Exploring Scotland 1 Castle at a Time, Part 26, Urquhart Castle

I know that Eilean Donan is the most photographed castle in Scotland but I believe Urquhart Castle probably comes in a close second. It was packed the day we went and I had to break my rule about not taking pictures of people in order to photograph it.

Perched atop a jutting finger of land that points out into  Loch Ness, it triggers thoughts of romance, scorcery, and of course Nessie. I did look for Nessie. I just couldn’t resist. But I have to say, if she's there, she's picked the pretties loch in Scotland in which to reside. The water was so blue it hurt to look at it.

It is thought that St. Columba stayed at Urquhart Castle on his way to Inverness. Of course at that time, around 600, the castle would have been a Pictish fort.

This is a Trebucket, a medieval catapult, created to fling the stone balls you see lined up behind it at the walls of the castle and anyone within. 

The precise time the castle was built isn’t known but it is believed that the Durward family built it during the early 1200’s after the land was granted to them.

In 1296 Edward I was using it as a defensive position when the Scots attacked it. He was able to hold out against them. It may have been under his influence that this wide trench was dug around the castle. It's very similar to the one at Kildrummy.

In1303 it was in Scots hands when Andrew de Moray took in the course of clearing the English from northern Scotland.

                                              (The upper part of the Gatehouse)

In the mid 1400’s the Earl of Ross attacked the castle and captured it, but it was recovered shortly after.

The Grants were given ownership of the cast in 1509 but warring factions often disrupted their possession of it. The MacDonald’s took it in 1545.

In 1692 King William’s troops held the castle during a Jacobite uprising, and before leaving, the troops blew the castle up to prevent it from being used by them. It was never repaired.

(The Tower)

                    (This is a corn drying kiln in one of the guard houses on either side of the entrance.)

                                             (The view from one of the tower rooms.)

                                                           (The Bake House)

      The Constables quarters. In 1329 Sir Robert Lauder was constable of Urquhart Castle and then in 1359 his grandson Robert Chisolm took over his position.)

(An alcove for a bed)

                                          I wish I could have taken a picture of the castle at night. It would have been beautiful with the moonlight touching on the stones and the loch. 

I could have spent hours just looking out on Loch Ness. 


Next we're going to Skye and Dunvegan Castle.   Write on,  Teresa R.