Tag: Eilean Donan Castle

Eilean Donan Castle videos

Posted on by Dave

I went up to Eilean Donan Castle last week and shot some photos and videos of it . The weather was changeable , which is typical for the weather in Scotland nowadays . It was a mixture of sunshine and cloud .

Eilean Donan is Gaelic for Island of Donan , a 12th century religious figure .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. The MacRae Clan who settled in the area came from the
Beauly Firth where they had protected the Clan
Fraser.They acted as bodyguards to the MacKenzie
chiefs. Although there was a number of disputes,
the MacKenzies held Eilean Donan right up until
until the 16th century ,

Eilean Donan Castle switches lights off for Earth Hour

Posted on by Dave

Eilean Donan Castle will  switch off its lights as part of conservation group WWF’s Earth Hour.
Owners of buildings and individuals across the world have been asked to turn out lights for 60 minutes from 2030 GMT on 28 March.
The Forth Rail Bridge and Edinburgh Castle are also part of the switch off.
Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, the Eiffel Tower and Sydney Opera House will also be blacked out.

Eilean Donan Castle pictures

Posted on by Dave

Eilean Donan Castle is one of my favourite castles to photograph . One of the unique things about it is that it is in the middle of 3 lochs and totally surrounded by water . The only approach is by a bridge . The castle has featured in a number of famous films including Highlander and one of the James Bond films. I have just added a new picture gallery of new pictures of Eilean Donan Castle. All the pictures can be downloaded to your mobile

Top ten Scottish castles ecards

Posted on by Dave

Scotland has hundreds of castles old and new ,  some in ruins , some refurbished and inhabited  . I have compiled a list of my top ten castles , now available as free ecards . I have been taking pictures of castles for over 10 years and each one offers a unique challenge .  I have published a new set of castle wallpapers which can be downloaded to your mobile . These castles  are in no particular order

1 Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan is an old favourite . It in a spectacular setting in the middle of 3 lochs and surrounded by mountains . Eilean Donan Castle is one
of the most photographed castles in Scotland , if not the
world . It is on a small island in the middle of 3 lochs .
On a clear day you can see the Isle of Skye in the distance
. The original castle was built in 1220 . It was destroyed
by 3 English frigates in the 18th century and totally
rebuilt in the 1920s by the Macraes . Send a free Eilean Donan Castle ecard

2 Stirling Castle
Stirling is on a rocky crag overlooking the town with great views to the Wallace Monument and Ben Lomond  . Stirling was a vital crossing point during the Wars of Independence . William Wallace , Braveheart , won the battle of Stirling Bridge at the foot of the castle.
Send a free Stirlng Castle ecard

3 Dunnottar Castle
Dunnottar Castle is perched on a spectacular rocky crag on the east coast of Scotland 4 miles from Stonehaven . In olden days the castle was impregnable because of the sheer cliffs on each side . Send a free Dunnotar Castle ecard

4 Urquhart Castle
Urquhart is on the shore of Loch Ness in the Highlands of Scotland . The Grant Tower is the only part of the castle which is not completely in ruins . If you’re lucky you might see the Loch Ness monster as she swims up the loch for a snack around lunch time . Send a free Urquhart Castle ecard

5 Linlithgow Palace
Birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots . The fountain has been totally refurbished

6 Blackness Castle
Blackness Castle is long and narrow because of the shape of the rock on which it is situated and it is sometimes called ‘ the ship that never sailed ‘ . It guards the bay at Blackness and is only a few miles from Linlithgow Palace . Send a freeBlackness Castle ecard

7 Blair Castle
Blair Castle is the ancestral home of the Duke of Atholl and his own private army

8 Caerlaverock Castle
Caerlaverock Castle near Dumfriess is an unusual triangular shape

9 Castle Campbell
Castle Campbell is high on the hillside near Dollar and it has spectacular views over the Forth Valley

10 Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle dominates the Edinburgh city skyline with views over the
whole of the city . The one o’clock gun is fired every day
to wake up sleepy tourists Send a free Edinburgh Castle ecard

The castle wallpapers can be downloaded to your mobile

Eilean Donan Castle pictures

Posted on by Dave

Eilean Donan Castle is one of the most photographed castles in Scotland , if not the world . This is the story of the castle .

Eilean Donan means Island of Donan ( a religious figure from the 12 th century ).
Eilean Donan was the most important stronghold of Clan MacKenzie from the 13th Century .
In 1719 it was completely destroyed . 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 begnning of the fourteenth century.

Above the entrance to the castle there is a Gaelic inscription which translates as : As long as there is a MacRae inside, there will never be a Fraser outside. Inside the courtyard is the famous Murchison Stone with an inscription about John Murchison of Auchtertyre who was killed in the Battle of Sherrifmuir in 1715. In the upper floor inside the castle there are six bedrooms named Loch Alsh,Loch Long, Eilean Donan, Ballimore, Loch Duich and Conchra. A panel shows the names of the constables ( guardians ) of the castle

Eilean Donan Castle was originally built in 1220 and owned by the MacKenzies of Kintail. The MacRae Clan who settled in the area came from the Beauly Firth where they had protected the Clan Fraser.They acted as bodyguards to the MacKenzie chiefs.

In 1719 it was held by Spanish Jacobites.
Three English frigates sailed into Loch Duich and bombarded the castle with cannon fire .
There was a direct hit on the castle arsenal and it was left in ruins . The castle them lay totally uninhabited and in ruins for nearly 200 years . In 1911 John MacRae-Gilstrap bought the castle and start work to restore the castle over a period of twenty years at a total cost of a quarter of a million pounds. Local materials were extensively used.
The castle found fame when it was featured in the film Highlander and a James Bond movie. A shot shows Bond driving his car over the bridge from the castle .

Eilean Donan Castle is on an island in the middle of 3 lochs – Loch Alsh , Loch Long and Loch Duich

Due to a change in Scots law it is now possible to get married in a Scottish castle .
The castle is open most of the year and it is run by the Conchra Charitable Trust .
Eilean Donan Castle prints
castle videos
Eilean Donan