This castle has significance to us. On our first trip to Scotland, we drove past Loch Ness and stumbled on this majestic castle. Foaming at the mouth to climb its stone steps, we had to swallow instead…It was CLOSED. We crossed the entrance and took outside photos from every angle before driving back to Fife.
When Mrs Bear saw that our current route took us into the highlands, north of Eilean Donan, she expressed with the type of strong desire that husbands should always respect, a wish to return and complete the visit. I was in total agreement for reasons more than having a happy wife…And here we are !!! And it’s open!!!
So, here is some history… Eilean Donan was built in the thirteenth century. While there is now a footbridge passageway to the island, the original castle was constructed on an island which is surrounded by the meeting of three lochs. So unlike the Castle Mey’s construction as a stately mansion, Eilean Donan was built for strategic location and defense. In the eighteenth century, the clans that occupied it were Jacobite supporters. This prompted the English to bombard its walls with cannon fire in 1719. The stone withstood the bombardment, so the walls were scaled, and the castle’s own gunpowder storage was used to blow it up from the inside. The castle laid in ruins for two centuries until a Scottish family bought and restored it in the past century. They did a great job. Photography was not allowed inside, so you will have to watch some of the many movies that used the interior rooms as locations (e.g.: Rob Roy).
Having completed our quest, we can start thinking of flying home.
The Adventures of Barry Brink 