Eilean Donan, photo ops & Urquhart Castle

Drizzly start to our day today, but the temperature isn't cold. We say goodbye to our little cottage and pick up Jen and her suitcase before leaving Skye on our way to Eilean Donan.

The name Eilean Donan, or island of Donan, is most probably called after the 6th century Irish Saint, Bishop Donan who came to Scotland around 580 AD. There are several churches dedicated to Donan in the area and it is likely he formed a small community on the island during the late 7th century.

The first fortified structure was not built on the island until the early 13th century. It protected the lands of Kintail against the Vikings who raided, settled and controlled much of the North of Scotland and the Western Isles between 800 and 1266. From the mid 13th century, this area was the 'quite' separate "Sea Kingdom" of the Lord of the Isles, where the sea was the main highway and the power of feuding clan chiefs was counted by the number of men and galleys at their disposal. Eilean Donan offered the perfect defensive position.

Over the centuries, the castle has expanded and contracted in size. It was probably the largest, with towers and a curtain wall that encompassed nearly the entire island. The main keep stood on the island's highest point. Around the 14th century the areas of the castle was reduced to about a fifth of its original size and, although the reason is unclear, it probably relates to the number of men required to defend the structure. By the 16th century a hornwork was added to the east wall to offer a firing platform for the newly introduced cannons.

Eilean Donan also played a role in the Jacobite risings of the 17th and 18th centuries, which ultimately culminated in the castle's destruction...

In 1719 the castle was garrisoned by 46 Spanish soldiers who were supporting the Jacobites. They had established a magazine of gunpowder and were awaiting the delivery of weapons and cannon from Spain. The English Government caught wind of the intended uprising and sent three heavily armed frigates to quell matters. The bombardment of the castle lasted three days with limited success, due to the enormity of the castle walls (in some places they are up to 14 feet thick).

Finally, Captain Herdman of The Enterprise sent his men ashore and over-whelmed the Spanish defenders. Following the surrender, the government troops discovered the magazine of 343 barrels of gunpowder which was then used to 'blow up' what had remained from the bombardment.

For the best part of 200 years, the stark ruins of Eilean Donan lay neglected, abondoned and open to the elements, until LT Colonel John Macrae-Gilstrap bought the island in 1911. Along with his Clerk of Works, Farquar Macrae, he dedicated the next 20 years to the Castles reconstruction. It was rebuilt according to the surviving ground plan of earlier phases and was formally completed in Jul 1932.

Here's a view of the castle as you walk towards it and getting closer to entering it:

This is the entrance

Random shots of the walls and outside the castle (no photos allowed inside):

Another interesting castle ticked off the list. Upon visiting the gift shop (always a must) I saw these chip packets and Sue and I couldn't resist buying them to try:

I chose the wild boar & apple and it was as disgusting as it sounds 😕😕. We had more success with the grouse & whinberry as it was edible!!

Next stop, Urquhart Castle but not before several photo opportunities along the way. First one is a Cairn related to Roderick MacKenzie. Who is he (well let me enlighten those who don't know)?

He was a well dressed man of similar stature to Prince Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) and was often said to have been mistaken for him whilst serving in the Prince's Lifeguards (Elcho Troop). After the battle of Culloden in Apr 1746, he encountered some of Cumberland's men in Glenmoriston and during the ensuing fight was slain, crying out "You have killed your Prince."

The soldiers, hopeful of claiming the 30,000 pound (dead or alive) reward offered by the Hanoverian government for the Prince, struck Roderick's head from his body and took it to Fort Augustus for identification. The rest of his body is said to have been interred by the river.

None of the Jacobite officers imprisoned at Fort Augustus were prepared to identify the head without the body and neither was the Prince's valet. It was soon realised a mistake had been made. However, in the meantime the fugitive Prince made good his escape, eventually appearing alive and well in Paris. He also evaded capture long enough to find a ship and escape into exile as a result of the sacrifice of Roderick Mackenzie - hence this Cairn:

Just up the road from the cairn we found this really old looking bridge:

Now it's time for Urquhart Castle - a place none of us have visited before. Few fun facts about the Castle:

St Columba may have visited around AD 580.
It was one of the great castles taken by the English when Edward I invaded in 1296 and sits on the edge of Loch Ness.
The Lords of the Isles then seized the castle repeatedly in the later Middle Ages, in an effort to expand their territory into the north-east.
In the 1500s, Clan Grant was given the castle and charged with its repair and with brining it back into use.
the Castle was garrisoned for the last time in 1689, following the exile of the Catholic King James VII, and his replacement by the Protestant monarchs William II and Mary II.
In 1692, the towering gatehouse was deliberately blown up so the castle could never again be a military stronghold.
Urquhart soon fell into decay and part of the Grant Tower crashed to the ground in 1715 during a violent storm.
Attitudes to the ancient stronghold changed in the 1800s and Urquhart came to be seen as a noble ruin in a majestic setting.
It passed into state care in 1913 and is now one of the most visited castles in Scotland.

Fascinating castle, that despite the ruins takes more time than you think to wander around and read about its history.

Next photo op was Invermoriston Falls and bridges (both old and newer) - a stones throw away from Urquhart Castle. After parking the car, we walked into a beautiful wooded area for about 4 mins to view both bridges and see these falls: