Category: In The Movies

  • Castlebay

    Walking around Castlebay on the Isle of Barra.

    After my walk along the East Beach and Barra Airport, I drove along the other side of the island towards Castlebay, the main settlement on the Isle of Barra. Castlebay is located on the island’s south coast and overlooks a bay in the Atlantic Ocean dominated by Kisimul Castle, as well as nearby islands such as Vatersay.

    Walking around Castlebay on the Isle of Barra.

    The story of Castlebay is deeply entwined with the stories of Clan MacNeil and of Kisimul Castle, the castle in the bay after which Castlebay takes its name. Barra was granted to the Clan MacNeil by Alexander, Lord of the Isles, in 1427. (Scotland Undiscovered.com)

    The Clan MacNeil held Barra for the next 400 years until Roderick MacNeil ran out of money in 1838 and sold Barra to Colonel John Gordon of Cluny. Gordon wanted to make room for sheep and forcefully cleared a lot of Barra, which he did to other places in the Hebrides.

    Kisimul Castle was also abandoned in 1838 when the island was sold, and the castle’s condition subsequently deteriorated. At the moment there is restoration work going on in the castle and it wasn´t possible to visit it.

    Walking around Castlebay on the Isle of Barra.

    In 1937 the American architect Robert MacNeil, who had been recognised as the 45th Clan Chief of the MacNeils, visited Barra soon after the opening of the airstrip on the island. He purchased most of the Barra estate lost in 1838. (Scotland Undiscovered.com)

    In 2000 the current Laird leased Kisimul Castle to the Historic Environment for Scotland for 1,000 years for a rent of a bottle of whisky and £1 a year. And in 2003 he started a process that will lead to public ownership of the whole island, at no cost.

    Walking around Castlebay on the Isle of Barra.

    After Gordon had died in 1856 Castlebay became a spot of a fishing industry.  400 small fishing boats were based here, together with the associated gutting, curing and preserving facilities.

    By 1894 there were three steamers a week linking Castlebay with Oban, and the Castlebay Hotel had been opened. The Church of Scotland that was built overlooking the harbour on this predominantly Catholic island in 1892 did not thrive: the building remains today, but is disused. The Catholic Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea, built in 1889, has fared better. (Scotland Undiscovered.com)

    Walking around Castlebay on the Isle of Barra.

    In 1949 the first “Whisky Galore” movie was filmed in Barra, even though the events were based in Eriskay. This movie put Barra on the map and the hotel began to thrive.

    Walking around Castlebay on the Isle of Barra.

    My home on the Isle of Barra.

    And here is my lovely home for the week in Barra. A lovely and very cosy cottage north of Barra, overlooking the sea.

    Barra Gin set in Scene

  • Urquhart Castle

    Situated at Loch Ness Urquhart Castle must be the envy of romantic ruins the world over

    Urquhart Castle is situated on a little peninsula in Loch Ness – a very imposing and also picturesque spot on the large Loch. No wonder it is one of the most popular destinations in Scotland and often filled with people. But they also have long opening hours and it was less crowded in the evening.

    Entry is free when you have the Historic Environment Scotland Membership or the Explorer Pass.

    Situated at Loch Ness Urquhart Castle must be the envy of romantic ruins the world over

    The walk down the hill from the visitor centre (and gift shop) to the castle is a nice possibility to take all the views in. And look out for Nessie – the mystical creature living in Loch Ness, or not – just a few days ago and new sighting has been reported. Nessie definitely adds to the romantic flair of Urquhart Castle.

    Situated at Loch Ness Urquhart Castle must be the envy of romantic ruins the world over

    You can think of Urquhart Castle as being build in a sort of “B” shape. You approach from the straight side of the “B”, and the gatehouse is offset slightly to the left or north of the centre of the site. Beyond it is the lowest and narrowest part of the castle, complete with the water gate which would have allowed the occupants access to a pier. More than once during its troubled history the castle held out because it could be resupplied by ship.

    From this central part of the castle, the ground rises in both directions. To the southern end, the highest part of the castle is the summit or upper bailey, commanding extensive views. At the other end of the castle lies the Grant Tower, once the five storey hub of the castle capable of being defended even if the rest of the castle fell to whoever wanted ownership at the time. (Undiscovered Scotland)

    Situated at Loch Ness Urquhart Castle must be the envy of romantic ruins the world overSituated at Loch Ness Urquhart Castle must be the envy of romantic ruins the world over

    There might have been a Pictish Fort on this site and there defiantly was a Pictish settlement in this area.

    St Columba may have visited around AD 580. Adomnan, his biographer, tells of the saint’s encounter with a monster in the loch. (Historic Environment)

    Around AD 580  St Columba travelled from his Isle of Iona monastery to the Inverness court of Bridei, king of the Picts.

    As he was travelling up Loch Ness, Columba was summoned to visit an elderly Pictish nobleman at Airdchartdan (Urquhart). Emchath was close to death, and Columba baptised him and his entire household.

    Emchath’s residence may have stood on the site of the castle. The discovery of a fragment of Pictish brooch from the late 700s or early 800s hints that the promontory was possibly a high status Pictish site.(Historic Environment)

    The first notion of a castle dates back to around 1230 when Alexander II crushed a revolt in Moray and defended this strategic route through the highlands.

    From being in English hands to Scottish and again into the English – Urquhart Castle has a turbulent history. It also was one of the castles keeping alive Robert the Bruce’s claim to the Scottish Crown. Urquhart was one of the great castles taken by the English when Edward I invaded in 1296. 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.

    Situated at Loch Ness Urquhart Castle must be the envy of romantic ruins the world over

    By the 1390s the focus of conflict had switched. Now it was the Scottish Crown trying to defend itself against incursions from the Macdonalds, the Lords of the Isles, from the west. And again Urquhart Castle was pivotal, with ownership moving back and forth between the two sides for a further 150 years. (Undiscovered Scotland)

    After another conflict between the Clans around 1513, the castle was besieged and subsequently plundered by the western clans in 1545. Even so, Urquhart Castle was repaired, the decline of the castle started at this time.

    In 1689 Urquhart Castle saw its last action, when a small garrison supporting the new Protestant monarchy of William and Mary held off a much larger Jacobite force. The garrison later left, blowing up much of the castle as they did so; and signs of this can still be seen around the gatehouse. (Undiscovered Scotland)

    From now on Urquart Castle was mainly used as a convenient quarry for the houses in the area which also explains why so much of the buildings is gone.

    Situated at Loch Ness Urquhart Castle must be the envy of romantic ruins the world overSituated at Loch Ness Urquhart Castle must be the envy of romantic ruins the world over

    The Grand Tower crashed to the ground in 1715 during a violent storm. In the 19th century, the frame of mind around the ruins changed and Urquhart Castle was seen as a noble ruin in a majestic setting. It passed into state care in 1913 and is now cared for by the Historic Environment Scotland.

    Situated at Loch Ness Urquhart Castle must be the envy of romantic ruins the world overSituated at Loch Ness Urquhart Castle must be the envy of romantic ruins the world over

    Make it a day out when you visit Urqhart Castle, have a picnic along the shores of Loch Ness, walk to Drumnadrochit and do a boat tour on the Loch and look out for Nessie.

    Situated at Loch Ness Urquhart Castle must be the envy of romantic ruins the world overSituated at Loch Ness Urquhart Castle must be the envy of romantic ruins the world overSituated at Loch Ness Urquhart Castle must be the envy of romantic ruins the world overSituated at Loch Ness Urquhart Castle must be the envy of romantic ruins the world overSituated at Loch Ness Urquhart Castle must be the envy of romantic ruins the world over

     

  • Loch Ness

    Taking a wee walk from Drumnadrochit to Loch Ness and Urquart Castle-

    Loch Ness – the home of Nessi and cute vintage cars. And my last stop before heading back home via Edinburgh. After my afternoon at the Black Isle Natalie drove me to my little hut in Drumnadrochit at the shores of Loch Ness.

    Once again I was staying with a fellow photographer Margaret who does the most beautiful landscape photography around Scotland.

    Taking a wee walk from Drumnadrochit to Loch Ness and Urquart Castle-

    I started to walk towards Urquhart Castle hoping there would be fewer visitors in the evening, with my Historic Scotland membership the entrance was free anyway. And it was a great walk looking down on Loch Ness.

    Loch Ness

    Famous for its monster Nessi, Loch Ness is a large and deep freshwater loch near Inverness. It is the second-largest loch in Scotland after Loch Lomond and it is the second deepest loch in Scotland after Loch Morar – by volume it is the biggest one.

    Taking a wee walk from Drumnadrochit to Loch Ness and Urquart Castle-

    There are many theories about Nessie, is it a dinosaur or a very big eel, does it really exist? Unfortunately, I didn´t see a sign of the monster.

    Tales of a large monster living deep beneath the dark expanses of Loch Ness have circulated the world since the first photograph emerged in 1933. With over 1,000 eye-witness accounts, sightings and unexplained evidence, scientists continue to be baffled by the existence of Nessie. (Visit Scotland)

    Taking a wee walk from Drumnadrochit to Loch Ness and Urquart Castle-

    Taking a wee walk from Drumnadrochit to Loch Ness and Urquart Castle-

    After about 25/30 minutes of walking, I got the first sight of Urquhart Castle and still had enough time to explore it properly. More about it next time!

    Taking a wee walk from Drumnadrochit to Loch Ness and Urquart Castle-

    Drumnadrochit

    The next day I walked into the village to book a boat trip and get some coffee. It was relatively early and Drumnadrochit was still quiet. It is a lovely little village, very dedicated to Nessie!

    Taking a wee walk from Drumnadrochit to Loch Ness and Urquart Castle-

    Lots of souvenir shops and lots of Nessies. I got my coffee and booked a boat trip, which was just great. I choose one of the small boats, we were a group of six or seven people plus our captain, who told us many tales about the Loch and his mysterious monster.

    Taking a wee walk from Drumnadrochit to Loch Ness and Urquart Castle-

    Taking a wee walk from Drumnadrochit to Loch Ness and Urquart Castle-

    Next to Urquhart Castle, which looks amazing from the loch, we got some company. But no Nessie was seen!