Dunrobin Castle
Dunrobin Castle is picture perfect, with it's turrets and elaborate gardens. If you can only visit one castle in your life, make it this one. Nothing else will compare. It's my favorite, so far...
The castle looms 5 stories high on top of a cliff. It has 189 rooms. You can go inside about 20 of them. The Seamstress's Room is reported to be haunted. The library has over 10,000 books, some dating back to the 17th century. Some books include original Scottish law, which is very rare, as they were all burned. The Duke's Study has a secret door. The green and gold suite was designed specifically for Queen Victoria's 5-day visit in 1842.
Please design me a room in purple and black, and I'd like a secret door to a library with rare books, thanks.
The best part of the castle is its gardens. The ambiance outside, with the castle in the background, is just indescribable. We spent hours out there. You half expect to see dragons flying around.
I didn't see any dragons but I did see falcons! I saw many birds of prey tethered on the grounds but they are let loose every morning. Time your visit so that you can watch the twice daily falconry display. It's wild.
To get to Dunrobin, we had to leave our hotel in Stornoway, on the Isle of Lewis, at 5:45am to check-in for the ferry to Ullapool. The ferry was more crowded and less comfortable than the last ferry we took from the Isle of Skye.
It was a brutal morning, but at least we didn't have to drive. The ferry took almost 3 hours. Then we drove another 2 hours on a narrow road to reach Dunrobin Castle.
But wow! It's the most impressive castle I've ever been too. It really looks like a fairytale. The ferry ride and hassle were all worth it.
Falcons
The Seamstress Room, dates back to the 1300's, it displays the Duke & Duchesses coronation robes.
Library
Queen Victoria's Suite
The Duke's Study.
See the doorknob above the chair on the right?
There's a staircase behind there, providing access to all levels of the castle, and straight up to his wife's rooms.
From Dunrobin, we headed south to Inverness for the night.
On to Urqhart Castle on Loch Ness>>
More Scottish Sites:
Edinburgh, Scotland
I love Edinburgh's medieval Old Town with it's castle looming over the city. It's such a cool city to explore.
Scotland
Scotland Home Page
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Royal Military Tattoo
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Greyfriars Kirkyard
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Dean Village & Cemetery
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Isle of Skye
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Isle of Lewis & Harris
The Isle of Lewis & Harris is home to the ancient Callanish Standing Stones and stunning Caribbean looking beaches.
