Tour Scotland reports that the country “is home to more than 1,500 castles, each of which has a distinct appearance and design that symbolises the history of the nation.”
Scottish castles and Scottish clans go hand in hand as these seats of power were at the heart of ruthless battles fought between factions seeking to protect or conquer land.
Our heritage is filled with stories about these fortresses and, much like place names in Scotland, many Castle names reflect our linguistic heritage too e.g., Inveraray Castle stems from the Scottish Gaelic ‘Inbhir Aora’ meaning “mouth of the Aray”.
9. Craigievar Castle
Craigievar Castle is a famously pink castle located 6 miles south of Alford in Aberdeenshire. Apparently, in 1824 the inheritor of the property, Sir John Forbes, was advised that the castle walls should have pigments added to them so they more closely resemble the colour of the granite detailing. This resulted in the iconic pink hue seen today. Photo: Mary Rodgers on Geograph
10. Inveraray Castle
Inveraray Castle is located near Inveraray on the shore of Loch Fyne (the longest sea loch in Scotland) within the county of Argyll. Designed by architects Roger Morris and William Adam, the foundation stone of the castle was laid in 1746. Photo: afagen on Flickr
11. Caerlaverock Castle
The moated triangular castle is situated on the southern coast of Scotland on the edge of the Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve. It was built around 1220 by Sir John De Maccuswell following a grant from Alexander II. Photo: pss on Flickr
12. Dunrobin Castle
Dunrobin Castle can be found in the Scottish Highlands and is reportedly the most northerly of the great houses in Scotland. The earliest part of the castle dates back to 1275 and the current residence boasts 189 rooms. Photo: via WikiCommons