Five Scottish Castles tour

Description

Five Castles tour – visit five locations – Blackness Castle , Linlithgow Palace ,  Stirling Castle ,  Doune Castle and  Culross palace

1 Blackness Castle

Blackness Castle was built in 1440 by Sir George Crichton .  Blackness Castle was Fort William  , where Jamie was whipped by Black Jack Randall

In the 15th century , Blackness was the main port serving the Royal Burgh of Linlithgow, one of the main residences of the Scottish monarch.In 1453 King James II annexed the castle due to a dispute with Crichton, and the castle has been crown property ever since.

In 1650 Oliver Cromwell took the castle when he invaded Scotland .

The castle was used as a state prison, holding Cardinal Beaton and the 6th Earl of Angus

Blackness Castle has three claims to movie fame –

• Outlander – Blackness Castle was Fort William  , where Jamie was whipped by Black Jack Randall
• Outlaw King
• Mary Queen of Scots

2 Linlithgow Palace

Built in the 1400s and 1500s by the Stewart kings of Scotland , the now-ruined palace is set among the spectacular surrounds of Linlithgow Loch and Peel.

3 Stirling Castle

Stirling Castle is one of Scotland’s most impressive castles due to its imposing position and impressive architecture. Built by the Stewart kings of Scotland , the castle was completely renovated over a 10 year period which finished in 2011.

From Stirling Castle’s ramparts, visitors can take in views of the Forth Valley and Ben Lomond , as well as two of Scotland’s most important battle sites – Stirling Bridge (1297) and Bannockburn (1314). The castle is at the head of Stirling’s historic old town.Like Edinburgh Castle , Stirling sits on a volcanic rock dominating the city skyline .

Stirling Castle is not only one of Scotland’s grandest and most imposing castles, it was also a real favourite with Scotland’s Stewart kings and queens. James IV created the Great Hall, the largest medieval banqueting hall ever built in Scotland, and James V’s Royal Palace, with its lavishly decorated Renaissance façades, was a masterpiece of the period.

Major conservation work has been carried out at Stirling Castle over many years to preserve the attraction as a major national and international monument. The refurbishment of the Great Hall was completed in 2011 . A particular feature of the Great Hall is stained glass windows featuring clan crests . A number of banquets and concerts are held in the Hall throughout the year .

4 Doune Castle

Doune Castle was built in 1400  and provides the setting for Castle Leoch in Outlander.Originally dating to the 13th Century, Doune Castle near Stirling was a favourite place for Mary Queen of Scots .

Doune Castle has five claims to movie fame –

• Outlander – Doune was Castle Leoch , and it also features in the 20th century episode when Claire and Frank Randall visit the castle on a day trip.
• Game of Thrones . Doune represented the castle Winterfell in Game of Thrones.
• Monty Python and the Holy Grail
• Outlaw King
• Mary Queen of Scots

Once a Royal residence, Doune Castle was rebuilt by Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany in the late 14th Century.

5 Culross Palace

Culross palace in Fife was built in 1597 by Sir George Bruce, the Laird of Carnock ,  it was visited by King James VI in 1617. It is now owned and cared for by the National Trust for Scotland.

Culross is Scotland’s most complete example of a burgh of the 17th and 18th centuries. The Palace and the village feature in TV series Outlander.

Mercat Cross (in the centre of Culross) acted as the centre of Cranesmuir.

Geillis Duncan’s house and the town square where Geillis is sentenced to burn for being a witch.

Jamie and Claire rescue the thief, Tammas, when his ear is pinned to the post.

Laoghaire’s home can be seen, near Mercat Cross, on Little Causeway. A number of interior scenes were filmed inside the Palace .

White-harled houses with red-tiled roofs line the steep cobbled streets which run from the market cross to the hilltop abbey. In the centre is the ochre-coloured palace with its beautifully reconstructed period garden, complete with herbs, fruit and vegetables, and rare Scots Dumpy hens.

Inclusions

• professional driver / guide
• 3 USB charging points
• air conditioned sedan car

Exclusions –

entrance tickets

lunch