Urquhart Castle

Urquhart Castle, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

The end of the day, the sun shone on Urquhart Castle, situated on Loch Ness near Drumnadrochit. We couldn't get close as the visitor centre was closed. The next morning, in typical Scottish weather (dark cloud, light rain, harder rain...) we explored the ruins.

The castle was first built in the 1200s, though there is evidence of people in the area long before that. It was destroyed in the 1600s to prevent it from becoming a Jacobite stronghold.



While we were at the castle a piper marched out, playing familiar Scottish airs. The plaintive sounds added to the mood as the mist surrounded the area. It's hard to imagine life here at the time the castle was occupied. Now it lies in silent testimony to what has gone before.

For more photos, click here

Robert Bruce

Robert Bruce, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

Photos: August 2, 2011

Scottish weather - frequent drizzle followed by brief periods of su, white cloud and more rain. Robert Bruce stands looking over his realm near Stirling Castle.



The castle is really worth a visit, giving a good sense of how it was in the late 1500s. The tapestry studio where they are making replicas of the unicorn series of tapestries found in the Cloisters in New York was fascinating.




For more photos, click here

Looking Down

Looking Down, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

On a beautiful day in Edinburgh, we walked up to the castle. The views from there are magnificent. You can see to the Firth of Forth and beyond.

I liked looking down from the higher parts of the castle to see the buildings we had passed on our way up. There is something special about walking through historic places, to imagine the people who walked here before from royalty to all the people who served them.