Castles

No trip to Scotland is complete without visiting a few castles, and we have done our part by visiting several different ones. They've ranged from ruins where you see remnants of their past glory to ones that are still lived in today.

Inside the Sterling Castle Inner Close

Stirling Castle sits high atop a hill in the village of Stirling.  It was at the Battle of Stirling Bridge that William Wallace (Braveheart) defeated the invading British Army in 1297.  Home to the Stuart Kings, Mary Queen of Scots was crowned here.

Eilean Donan at low tide

Eilean Donan Castle is the most photographed castle in Scotland.  Still an active residence by the family's owners, it sits at the confluence of three lochs.  The arched stone bridge and the associated views give it that iconic photo.

Doune Castle was used to film exterior scenes for the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  We recreated the scene where Arthur and his men "Run Away! Run Away!" to the best of our ability.

The ruins of Urquhart Castle sit adjacent to the banks of Loch Ness.  Home to a thousand years of Scottish highland history, the castle was blown up by its English owners -- loyal to William and Mary -- in 1692 to prevent the Jacobites from taking it.