Eilean Donan Castle

The Eileen Dolan Castle is arguably the most iconic castle of Scotland and certainly the most photographed.
It sits on a tiny island in Loch Duich, which opens out to sea and is therefore tidal. You can see from some of these pictures that, when the tide is out, you can practically walk over to the island.
The main way into and out of the castle was this narrow stone bridge. Interestingly, it had little turnouts for pedestrians to stand, presumably to allow horse drawn carriages to pass.

The castle was blown up in 1719 and remained in ruin for over 200 years before it was reconstructed in the early 1900s. It is therefore in quite good shape today.
I had been here before, but could never go inside, so we jumped at the opportunity to do so when we learned that was now possible.

It’s a self guided tour that takes you through the weapons room, main dining room, bedrooms and kitchen. Some of walls are 7 ft thick and the spiral staircases are massive and tight, almost requiring you to go up sideways. The whole setup makes you feel like you stepped back in time and it is not hard to imagine what it would have been like in those days. Large oil paintings on the wall, depicting past owners, Earls and other nobility. All in full Scottish attire. Tapestries, not just for decoration of the massive walls, but also to add some level of insulation as you could feel the chill radiating from the walls, this despite the (modern) fireplace insert in the massive fireplaces.

Most castles were of course strongholds, to be protected from enemy clans and roving hordes. The signs of those fortifications are all still there. Thick walls, high turrets from which you could see for miles and, of course, the weapons. Stacks of powder kegs, armored suits, and just about anything that could be “swung” at an enemy that could do damage.
In my mind’s eye, I can visualize the brutal hand-to-hand combat, with opponents swinging swords and other sharp weapons doing unimaginable damage to body parts.

Maybe I’ve seen too many movies, but also easy to visualize were the balls that would be held in these places. Young men and women moving around to the sound of bagpipes, squealing out some rhythmic tune. Yes, one could get lost in the imaginary world of days gone by.

Unfortunately, no photography was allowed inside, but we did get shots of the inner courtyard.

Each of the rooms we entered has an attendant to answer questions and to make sure visitors stuck to the rules.
Linda asked one of them if she could have a picture with him as he wore a kilt and was fully dressed in typical Scottish fashion. To her delight, he said “of course”. Here is that shot. You can see her beaming with delight, first ever association with someone in a kilt! And, before you ask, NO, I do own a kilt, nor have I ever worn one.

The area around the castle

The surrounding scenery is stunning and, needless to say, the views from the castle were amazing, so typically Scottish. The hills and mountains have a special “look” that I have only ever seen in Scotland. Later in the year, those hillsides you see will be colored purple due the blooming Heather, which grows profusely in Scotland.

Throughout the castle, they had placed life-sized wax figurines, depicting how life would have looked like in the olden days. This really added to the whole atmosphere of the place, adding that human context to the staged setup. As stated earlier, we weren’t allowed to take pictures, but Linda managed to get a shot of the kitchen when no one was looking 🤣