More and More Castles of Scotland!

Castles of Scotland....... Part 4!

Elgin Cathedral was built in 1224 and then rebuilt in 1270 after a fire then rebuilt again in 1390 after another fire (Great luck!). It was abandoned in 1560. It's roof collapsed in a storm in 1615 and left to ruin until modern times. This place just can't catch a break!

Elgin Cathedral earned the name the ‘Lantern of the North’. Even as a ruin, the cathedral shines out as one of Scotland’s most ambitious and beautiful medieval buildings.

When we visited Elgin, we just happened to be the only people booked that day so the docent gave us a thorough lesson on the Cathedral and walked with us pointing out different sights and fun facts! He also gave me an amazing Bakery recommendation in Dundee!

Auchindoun Castle passed to the Clan Ogilvy in 1489 and from them to the Clan Gordon in 1535. 50 some odd years later, the castle was partially destroyed by the Clan MacKintosh because the Earl of Huntly's killed the Bonnie Earl O'Moray.

In 1593 Patrick Gordon of Auchindoun was pronounced a rebel, and Auchindoun Castle was given to Sir George Home.

In 1689 the castle was used as a temporary headquarters by John Graham, 1st Viscount Dundee! The castle was in ruins by 1725. When we visited, Auchidoun was fenced off for masonry inspections so this was the best we could do for pictures!

Tantallon Castle is a derelict 14th century castle, located in East Lothian. It sits atop a hill looking out on to Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth. The last medieval curtain wall castle to be constructed in Scotland

Tantallon was built in the mid 14th century by William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas. It was passed to his illegitimate son, George Douglas who became the Earl of Angus, and despite several sieges, it remained the property of his descendants for much of its history. Like so many castles, this too was fenced off and we were only able to see it from the outside. The Firth of Forth and Bass Rock backdrop were really beautiful!

Hailes Castle, perched atop a hill on the River Tyne in East Lothian is one of just a handful of stone castles remaining from the 1200's.

The Castle is believed to be built by the de Gourlay family in the early 1200s. James Hepburn, 4th earl of Bothwell was born at Hailes Castle in 1535. Hepburn was the third husband of Mary Queen of Scots. James and Mary allegedly stayed at Hailes Castle on their way to their wedding in 1567. Once again, Hailes was fenced off for masonry repairs so we were only able to snag photos through the fencing.

We hope you enjoyed this installment of Castles of Scotland! Like a subscribe so you can be notified when new posts drop! Check out the galley page linked above to see all the pictures we took of these castles as well as all the other cool places we've been!