Cawdor Castle: Living History

 

Our summer trip took us around Iceland followed by three stops in Scotland. The ship docked at Invergordon, and we had originally planned to spend the day wandering the town on our own. A fellow guest mentioned a wonderful tour they had taken previously and so, on the spur of the moment, as soon as we had internet access on our phones, we booked the tour through a local operator. I'm so glad we did. It was a full day with an excellent local guide. First stop: Cawdor Castle, near Inverness. 

photo credit: Historic Houses

Legend says that the Thane of Cawdor sent out a donkey carrying a load of gold with the idea of building a castle wherever the donkey stopped. The donkey chose to rest underneath a holly tree, around which the medieval tower was constructed. The tree, long dead, still stands in the lower level, protected by iron fencing. 

The Campbell family acquired the castle in the 16th century and has held it ever since. There have been family squabbles over the estate, with the current resident being the widow (second wife) of the 6th Earl of Cawdor, and the 7th Earl, her stepson, lives in another home on the property. The Dowager Countess lives elsewhere from spring until October during which time the castle is open for tours.

It's very much a lived-in building. The drawing room above is a cozy place. Pools of lamplight in many of the rooms, along with fresh flowers, made it seem as if the owner had just stepped out for a few moments. I believe the blue tartan runner seen in the corner is installed during the tourist season to protect the lovely carpets underneath. 

The Tapestry Room dates from the 17th century. The walls are covered with gorgeous tapestries commissioned for this room from Belgium. The velvet hangings add to the opulence. Both the bed hangings and the tapestries would have helped (and probably still do) keep the room warm in the depths of winter. 

We wandered through hallways, up curving stone staircases, through arched doorways, seeing about eleven rooms in all. The old kitchen stretched under a vaulted ceiling in the basement. A large selection of copper pots stood ready and waiting for the cook and her helpers to put them to use. 

We exited the castle the same way we entered, over the old drawbridge spanning the moat, now a neatly mowed space with attractive shrubs. 

The day was dull, but not yet rainy, so we explored the gardens.

One of my pie-in-the-sky dreams is to have a walled garden. I love the way one passes through a door in the wall to another world. This particular door led to a wooded area and a burn (stream) flowing through it. 

The wings of the castle protected this space where roses clambered up walls and vines grew to the eaves. 

Another, more formal garden lies a bit further from the castle. Here roses, along with other flowers, grow in beds bordered by neatly trimmed hedges. There is also a maze and other features to enjoy. We just didn't have enough time here. 

I'll leave you with another of the beautiful flower arrangements inside the castle. This was a lovely place to visit with an audio guide full of interesting tidbits about the building and its owners. Scotland certainly won our hearts that day. We would love to return on our own to explore further. 

Have you been to Scotland?