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Dunnottar Castle has the most
impressive location of any castle in Scotland. Surrounded on three sides by
sheer cliffs , the castle was virtually impregnable . The tower house was built
at the end of the 14th century by Sir William Keith , Great Marischal of
Scotland. Other buildings were added later on by the fifth Earl Marischal,
including a retainers' barracks, a chapel, priest's house , stables and a
graveyard . William Wallace captured the castle during the Wars of Independence.
English troops occupied a stockade on the rock in 1297, but it was captured by
William Wallace, who burned the church and the English garrison inside. Later on
, at the start of the 14th century , English soldiers recaptured the rock which
was burned in 1336. David II then gave the rock to William, Earl of Sutherland,
so he could build a castle.
Dunnottar came into the possession of Sir William Keith-Marischal at the end of
the 14th century. He soon began construction of a fortalice , the keep and other
early structures that still exist. William was excommunicated by the Bishop of
St. Andrews for building a castle on "sacred soil", and later reinstated for a
price. Over the years Dunnottar became a major Scottish stronghold. King James
IV was lavishly entertained there in 1504. Queen Mary visited after the battle
of Corrichie in 1562, and again in 1564. James VI stayed at the castle on
several occasions, and held a Privy Council there. King Charles II stayed at
Dunnottar several times, during wars with England, and deposited the regalia of
Scotland for safe keeping. John Keith, youngest son of the Earl, became
responsible for these items as Cromwell's English neared the rock. They were
smuggled out of the castle hidden in the skirts of a female visitor to the
castrle ans hiden under the bed of a localminister . In M!
ay of 1652, Dunnottar, under siege, remained the last of Scotland's strongholds
still flying the flag. John Keith was generouslyy rewarded by King Charles .
ÊÊÊ Dunnottar was also notorious from its use as a state prison. In 1685 it
housed 167 men and women kept in a dark cellar. located under the Earl's
bedrooms, was later called the "Whig's Vault". A memorial to the dead (later
erected in the courtyard) is . Other prisoners included a James Keith who
escaped (in 1629). Accused Jacobites from Aberdeen of the late 1600's, such as
George Liddel, professor of Mathematics from Marischal College, were brought to
Dunnottar's dungeons. It all ended after the Stewart failure in 1716. ÊThe York
Buildings Company bought the castle and stripped it , and sold its roofs, floors
and everything of value inside it . The 9th Earl Marischal regained possession
of the castle , he never visited it or made any attempt to rebuild it .In 1766
Alexander Keith bought it but did nothing with the buildings. In 1925 some
restoration was arranged by Lady Cowdray. The castle is is a ruin , albeit a
spectacular one .
Eilean Donan means Island on Donan.Eilean Donan was Clan MacKenzie's most
important stronghold from the 13th Century until it was destroyed in 1719.
Robert the Bruce was given refuge in Eilean Donan Castle by John MacKenzie,
Second of Kintail when he was being hunted by the English at the beginning of
the fourteenth century.
Eilean Donan Castle was built in 1220 and owned by the MacKenzies of Kintail. In
1719 it was held by Spanish Jacobites supporting Bonnie Prince Charlie . Three
English frigates sailed down the loch , attacked the castle and left it in
ruins. In 1911 John MacRae-Gilstrap bought the castle and made plans to rebuild
it . It took twenty years and a quarter of a million pounds to complete the task
. Local materials were used when possible including slate from local quarries .
The castle is next to the village of Dornie and about 8 miles from the Kyle of
Lochalsh and the bridge to the Isle of Skye . The castle is open most of the
year and it is run by the Conchra Charitable Trust . The castle has been used in
many films including James Bond and Highlander .
Linlithgow Palace overlooks Linlithgow Loch . In the summer the loch is busy
with boats , windsurfers and anglers . It is possible to walk all the way around
the loch . On the south side of the loch there is a wildlife reserve and a flock
of swans lives on the loch . The Palace was the home of the Stewart kings of
Scotland and Mary Queen of Scots was born in the Palace .
ÊKing David II held court in the Palace in 1343 and in later years. The Royal
House of Stewart started its long association with the palace at the start of
the 15th century.In 1424 fire destroyed most of Linlithgow and King James I
ordered repairs on the palace. The gateway on the east wall still exists The
King was murdered at Perth in 1437 and his son became King James II when he was
just was seven years old .He was not very interested in the Palace and did not
stay there very much. However King James III used the palace a lot more. In 1469
he married Margaret, the daughter of Christian I of Denmark, and her marriage
settlement included Linlithgow Palace and Doune Castle.
King James IV acceded to the throne in 1488 when he was 15 and he started work
to convert the palace into a suitable royal residence. The west range was
completed with a suite of royal apartments for the king and queen. Clearstorey
windows were installed in the great hall along with a new roof.The kitchens and
brewhouse were renovated.In 1503 the king married Margaret Tudor,daughter of
King Henry VII of England. In 1513 the king fell at Flodden. King James V was
born at Linlithgow Palace in 1512. By 1528 he had assumed control of his
kingdom. In 1532 work started to move the main entrance to the palace to the
south side and outer gateway was built.James V married Mary of Guise-Lorraine in
1537.She is said to have likened the Palace to the finest chateaux in France. In
1542 the king's army was routed at the Battle of Solway Moss and the king fled
to Falkland where he died only six days after the birth of his daughter , Mary,
at the Palace.
Edinburgh Castle is one of the most famous castles in the world and one of the
UK's most popular tourist attractions .The castle dominates the city centre
skyline and overlooks Princes Street. Each day a cannon Mons Meg is fired at one
o'clock. The Edinburgh Military Tattoo takes place on the castle Esplanade each
year. Here Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to a son James who became King James
VI of Scotland and James first of England. On St Andrews Day 1996 the Stone of
Destiny was returned to Scotland and a resting place in the Crown Room in the
Palace at Edinburgh Castle. For 400 years the Stone was the seat on which
Scottish Kings were crowned until its removal to Westminster Abbey in 1296 . For
nearly 700 years the kings of England and Great Britain were crowned on the
Stone. |
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