Scottish Castles & Palaces
Castle construction in Scotland started with the reign of David I Dunkeld in the 12th century. Living in England as a young man, he saw the castles built by the Normans.He invited Norman nobles to Scotland and granted them titles and lands on which they built their castles. Early on many of the Clan Chiefs built Tower castles. Many were built in the Scottish Borders where attacks from English reivers were common. Later on many of the larger Scottish tower castles were enclosed to create many of the larger castles we see today. In more peaceful times, wealthy and royal families improved many castles into more resplendent country manners.
Palaces are not as prevalent in Scotland as they are in England. Some of the more well known Scottish palaces includes the Royal Holyrood Palace, Linlithgow Palace and Scone Palace, the original site of the Stone of Destiny and the traditional site of the Coronation of Scottish Kings.
My first question is how many castles are there in Scotland? It is estimated that 2000 to 3000 have been constructed over time.
In the following table of Scottish Castles, the numbers beside the county indicate the number of castles in the county while the number in parenthesis shows the number that are considered "ruins". For a map of the Castles below click here.
| County Castles(Ruins) | County Castles(Ruins) | County Castles(Ruins) |
|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen 3(2) | East Renfrewshire 3(0) | Orkney 8(7) |
| Aberdeenshire 88(44) | Edinburgh 13(1) | the Outer Hebrides 7(3) |
| Angus 52(7) | Falkirk 8(4) | Perth and Kinross 37(10) |
| Argyll and Bute 44(24) | Fife 37(16) | Renfrewshire 15(12) |
| Clackmannanshire 6(2) | Glasgow 5(4) | the Borders 42(23) |
| Dumfries and Galloway 99(53) | Highland 65(41) | Shetland 4(0) |
| Dundee 6(2) | Inverclyde 8(5) | South Lanarkshire 23(20) |
| Ayrshire 94(58) | Midlothian 9(1) | Stirling 12(4) |
| East Dunbartonshire 3(2) | Moray 40(33) | West Dunbartonshire 7(0) |
| East Lothian 33(6) | North Lanarkshire 2(0) | West Lothian 23(5) |
| Data from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_castles_in_Scotland | ||
Edinburgh Castle is probably the most well known and recognizable castle in Scotland. It stands high upon Castle Rock, a volcanic plug in the middle of Edinburgh. It has been occupied since at least the Iron Age. It was first built in 1103 and has been a Royal castle since the reign of Malcolm III. From about the 15th century, its role as a Royal residence has declined and by the 17th century its primary use was as a military garrison.
Today the Castle serves mainly as a tourist attraction averaging about 2 million visitors per year. It houses the Honours of Scotland (the Scottish Crown Jewels) and numerous buildings of note. It also remains the regimental headquarters of the Royal Regiment of Scotland and the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and houses their regimental museums, along with that of the Royal Scots. It also serves as the backdrop to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo during the annual Edinburgh Festival held every August.
Glamis Castle was built in 1372 and granted by Robert II to his son-in-law Sir John Lyon, Thane of Glamis. It has remained in the Lyon name since then. Originally constructed as a Tower Castle, over time two wings were added making it shaped like an L. There are many strange stories associated with Glamis. One involves a card game with the devil which possibly included the Lord of Glamis, Alexander Lyons, himself. Another involves the deformed child, the "Monster of Glamis", son of another Lord Glamis who was hidden away for his entire life. Upon his death, the rooms he had occupied were bricked up. Glamis was also the scene of Shakespeare's "Macbeth". Unfortunately for Shakespeare, Macbeth lived about 300 years before Glamis was built.
A true story is that Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, though not born at Glamis, spent much of her life there after her father inherited Glamis and the Earldom of Strathmore. She spent much of her young life there and married the future King George VI and became the Queen Mother to Queen Elizabeth II.
Built in the 16th century near Banchory by the Burnetts of Leys, Crathes Castle sits on land given to the Burnett family by King Robert the Bruce in 1323. Originally built as a Tower Castle, a residential wing was added in the 18th century. Today, Crathes is probably best known for its 4 acre walled garden.
Urquhart Castle lies in the Great Glenn located on the shores of Loch Ness. Originally constructed in the 13th century it played a significant role in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th century. Held as a Royal castle, it was continually raided by the MacDonalds. Though granted to the Clan Grant, conflict with the MacDonalds continued. Government forces partially destroyed it in 1692 to prevent its use by Jacobite forces. In 1884 the castle came under the control of Caroline, Dowager Countess of Seafield. On her death in 1911, it was transferred to Historic Environment Scotland. If it looks familiar, it is often shown in documentaries on the Loch Ness Monster.
Eilean Donan translates literally as the Island of Donan. It lies at the confluence the three sea lochs Loch Duich, Loch Long and Loch Alsh and was probably named for the 6th century Irish Saint, Bishop Donan of Eigg.
The original castle was built on the island in the 13th century, a stronghold of Clan Mackenzie. However, in response to their support of the Jacobite rebellions, government ships destroyed the castle in 1719. As it stands today, Eilean Donan Castle was rebuilt by Lt. Col. John MacRae-Gilstrap from 1919 to 1932. The original castle was only accessible by boat or at low tide. The current arched bridge was part of the reconstruction. Regardless, Eilean Donan Castle is considered to be the most photographed castle in Scotland. It has also been included in several movies including Highlander in 1986 starring Christopher Lambert.
Stirling Castle, sitting atop an extinct volcano, is historically and architecturally quite significant. Its strategic location has made it an important fortification and a favorite site of Scottish Royalty. The first record of Stirling Castle dates from around 1110, when King Alexander I dedicated a chapel there, establishing a Royal residence. In its history it has been attacked at least 16 times and has withstood several sieges. One of the most brutal was by Edward I, known as "Longshanks" and the "Hammer of the Scots", in 1304. In 1314, Robert the Bruce actually laid siege to Stirling which at the time was an English garrison. Bonnie Prince Charlie, the Young Pretender, attempted to take the castle in 1746 but was unsuccessful.
Most of the buildings standing today were built in the 15th century and later. James IV built the Great Hall around 1500 and the Royal Palace was built by James V in the 1540s. Mary Stuart was crowned Queen of Scots at age nine months and spent much of her childhood at Stirling. Her son James VI of Scotland, later James I of England, was baptized here.
Located at the confluence of Ardoch Burn and the River Teith, Doune Castle, was originally built in the 13th century. It was damaged in the Scottish Wars of Independence and then rebuilt in the 14th century by Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, son of Robert II. When Robert's son, Murdoch, was executed in 1425 on the return of James I, the castle passed to the Crown and for many years used as a royal hunting lodge. Among its royal visitors was Mary, Queen of Scots. In the 16th century, Doune became property of the Earls of Moray. The castle saw much military action until, by 1880, the castle stood in ruins. At this time George Stuart, 14th Earl of Moray began repair works. The castle is now maintained by Historic Environment Scotland.
Doune has been the scene of numerous movie sets. It was featured in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, used for the castle Winterfell in Game of Thrones and as Castle Leoch in Outlander.
Designed by the architect William Adam for John, Duke of Roxburghe, Floors was constructed in the 1720s. It really does not fit any of the standard types of castles and without the crenellations, it might not be called a castle at all. It is thought that it incorporated an earlier Tower Castle from which it got its name. It was designed in the common 18th century main block with two symmetrical service wings. In the 19th century it was embellished with turrets and battlements by the 6th Duke of Roxburghe.
Floors, considered to be the Gem of the Scottish Borders, lies on the hill just west of Kelso overlooking the River Tweed. The Borders, also referred to as the Marches, is the area adjoining England. In earlier times it was the haunt of Reivers, both Scottish and English, who raided back and forth through the area without regard to nationality.
Abbotsford, the home of novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott, is not castle, but it looks like one (more so than Floors). And besides, it one of my favorite places in all of Scotland. Sitting on the south back of the River Tweed, it has been described as a baronial estate. Built by Scott between 1817 and 1825, it is named for the river ford used by the Abbots of nearby Melrose Abbey. With its central tower and many corner towers and bartizans capped with spires, it could easily be mistaken for a fairy tale castle. I'm sure Sir Walter took his inspiration from the likes of Ivanoe and The Lady of the Lake.
Dunrobin Castle, with its fairy tale spiral towers sits on the banks of the Dornoch Firth. It is the most northerly of Scotland's great houses. It is also one of Britain's oldest continuously inhabited houses dating back to the early 1300s, home to the Earls and later, the Dukes of Sutherland. The oldest surviving part of the present Dunrobin Castle dates back to 1401. At that time it was a square Keep with walls over six feet thick.
During the Rising of 1745, the Jacobites under Bonnie Prince Charlie stormed Dunrobin. The 17th Earl of Sutherland fled to Aberdeen but was reinstated when the Bold 45 failed the following year.
Between 1835 and 1850 the castle was remodeled in the Scottish Baronial style by the the 2nd Duke of Sutherland. During WWI it was used as a naval hospital. Since the early 70s the house and grounds have been open to the public, though the Sutherland family retains private accommodations.
Blair Castle is the ancestral home of the Clan Murray, and was historically the seat of their chief, the Duke of Atholl. Construction started in 1269 by John I Comyn, Lord of Badenoch while the Earl of Atholl was away on crusade. On his return, he won back his land and incorporated the tower that had been built into his own castle. David II Strathbogie, Earl of Atholl, died in 1326 and forfeited the titles and estates after rebelling against King Robert the Bruce in 1308. The earldom was granted to a number of individuals over the years until 1457 when James II granted it to his half-brother John Stewart. John Murray was created Earl of Atholl in 1629, and the title has since remained in the Murray family.
Duart Castle, the seat of Clan MacLean, dates back to the 13th century. It came to the MacLeans from Clan MacDougal when Lachlan MacLean, the 5th Clan Chief, received it as part of his dowry on his marriage with Mary, daughter of John of Islay, Lord of the Isles. In 1691, Duart was surrendered to the 10th Earl of Argyll who partially demolished the castle. Though abandoned in 1751 with the castle in ruins, it was eventually bought by Sir Fitzroy Donald Maclean, the 26th Chief of the Clan MacLean, and restored.
Castle Stalker, built by Clan Stewart around 1440, sits on a tidal islet in Loch Linnhe. Unfortunately, while visiting the castle in 1620, King James IV lost the castle on a drunken bet to the Campbells. The Campbells abandoned it around 1840 when the roof collapsed. Charles Stewart boght the castle in 1908 and began restoration. In 1965 Lt. Col. D. R. Stewart Allward acquired the castle and, over the next ten years, fully restored it. It was used in the filming of Monty Python and the Holy Grail as "The Castle Aaaaarrrrrrggghhh" and later in the film Highlander: Endgame.
Built in 1530 by the Elphinstone family, Corgarff Castle is an excellent example of a walled Tower Castle. We passed near it on the way to the Glenlivet Distillery.
The Castle of Mey is located on the northeast coast of Scotland just west of the town of John o' Groats. The Castle of Mey was built between 1566 and 1572 on the site of an earlier fortification by George Sinclair, 4th Earl of Caithness. Originally a Tower House, a wing has been added to the southeast and a square tower on the northwest. Over the years it became derelict though it was used in WWII as an officer's rest home. In 1952, the estate was purchased by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, the widow of George VI who set about restoring it to use as a holiday home. She visited regularly from 1955 until her death in 2002. In 1996 she created the Queen Elizabeth Castle of Mey Trust, which has opened the castle and garden to the public since her death. Her purchase of the castle is featured in Season 1 Episode 8 of the Netflix show The Crown.
Scone Palace has been home to the Earls of Mansfield for over 400 years. Scone dates from at least the 9th century and is the historic crowning-place of the Kings of Scots and historic home to the Stone of Scone (the Stone of Destiny). Kenneth MacAlpin, traditionally known as the first King of Scots, was the first of 42 Scottish Kings that were crowned at Scone. No king had the authority to reign as king of Scots unless he had first been crowned at Scone upon the Stone of Scone. The Stone sat upon Moot Hill.
In 1296 Edward I of England captured the Stone and removed it to London. The Stone was then used for the coronation of English and British monarch for over 500 years. In 1950, a Glasgow University student, Ian Hamilton, along with his fellow studend Kay Matheson, stole the Stone and, in the process, broke it in two. They later buried the larger piece in a field near Rochester, Kent, while Kay kept the smaller in a friend's garage in Birmingham. Sixteen months later the Stone was returned to London. In 1996 Queen Elizabeth II, who had been crowned with the Stone under the Coronation Chair, returned the Stone to Scotland. It now resides in Edinburgh Castle along with the Scottish Honours. However, it is still considered a British, not just Scottish, asset and was returned to London for the Coronation of King Charles III.
Lying on the shore of the Firth of Forth, Blackness Castle was constructed in the 1440s by Sir George Crichton, 1st Earl of Caithness. He moved to entail his property to prevent his son, James from succeeding to his estate and titles. In retaliation, James imprisoned his father in Blackness Castle. George was rescued by King James II and, in a compromise, James received the ancestral estate of Cairns and some crown land in Perthshire. George agreed to pass the remainder of his lands to the Crown on his death where they remain to this day. Because of its long, narrow shape, the castle has been characterized as "the ship that never sailed".
Sitting on a hill overlooking the town of Dundonald, the third, and current Castle was built in 1371 for Robert II on his ascension to the throne. It was used by him and his son Robert III as a royal residence. Prior to this there were two other castle built on what was probably an ancient hill fort. The first castle was probably built by Walter, a Steward to the King, who came to Scotland in 1136. The second castle was built in the late 13th century by the 4th High Steward, Alexander. It was largely destroyed in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century by Robert the Bruce.
Turnberry Castle is not much more than a pile of rocks. It is exceptional for the fact that it is thought to be the birthplace of Robert the Bruce. There is no record of when it was originally built but it began as a stronghold of the Lords of Galloway. It passed to the possession of the Earls of Carrick around the beginning of the 13th century. It was held at this time by Marjorie, the widowed Countess of Carrick. Legend has it that, while visiting the castle, Robert de Brus, father of Robert the Bruce, was held captive by Marjorie until he agreed to marry her. He agreed and with their marriage in 1271, was conveyed both the castle and the earldom. It is not certain that Robert was born there, but that he spent his youth in the castle is not in doubt.
Robert the Bruce, as with many other castles, ordered it destroyed in 1310 to prevent it from falling into English hands. Four years later at the Battle of Bannockburn, he soundly defeated the English and was proclaimed King of Scotland.
Caerlaverock Castle, besides having the coolest name for a castle, it is the only triangular castle in the UK and only one of a handful in the world. A moated Stone Keep it is located on the coast of the Solway Firth. Built in the 13th century, it was a stronghold of the Maxwells until the 17th century when it was abandoned after being besieged by the Protestant Covenanter army. At that time the south wall and tower were demolished.
Built in the early 14th century by Longshanks (also known as The Hammer of the Scots), it replaced an earlier Motte and Bailey castle built south of the current castle in c.1160 by the Bruce family, Lords of Annandale. The castle was seized by Lord Maxwell, seeking to overthrow the Protestant Monarchy in 1588. In response James VI besieged Lochmaben with the assistance of English forces.
Lochmaben Castle remained important with a turbulent history until some time after the early 17th century. King James I allotted £1,600 sterling for its repair in 1624 but it was never put to use. Today it has fallen into total disrepair and is not accessible to the public.
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