Menzies Castle, Scotland

Menzies_0171 Private Trust
Castle Menzies (pronounced ‘Mingis’) was built in the 16th century (exact date unknown), possibly on the site of an older castle.
In 1577 the upper storey and roof were altered, adding the series of dormer windows with their elaborate pediments. This completed the construction of a Z-plan house, representing a transition between a fortified tower-house and a mansion.
Despite the domestic features, the house was involved in conflict in 1646, 1715 and 1746.
In the early eighteenth century a new block of apartments was built against the north (rear) side of the main block and the west side of the north tower. A new entrance was made in the middle of the main block. This block was deemed unsalvable in the 1970’s (riddled with dry rot) and subsequently demolished. Marks of its former presence can be seen at the rear. Pictures of the vanished block can be seen on the Canmore website: http://canmore.org.uk/site/25670/castle-menzies and in particular
http://canmore.org.uk/collection/1461079 showing the rear in 1942.
In 1840, another wing was constructed on the west side of the main block. This block still stands today.
On approaching the castle, its striking appearance immediately marks it as a classic Scottish castle. It stands unfenced in open fields, in front of a high escarpment.
The castle was acquired by the Menzies clan in 1957 in a greatly dilapidated condition. Since then the 16th century building has been restored with, it would seem, rather limited resources, followed by the restoration of the 19th century wing.
The ground floor consists of vaulted chambers including a kitchen. On the first floor of the main block is a great hall, panelled and with a plaster ceiling, and a withdrawing room with a fine pendant plaster ceiling.
On the second floor are two more large rooms with plaster ceilings.
The third floor is now an attic-like space open to the pitched roof. There are many other smaller rooms (the total for the castle is about 70).
In the 19th century wing, the first floor hall (Dewar Room) is the only room of note open to visitors.

The castle with its many rooms, some elegantly restored, is a fascinating place to visit. Various objects are identified by handwritten labels, which gives the place a dusty charm quite different from the high-budget National Trust for Scotland or Scottish Heritage properties.
Thumbnails:

Larder with old items
Larder
1st floor hall
1st floor hall
1st floor Withdrawing room
1st floor Withdrawing
1st floor Withdrawing room
1st floor Withdrawing
South wall close-up
South wall
2nd floor hall with displays
2nd floor hall
Attic (3rd) floor with exposed beams
Attic (3rd) floor.
Top S. tower Victorian bedroom
Top S. tower room
Dewar Room, C.19 block
Dewar Room, C.19 block

Rear, from NE
Rear, from NE

Doune Castle, Scotland

Doune Castle Historic Scotland
Doune castle was built in the late 1300’s by Robert Stewart, 1st Duke of Albany, Earl of Monteith and Fife. Albany was younger brother of the ineffectual Robert III, and was ruler of Scotland in all but name from 1388 until he died in 1420.
The castle is situated in a naturally strong position on a wooded river bend.
The castle today comprises the gatehouse tower, great hall, kitchen tower and curtain walls around the central courtyard. There appear to have been at one time other buildings occupying much of the courtyard, but the nature and function of these is now conjectural.
By the 1850’s the castle seems to have become a roofless shell, but a restoration was carried out in the 1880’s.
The towers and great hall all have vaulted storage chambers at ground level. At first floor level the kitchen tower has the great kitchen, and an irregularly shaped servery. Stone-floored rooms survive above the kitchen.
The great hall was restored in the 1880s and the roof and some other features date from this period.
The first floor chamber of the gatehouse tower is known as the Duke’s Chamber. The present interior finish dates from the Victorian restoration. The room has an unusual double fireplace.
On the floors above are a small mezzanine chamber and further up another small chamber leading to the second-floor hall. This is now open to the roof, though clearly there was a third floor of wood, which has not been re-instated.
It is possible to exit onto the battlements, for a great view of the River Teith and country below.
The castle is well worth a visit. Some will be interested to know that it was used as a location for the movie “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.”
Thumbnails:

Great Hall, west end
Great Hall
Duke's hall, with screen
Duke’s hall, west end
Duke's Hall fireplaces
Duke’s Hall, east end
Upper Hall
Upper hall
Roof view, river, trees
Roof view

Argyll’s Lodging, Stirling

Courtyard view Historic Scotland
Argyll’s Lodging is a splendid and complete example of a 17th century townhouse. Situated on the upper approaches to Stirling Castle, its fine architecture marks it out as a property intended for a great nobleman serving the royal court.
It is entered by a courtyard. Across the courtyard a door gives access to a hall (ground floor cellar). On the first floor above are the principal rooms – the High Dining Room, the Drawing Room and other furnished rooms.
Back on the ground floor the original and extended kitchens can be seen, and there are gardens at the back.

See Stirling Castle entry for more details.
Thumbnails:

High Dining Room
High Dining Room
Drawing Room fireplace
Drawing Room
Drawing room table
Drawing room table
Small cabinet on table
Cabinet

Stirling Castle, Scotland

Palace at Stirling Castle
Palace
Historic Scotland
Some people prefer Stirling Castle over Edinburgh Castle, and having seen both I can appreciate why.
The first record of Stirling Castle dates from the 12th century, but most of the buildings withing the walls date from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The Palace was used as an army barracks until 1965. Now traces of army occupation have been removed and the original Renaissance interiors are being recreated where possible.

Surrounding the Inner Close are a series of notable buildings. The Palace, dating from the 1530s and the work of James V, is the first Renaissance palace in the British Isles. It contained separate suites of rooms for the king and the queen. The interiors were recently recreated, including the notable ceiling with carved and brightly painted heads.
The Great Hall was built by James IV from 1497 onwards. It had a hammerbeam roof and decorated crenellated parapet (now recreated in a recent restoration)
The Chapel Royal was built for James VI, in around 1594, replacing an earlier chapel.
The King’s Old Building, on the western side of the Inner Close, was built around 1497 for James IV. Sections of the building may be older. Parts of it have been altered or rebuilt since. Today the range contains exhibition rooms and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders regimental museum.
There are are also various vaults and outworks to look at. Below the castle and car park is Argyll’s Lodging, a town house of historic interest. Access is free with a castle ticket.
There are fine views from the castle ramparts. Look out for the remains of formal gardens on the flat land far below.
There is so much to see at the Castle that you should plan for at least a half-day visit. This is easily expanded to a whole day if you want to walk around the old town as well. The Palace and the Great Hall interior are the highlights.
If you arrive by car, parking on the Castle esplanade is convenient but at £4, not cheap.
Thumbnails:

Great Hall, Stirling
Great Hall
King's Old Building, Stirling
King’s Old Building
King's Presence Chamber ceiling
Presence Chamber
Hall in Palace
Hall in Palace
Tapestry in bedchamber, Palace
Tapestry in bedchamber
Bed in bedchamber, Palace
Bed in bedchamber, Palace
Gilded Ceiling, Palace
Ceiling, Palace
Cupboard, Palace
Cupboard, Palace
Garden remains below Palace
Garden remains below

Edinburgh Castle

View from walls
Scottish Heritage
The most famous building in Edinburgh. If you are expecting massive medieval walls and a keep or towers on the lines of English or Welsh castles, you may find Edinburgh Castle a bit of a disappointment. The crags, with a wall across the neck behind the shooting-gallery of the Castle esplanade, were enough to see off medieval attackers. Cannon fire in various sieges demolished most of the original medieval buildings, and what stands today are mostly barracks and halls of later date. A few bits were rebuilt by the Victorians to make the castle look more like a Victorian baroque castle.
However there is much to see, enough to keep a visitor busy for several hours.
The St Margaret’s chapel is the oldest building. There are regimental museums, and around a square you will find a Royal Palace built for James VI, the Scottish Crown Jewels, a magnificent Great Hall, and the massive Scottish National War Memorial. There are prisons of war, and a medieval prison. A modern gun is fired at 1pm, and you can look at Mons Meg, a medieval large-bore cannon.

A regular adult ticket costs £16 (2014), but if you have a qualifying English Heritage card you get in free, haha.
The Edinburgh Council really don’t want you coming to their city centre by car, so unless you are willing to pay over £13 for a day’s parking, come by bus, train, or the new tram.

Great Hall interior
Great Hall
Cromwell period soldier
Cromwell period soldier
Royal Palace, tower
Palace
Defender's view, cannon
Defender’s view
Mons Meg cannon
Mons Meg

Willow Tea Rooms, Glasgow

Tea Room interior Tea rooms were a Glasgow institution in the Edwardian era. Among them were the Willow Tea Rooms, with interiors designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh for Kate Cranston. Tea rooms fell out of favour, but with renewed interest in Mackintosh, the Willow Tea Rooms were recreated. Some parts of the interiors are original.
Actually, Mackintosh is not a difficult style to copy, judging by the ‘Rennie Mackintosh Hotel’ at which I stayed, originally a temperance hotel.
The tea rooms are part of the ‘Mackintosh Tour’, so they are used to people popping in to have a look, but remember that their main business is to sell teas and souvenirs.
The Willow Tea Rooms are at 217 Sauchihall Street and 97 Buchanan Street.

Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow

GoMA main hall Gallery
GoMA is housed in an elegant neo-classical building in Royal Exchange Square in the city centre. It is claimed to be Scotland’s most visited modern art gallery (presumably because it’s free and in the city centre.) Previously, the building was a business and commercial exchange. The main hall is used for changing exhibitions, and there are smaller spaces upstairs. There is also a general public library in the basement.
The exhibition in the photos is Aleksandra Domanovic ‘Things to Come’ (Modern gender-conscious art with images from sci-fi and manga).
It is recommended that you travel by public transport if visiting GoMA.
Visit date 4 May 2014.

Main Hall with art
Main Hall
.

Glasgow Cathedral

Glasgow Cathedral was founded in the 12th century and is still in use as a church today. Unusually, it is owned by Historic Scotland. It is open daily for visitors when not in use for services.
The Cathedral has an extensive Lower Church under the south transept and the eastern end. There are relics of the cathedral’s long history, and some modern stained glass.
Inside, the Cathedral is rather dark. It is an impressive building, and worth a visit.
There is a striking Necropolis on a hill nearby.
Admission is free.
Visited May 2014

Kelvingrove, Glasgow

Kelvingrove from East Museum
The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is one of the most visited museums in Scotland. It is housed in a magnificent Victorian building. The Kelvingrove is generally included in the ‘Mackintosh Trail’ as it has a significant collection of Charles Rennie Mackintosh designs. If you are interested in Scottish art, the Kelvingrove also has collections of the Glasgow Boys and the Scottish Colourists.
The magnificent Centre Hall contains a pipe organ, and on the day I visited there was an organ recital.
For kids, the West Court contains a lot of stuffed wild animals and a Spitfire.
Not to be missed. Admission is free.

The nearest Underground stop is Kelvin Hall. There is a pay car park on the park side of the building.

Centre Hall
Centre Hall
Mackintosh panel
Mackintosh panel
Hall with organ
Hall with organ

Callanish Standing Stones, Lewis

Callanish_8206 Historic Scotland
The Callanish standing stones (Calanais in Gaelic) are a cross-shaped array of slim stones, centred on a circle of taller stones. The remains of a chambered tomb are in the centre. They were erected 4500 to 5000 years ago, making them one of the oldest man-made structures in Britain (or anywhere).
About 1000 years after it was constructed, the site was abandoned, and with a change of climate, the site gradually became blanketed with peat to a depth of about five feet, partly burying and preserving the stones. In the 19th century, with greater interest in monuments, the peat was removed and the site taken into State care.
The tall slim stones, with their mysterious alignments are an unique and striking sight. Well worth a visit.

There is a car park and visitor centre nearby.
Callanish stones - wide view Tall Callanish stone Callanish stones, burial chamber Callanish stone close-up