Castle Capers

As a self confessed history nerd, I absolutely love learning more about Scotland's fascinating past. Among the legends, unicorns, fairies and folklore there are always castles. According to a historian I encountered at Edinburgh Castle, there are over 2,000 castles to be found in Scotland. A staggering number to explore by any measure.

On my recent trip with my daughter Ruby, we found time to explore two of that 2,000. The first was at beautiful Inverary, a place that I always enjoy making time to visit. It is a quaint little town on the banks of picturesque Loch Fyne, boasting lovely shops, a woollen mill and a 250 year old pub. There is also an old jail, a bell tower and of course, the famous Inverary Castle.

The castle is beautiful and looks straight out of a Disney movie. It is actually the home of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll and their young family and has been the seat of the Dukes of Argyll, chiefs of Clan Campbell, since the 18th century. And here's a fun fact - it was the setting of many a scene in the famous series, "Downtown Abbey".

On most trips to Bute, I happily drive to Inverary, as it is very close to where my great grandmother Margaret and her family, the McVicars, came from. And as you can see from the photos, it is beautiful.

To give you a sense of direction, here is where Inverary Castle is located in comparison to Bute.

And the second castle was in a completely different direction from Bute and closer to where the other side of my family, the Sprotts, Agnews and Lockharts, came from. This time, we drove south to Ayrshire to meet our friends David and Lewis at Culzean Castle.

Again, to give you a sense of direction, here is where the castle is located in comparison to Bute.

This incredibly beautiful castle sits atop a cliff, nestled amongst a country park that includes woods, beaches, swans, deer and a lot of history. The 260ha estate was once the playground of David Kennedy, the 10th Earl of Cassillis. It was designed in the late 18th century and was clearly a pretty potent status symbol of the times. It is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland and has been open to the public from 1972.

The Kennedy family was one of the oldest clans in Scotland and their ancestry can be traced back to Robert the Bruce. The castle also has strong links with President Eisenhower, as the top floor apartment was presented to him for his lifetime recognition of his role during World War II. Apparently Eisenhower was pretty grateful as he stayed there four times, including once when was President. You can actually stay there now as a paying guest, if you so wish!

One of the most beautiful internal aspects of the castle is the very grand oval staircase.

I also particularly loved having a bit of a look around the kitchen, where the servants would have worked tirelessly to create delicious feasts for the family and their guests.

And here we are, a very happy foursome enjoying the gorgeous gardens and the view of the castle behind us. Photo cred to Lewis!

Notably, Rothesay Castle has just re-opened after significant restoration work. On my next trip to Bute, I will be heading there to have a good look. The last time I visited was in my early 20s, so I am looking forward to delving into its long history that dates back to the 13th century. I have been waiting patiently for it to re-open! One thing is for sure, with the number of castles on offer in Scotland, I think my love of history will be satisfied for some time to come.