Scotland is called the land of castles and ghosts for a reason. There are many mysterious and mystical castles in this land, which are worth visiting for history lovers.
Eilean Donan
There are many castles in Scotland, but this one is unanimously recognized as the most romantic. The reason for this is its cozy location and a lot of mystical legends on top of that. For example, about mysterious seal people who live under water, and when they come ashore, they throw off their seal skins, without which they cannot return back to their native element.
The castle is located on Loch Duich, which is the scene of a Gaelic tale: according to the legend, three brothers met “underwater” beauties on the shore. Two of them stole the girls’ skins so that they would not return home. The third one decided not to steal and in the end he got the girl’s love honestly. The stories of the two unwise brothers ended badly: one of the wives did slip into the sea, and the second was burned trying to save her skin from the fire.
Dunvegan Castle
Is the most famous castle on the Isle of Skye and has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited castle in Northern Scotland. It is inhabited by the 30th head of the clan Hugh Macleod. The author of the Clan Macleod motto “Hold Fast” (“Be Steady”) is considered to be Malcolm Macleod, who overcame a raging bull one on one. That is why a bull’s head is painted on the coat of arms of the clan.
Urchart Castle
Holds a special place in the hearts of the Scots. The huge and impregnable ruins of this fortress are reflected in the waters of Loch Ness. It is difficult to say what brings more pounds to the Scottish treasury – Urhart Castle or the monster, which seems to live in the lake…
Cawdor Castle
Cawdor is not only a name that is associated with Shakespeare’s Macbeth, but also Scotland’s magical, fairytale castle. Cowdor Castle dates back to the late 14th century, planned by Thanes Cowdor as a private fortress with a medieval tower built around a legendary sacred tree. Intrigue and history reign here.
Glamis Castle
Located 20 km from the city of Dundee and 120 km from the capital of Scotland – Edinburgh. The castle has long ceased to fulfill the functions of a fortress. Now one wing is a museum, and the other wing is the property of the owner of the castle.
Glamis belongs to the Bowes-Lyon family, the Earls and Countesses of Strathmore and Kinghorn. The owners and the area are closely associated with the royal family. It was here that the Queen Mother, mother of the current Queen Elizabeth II, was born. However, even the royal relatives are not as much of a tourist attraction as the many dark stories associated with the castle.
Edinburgh Castle
It is rightly considered the calling card of Scotland and a real tourist Mecca. The impregnable fortress, built on top of an extinct volcano, simply mesmerizes with its beauty and monumentality.
The beautiful road called the Royal Mile takes you to a real medieval city, imbued with the spirit of resilience and defiance of the Scottish people. Edinburgh Castle houses the royal crown and many other historical items. Almost all significant events for the Scottish people took place at this fortress. The struggle for independence, numerous sieges and betrayals, the reign of Mary Stuart, the civil war led by Oliver Cromwell – the whole history of England and Scotland is reflected in the exhibits of this museum, which makes Edinburgh Castle not just the center of the capital of Scotland.