, because we were dressed in layers wondering how he could just jump right into the water and start swimming.  AND he swam for quite a while we were walking around exploring the beach and sandstone for those footprints.  Brrr that man is crazy; is what came to our minds.

Looking at the sandstone rocks for the dinosaur footprints.

Staffin Beach

Scotland's countryside is not completed, so stay turned for more hiking and a few castles. 

Scotland's Countryside

There are so many wonderful site and places to visit in Scotland.  We wanted to see a lot so we decided to use a tour guide.  The guide, Bruce, would take us all around the countryside of Scotland; Highlands, Glencoe, Glen Nevis, Glenfinnan, Isle of Skye, Portree, Staffin, Loch Ness, Inverness and Culloden.  It sounded like a full, but fun itinerary with Bruce.

Bruce picked us up in Edinburgh and we were off.  We were heading towards the Highlands and our first stop was a quaint little village called Luss.  This picturesque village is on Loch Lomond (Loch means; Lake) and this village has existed since the 1300s.  The village has a church and many lovely cottages.  It is a well known tourist destination. 

The lovely cottages lining the streets

Loch Lomond

St Kessog Church 

It was a beautiful village where it was obvious that the owners work hard to maintain a historical natural look not only to the cottages but to the village.  We had fun walking through the small village to the pier and shore line of Loch Lomond.  We ventured into a mom and pop shop right next to the pier and met a wonderful couple, who were so friendly.  The kids loved trying out the free Scottish candy samples called fudge tablets.  YUM.  Of course we had to buy some-  good marketing strategy.  We then walked to the coffee shop where we shared a couple of big pieces of chocolate and carrot cake.  What a treat and a great break, but there was so much more to see.

The Highlands is nothing more than a historic region of Scotland, the Northern part.  The Highlands are sparsely populated and contain most of the mountain ranges.  All we knew about the highlands was that we were driving up a small winding road with very little room for error.  This road was similar to the roads that lead into the Colorado Mountains, but much more narrow.  When we got to the top we were pleased to see highway roads available.  Whew.



The sign letting us know we made it

First stop in the Highlands was Glencoe.  Glencoe (or also known as;  Glen Coe) is know for its beautiful mountain scenery and for a historical fight called; The Massacre of Glencoe 1692.  These mountains are enormous with jagged edges.  It was a beautiful site to view.  We did not hike this area, because it was only a pit stop.  It is common for people to venture off backpack style and hike way up into the mountains and by looking up at the mountain; we could see why people would hike in this area.

Amazing mountains

The Massacre of Glencoe 1692:  Apparently, the Glen Coe area has a historical known feud between the MacDonalds and the Campbells starting around the 1500s.  These two clans do not get along and have been constantly raiding each other with severe loss of life on both sides for centuries.

In 1691 King William offered to pardon all the Highland clans who had taken up arms against him in the Jacobite uprising if they took an allegiance of oath to him by January of 1692.  The Clan Chief of the MacDonalds went to the wrong location to take the oath.  When the Clan Chief arrived at the correct location, he was five days late.  Therefore, the MacDonald Clan did not appear on the list of clans who had taken the oath.  The Secretary of State of Scotland wanted to set an example for the failure to take the oath, so he chose the MacDonald clan as the clan to punish.  This punishment was a well laid out plan with the Campbells at the helm to deliver the sanction.  Apparently, prior to the massacre, Captain Campbell and his soldiers sought refuge at the MacDonald's home.  The MacDonalds knew nothing about the government's plan or about the deceit/ trickery to get into the clan's home only to kill them at a later time.  The MacDonalds humbly gave hospitality to the soldier men providing them with; food, drink and shelter.  When the signal was lit (giving the men the orders to follow through with the massacre) the Captain and his men started shooting.  Fortunately, the initial sound of gunfire warned many of the MacDonalds about the massacre.  They fled into the wintery mountains where some lost their lives to exposure, but many lived.  This massacre was an inept attempt to kill and destroy the MacDonald Clan.  Public outcry was huge, because of the government's use of hospitality to attempt a massacre punishment upon the clan for failure to register.  The Secretary of State resigned and was alienated for his brazen horrible attempt to wipe out the clan.  Note; To this day in that region the MacDonalds and the Campbells do not get along, as shown by signs in many shops and restaurants that say "No Campbells."

The Clachaig Inn

As you can see by the sign on the Clachaig door;

(hawkers = thief) they have not forgotten the massacre

Glen Nevis is in the Highlands of Scotland.  Several mountains ranges border it with the North Mountains being the highest mountains in the British Isles.  It is also home to the second highest waterfall, Steall Waterfall, with an impressive 120 meter drop.  We were stopping here because Harry Potter Goblet of Fire had several scenes filmed here AND it has lots of interesting hiking paths through some amazing views.

Our plan was to hike into the mountain range to Steall Waterfall.  We would have our first experience to explore the country of Scotland and we were excited.  We parked the vehicle and started out for our hiking adventure.  The boys could hardly wait....   UNTIL

This sign warns hikers of death possibility



Prior to hiking into the mountain, Scotland decided to warn hikers that there is a possibility of slipping down the mountain to their death.  BUT we were not scared and off we went.  The path was pretty easy to follow up into the mountain.  We loved hiking and the amazing views.

Our hiking path

An amazing view of where we were heading

From the hiking path looking down at Sam

who stopped for a drink from a small waterfall

During our hike we came across a marvelous valley with a gorge.  Harry Potter Goblet of Fire was filmed at this location, and we could see why.  It was fantastic.  In order to get to Steall Waterfall we had to cross a wire bridge.  Bruce showed us the technique to cross the bridge and then we all took our turn crossing it, except Sam.  He was too small to reach up to the wire stabilizers, so he rode piggy back on Reed. 

The valley

Steall Falls

Nate crossing the wire bridge....  

Note: Steall Falls in the background

Our guide holding the wires steady with Reed and Sam crossing

Connor crossing the bridge

What a view of the valley and our hiking path behind us

We made it across the bridge.  Everyone was safe and sound, but we still had a ways to go to the falls.  We continued on our hike seeing breathtaking scenes.  The hike was not hard, but in some areas we had to plan our route and step carefully. 

We finally made it to the Waterfall.  It is hard to describe the site of the 120 Meter high waterfall, the sound of the falling water, the taste of fresh cold water, the smell of the land, and the beauty of the land.  We loved it all!

Steall Falls

The boys

We made it

The boys posing on the hillside in the valley



As you can see from the photos, Glen Nevis and the Waterfall was a hit. The aesthetics and beauty of the landscape of the countryside in this hike was magnificent.   The intrinsic details and characteristics of nature's scenery; the mountains, hills, valleys, rocks, moss, water, and grass amazed us all.  After our hike we were all filled with a sense of euphoria from the wonderful sites, smells, and tastes (of the mountain spring waters) experienced on this adventure.

Stay tuned...   More of Scotland's countryside is in the next post.