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”.
17. Hermitage Castle
Hermitage Castle is located in the isolated rural vicinity of Liddesdale in the Borders region of Scotland. The semi-ruined castle is well-known for being a site where Mary Queen of Scots herself once visited, but under ‘dramatic’ circumstances. Photo: via WikiCommons
18. Castle Sinclair Girnigoe
Castle Sinclair Girnigoe stands roughly three miles north of Wick in Caithness' east coast. The castle is thought to be one of the earliest seats of Clan Sinclair and is formed of two settlements; Castle Girnigoe of the 15th century and Castle Sinclair of the 17th. Photo: via WikiCommons
19. Drumlanrig Castle
Drumlanrig Castle is a distinctively pink sandstone castle located in the Queensberry Estate in Dumfries and Galloway. It came to be in the 14th century when William Douglas became the first Laird of Drumlanrig. Photo: caroline legg on Flickr
20. Lennox Castle
Lennox Castle is an abandoned, semi-ruined castle located near Lennoxtown in East Dunbartonshire. The building is infamous for once acting as Lennox Castle Hospital which acted as the country’s “largest institution for people with learning disabilities.” Photo: Valentine Kulikov on Pexels