Scottish Castles
There are two things I miss about Scotland: snow and history. Don’t get me wrong, New Zealand clearly has history (and snow for that matter), but with its discovery by Europeans occurring only in the 17th century, and the discovery by any settler suspected to be in the 14th century, its historical background and development are a mere blip in comparison to the 12,000 years of known settlements in Scotland. Getting away from the region known as the Central Belt (the urban region that spans Glasgow to the west and Edinburgh to the east), it isn’t hard to find buildings or remains that easily out-date the point in time when New Zealand was discovered.
Scotland has over 2,000 castles in varying states of repair – some well maintained and open to the public, others a mere crumbling shell left to ruin. Edinburgh Castle is the most well known to foreigners, but for me it is far from my favourite. Living for several years in Aberdeen in the north east, I was within an easy drive of several castles, and over the years of my life and over multiple holidays, I’ve visited and explored many of them in varying parts of the country. Unfortunately I don’t have photos of several of them, having visited them as a child, but below is a mere selection of the castles out there waiting to be explored.
Inverness Castle.
Urquhart Castle.
Castle Fraser.
Duart Castle.
Torosay Castle.
Glengorm Castle.
Aros Castle.
Invermark Castle.
Dunnottar Castle.
Crathes Castle.
St Andrews Castle.
Edinburgh Castle.
Eilean Donan Castle.
Inveraray Castle.
Slains Castle.
Dunrobin Castle.
Loch An Eilein Castle.
Noltland Castle.
Earl’s Palace.
Ardvreck Castle.
Culzean Castle.
Newark Castle.
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