Skye - Dunvegan Castle and Gardens
When D-d was on Skye with me we visited Dunvegan Castle. It was also on our itinerary this time, straight after the not-terribly-good lunch stop. I think of it as a 'proper castle' as it was first began in the 1200s and has been added to and reinforced over the centuries - but in the organic way that such buildings do - there is a little about the history here.
Last time there was a notice specifically asking us not to take pictures inside the castle. This time it was not quite as strongly worded - and so I took 2 indoor pictures :) The young man, who was the member of staff in the particular room, paused from describing something to comment 'Nice T Shirt' to S2C who was wearing a Baldur's gate one that day, and smiled when he saw where I was about to take a picture so I regard it as allowed!
There were fascinating letters from Samuel Johnson and Walter Scott, Jacobite mementos, including personal possessions of Flora McDonald (which you might have expected to be at the Clan Donald Centre!), and some wonderful swords. But, to see what was my very favourite thing in the whole castle,
How cute is that? But what is it? I hear you ask...
There was a portrait of the original owner wearing it - and also one of his son, also wearing it. What was clear was that it had been much worn between the two as it was decidedly tattier in the second one!
Now to outdoors; this area is within the original fortifications
But it is still high up above the rocks and the waters of the sea loch below. The cannons set into the battlements are an assortment and are purely, these days, for show - it would be impossible to load them :)
This is the view of the loch below -
But I was trying hard to get a good picture of the flag above the castle.
Why? If you click on the picture it will take you to Flickr where you can zoom in on it, and then see more clearly that the standard of the McLeods of Dunvegan is quartered with the three legs of Man. This is because they were not just part of the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles - but were, at one period, its Kings.
I joked when I did the trip the first time (ferry to England, train to Glasgow, stay overnight as it is then too late to get the train from Glasgow to Mallaig, take that train next morning, and then ferry from Mallaig to Skye), that it was probably a quicker journey when done in a sail powered ship rowed by 20 or 30 strong men when the wind wasn't with them. I could so easily envisage those very longships rowing up between the islands and coming into that, very defensible, beach below the castle.
The McLeods of Dunvegan were also the owners of St Kilda. Last time there was a special exhibition linked to the life of the St Kildans. There were still interesting pictures and artifacts in one of the corridors, I noticed.
Last time I visited I took more pictures of the gardens - you can see them in this old post (also D-d's lack of enthusiasm about gardens!). I was being careful with my knee and so did not venture quite so far into the gardens this time - but here are two very beautiful waterfalls -
And before we left Dunvegan Castle we stopped at their tea-room for very good coffee and cake - to make up for the scones at the lunch stop!
Last time there was a notice specifically asking us not to take pictures inside the castle. This time it was not quite as strongly worded - and so I took 2 indoor pictures :) The young man, who was the member of staff in the particular room, paused from describing something to comment 'Nice T Shirt' to S2C who was wearing a Baldur's gate one that day, and smiled when he saw where I was about to take a picture so I regard it as allowed!
There were fascinating letters from Samuel Johnson and Walter Scott, Jacobite mementos, including personal possessions of Flora McDonald (which you might have expected to be at the Clan Donald Centre!), and some wonderful swords. But, to see what was my very favourite thing in the whole castle,
How cute is that? But what is it? I hear you ask...
There was a portrait of the original owner wearing it - and also one of his son, also wearing it. What was clear was that it had been much worn between the two as it was decidedly tattier in the second one!
Now to outdoors; this area is within the original fortifications
But it is still high up above the rocks and the waters of the sea loch below. The cannons set into the battlements are an assortment and are purely, these days, for show - it would be impossible to load them :)
This is the view of the loch below -
But I was trying hard to get a good picture of the flag above the castle.
Why? If you click on the picture it will take you to Flickr where you can zoom in on it, and then see more clearly that the standard of the McLeods of Dunvegan is quartered with the three legs of Man. This is because they were not just part of the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles - but were, at one period, its Kings.
I joked when I did the trip the first time (ferry to England, train to Glasgow, stay overnight as it is then too late to get the train from Glasgow to Mallaig, take that train next morning, and then ferry from Mallaig to Skye), that it was probably a quicker journey when done in a sail powered ship rowed by 20 or 30 strong men when the wind wasn't with them. I could so easily envisage those very longships rowing up between the islands and coming into that, very defensible, beach below the castle.
The McLeods of Dunvegan were also the owners of St Kilda. Last time there was a special exhibition linked to the life of the St Kildans. There were still interesting pictures and artifacts in one of the corridors, I noticed.
Last time I visited I took more pictures of the gardens - you can see them in this old post (also D-d's lack of enthusiasm about gardens!). I was being careful with my knee and so did not venture quite so far into the gardens this time - but here are two very beautiful waterfalls -
And before we left Dunvegan Castle we stopped at their tea-room for very good coffee and cake - to make up for the scones at the lunch stop!