meyanderings

Castle #14 on our 🏰 tour:

Balvenie Castle, now in ruins, is one of Scotland’s oldest stone castles and was actually a stronghold for more than 500 years.

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Built for the Comyn earls of Buchan, it was taken by Robert the Bruce in 1308. Sir James Douglas held it in the early 1400s, but it eventually fell into the hands of King James II, who leased it to the Stewarts for a single red rose a year.

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Over 250 years, the clan transformed the medieval structure into an attractive Renaissance residence.

The castle has lent its name to the prestigious and world-famous single-malt Scotch whisky that is produced in a distillery literally a couple of yards away.

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#heritage #aristocracy #castlesofscotland #scotch #whisky #roadtrip #discoverscotland #scotlandshots #highlands #scotland #meyanderings

It’s the small things that totally make the experience 😍

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Castle #13 on our 🏰 tour:

Cawdor Castle, nestled in lush gardens in Nairnshire, dates back to the 15th century and has undergone various expansions since. It originally belonged to the Calders, but was passed on to the Campbells in the 16th century and is now home to the Dowager Countess Cawdor, the mother of the 7th Earl Cawdor.

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Walking through the forest that’s home to the Plodda Falls was a whole other level of amazing (and humid) ☘️

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#beauty #nature #waterfall #scottishhighlands #roadtrip #discoverscotland #honeymoon #scotland #meyanderings

Walking through the forest that’s home to the Plodda Falls was a whole other level of amazing (and humid) ☘️

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Walking through the forest that’s home to the Plodda Falls was a whole other level of amazing (and humid) ☘️

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Castle #12 on our 🏰 tour:

Urquhart Castle overlooks the beautiful Loch Ness. The site is thought to have been an early medieval fortification, but the ruins as they stand go back to the 13th century.

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The castle lived through the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th century, when it was captured and then kept as a royal hold. It endured multiple raids by the McDonald Earls of Ross although it was the Clan Grant which took over in 1509.

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By the middle of the 17th century, Castle Urquhart had undergone various modifications. It was subsequently abandoned and then partially destroyed in 1692 to prevent it from being useful to the Jacobites. It continued to decay until the 20th century, when it started being given due care and attention as a historical monument.

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#heritage #history #nature #beauty #castlesofscotland #viewsfordays #viewgoals #roadtrip #discoverscotland #scotlandshots #highlands #scotland #meyanderings

Castle #11 on our 🏰 tour:

Inverness Castle overlooks the River Ness, from its strategic position on the hill. It stands on the site of a defensive structure from the 11th century, with the current castle having been constructed out of red sandstone in 1836 by architect William Burn. Today, it serves as the Sheriff Court.

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#heritage #castlesofscotland #viewsfordays #viewgoals #roadtrip #discoverscotland #scotlandshots #highlands #scotland #meyanderings

The Fairy Glen is to be found on the Trotternish Peninsula, on the Isle of Skye. It’s a sort of valley, shallow by comparison with others in Scotland, with various clusters of conical hills and rather particular rock formations. While there is no specific explanation for the name, other than adverts created by tourist agencies to attract people there, it is a rather magnificent place. .

When we arrived, it was raining softly. A light mist hovered over the dense ferns and the clouds covered the crests of the hills, such that you could only really see them from up close. We decided to climb to one to figure out which was the best path to take. The wind had picked up by the then, and the sensation of looking down onto the valley while being surrounded by other hills was quite something. It did feel as if there was something somewhat magical in the air.

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By the time we climbed down our chosen hill and headed towards the ‘Fairy Castle’, the biggest rock formation in the first picture, the wind had started blowing the rain clouds away. The sun came out by the time we reached the summit. It was so peaceful up there, despite a few other people milling around and taking pictures.

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#beauty #nature #magic #fairies #faeries #myth #scottishhighlands #roadtrip #discoverscotland #honeymoon #scotland #meyanderings

Castle #10 on our 🏰 tour:

Eilean Donan Castle is probably one of the most iconic castles to be found in the Highlands, largely due to its strategic - and picturesque - position. It stands on an island at the point where three lakes come together: Loch Duich to the south (picture 4), Loch Alsh to the west (picture 5) and Loch Long to the north (picture 6). To say the the scenery is majestic, breathtaking or awe-inspiring is an understatement.

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We had a view of the castle from our room in Dornie (picture 7), on Loch Long, and it was something else altogether to wake up to all this beauty. In fact, the pictures that I posted here where actually taken on three different days (hence the weather!).

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It was in the mid 1200s that the first fortified castle was built to guard Kintail lands, although the island had actually been inhabited since the 6th century. It underwent various modifications over the years, in keeping with Scotland’s feudal history. In 1911, it was bought by the McRaes, who undertook the endeavor of restoring it to its former glory. It is as beautiful on the inside as one would expect; sadly, photos aren’t allowed!

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Some places are just too beautiful to describe in words 😍

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