Making a loop around some of the magnificent old structures of northeast Scotland.
K came to visit at the end of last year, and since she likes castles, I created a quick itinerary to showcase a bit of what this country has to offer in that regard. Just north of Dundee was our first stop: Glamis Castle.
Most of the preserved castles in Scotland are closed in December, so we were only able to see Glamis' exteriors and gardens. Still, driving on the castle's long straight access road, which had the same layout for centuries and reveals the tower in an imposing fashion, was a worthwhile experience. Then, we continued north to our second stop: Braemar Castle. To get there, we went through the Cairnwell Pass, the highest public road in the UK. Up there, snow was everywhere.
Exciting to look at, exciting to drive through.
This is the place where I went mountain biking earlier in the month, and I found it cool to see the same slope that I descended on a bike being used by skiers. The location tempted to stay around and enjoy the snow. However, the sun was already behind the horizon, and since there was still a castle waiting to be seen, we kept going to Braemar:
While its interiors were also closed, the castle, surrounded by frigid landscapes in declining light, offered magical genius loci. All was well, and we took a walk in the woods in the dusk.
Later, we entered Ballater, where we took another stroll, and as darkness fell, we ended the day after dining in a local pub.
Right behind Ballater is Knock Castle, our first goal for the following morning. It is less known and more remote than the previous ones, so high ground clearance came in handy!
Knock was the first ruin of this trip, and like most of the ruins in Scotland, it is accessible all year round. Thus, unlike the preserved castles, we could also view it from the inside.
Knock Castle, built around 1600.
Continuing with ruins, we went to Corse Castle next.
Above the entrance doors, the year 1581 is still visibly engraved. It's always neat to see these marks surviving centuries.
As we set off to our next stop, the sun came from its cloudy cover, immediately saturating all the colors around the country road and changing the vibes of the countryside.
So, when we parked by the Craigievar Castle just a few miles away, it shone in the sun like a lantern.
It was constructed in 1626 and still stands preserved. It meant that the castle was closed, but as a result, there was nobody but us. Until a police unit drove by, checking it out as well. We started chatting, and one of the officers said that Walt Disney based the designs of his fairytale castles on this one, after seeing a photo of it. One learns something new every day.
The fourth castle of the day was Kildrummy. The sun went back behind the clouds, but we were happy anyway, as we were to see one of the most extensive 13th-century castle ruins of East Scotland.
Below the castle are other extensive gardens, listed as a place of national significance. They were shut out of season as well; however, the castle itself was rewarding anyway. The centuries-old walls are impressive, and there are informational signs at the site, so one can learn interesting facts about it firsthand.
Continuing the trip, we encountered a few unexpected ruins, too. The Church of Old Auchindoir, for instance.
Following a narrow road through local rolling hills offered driving fun and pleasant views, and at one point, the horizon revealed Auchindoun Castle, the next stop of our journey:
Auchindoun Castle was one of those I was especially looking forward to seeing. It is an extensive ruin from the mid-15th century, which sits atop of a hill with pretty outlooks. And indeed, the place delivered.
Maintaining our course up north, we joined some wider roads, which were busier and less enjoyable to drive on. Our way led us through Speyside, one of the central locations of Scotch distilleries. There are loads of them! But as none of us is too keen on Scotch, instead of entering their visitor centres, we stopped by Craigellachie Bridge: one of the first cast-iron arch bridges, opened in 1814.
We found the bridge to be elegant, and the towers at its entrances complemented our castle-themed trip well. It is now open only to pedestrian and cycle traffic, as a wider (and uglier) bridge was constructed to carry the highway, so we could take the time and enjoy the engineering that went into its construction.
We still had places in mind to visit, but with the December days being so short, the sunset approached again. No matter, we pressed on and arrived by the Elgin Cathedral, or, what's left of it, soon. We were lucky; the sun pierced the clouds before disappearing beyond the horizon.
It's not a castle, but a ruin that is definitely worth a visit. It was dedicated in 1224.
Looking at the state of the structure left me with an inner debate about values. The cathedral survived wars and fires, but then the Reformation came, and it went into decay. I drew parallels with the Chinese Cultural Revolution, which destroyed so much of the country's heritage, and how the West denounced it. Yet, consider the number of buildings and artworks destroyed during the Reformation. Scotland was as rich as France when it came to the Gothic architecture, but look at what's left of Arbroath, Dundrennan, Dunkeld, Holyrood, or St Andrews.
Sure, the reasons for the Reformation had some good reasons, but I suppose it all depends on the narrative. In China, they also argued that the destruction was for a good cause. But do you really need to destroy something that took so much effort to build just to change the way of thinking? Anyway... just like that, the sun was gone again.
Moving on, there was one more thing we wanted to see before the night descended on us:
Bow Fiddle Rock arch at the coastline – the only non-man-made point of interest of this trip.
Sitting here, listening to the waves crushing the shore, and having this view, well, that's not a bad way to end a day. Well, it was just four in the afternoon, not really the end of the day. That said, before heading to bed, we took a stroll around a nearby town of Cullen, where we met friendly people, saw a cool viaduct and a nice harbor, and had a bowl of class fish soup.
The next morning was cold, but a tasty breakfast made things better. The local coastline would have deserved more time, but since ours was limited, we adhered to the plan. There was another ruin waiting for us going east, Slains Castle.
This humongous estate has roots dating back to the 16th century, with most of its current structure originating from the 19th century, when it served as the mansion of the 18th Earl of Erroll. It overlooks dramatic cliffs to the Northern Sea.
Nowadays, it is a maze of weathered masonry walls and a very few remaining wooden bits.
Old hallways are slowly taken over by sand and soil blown in by strong winds that whistle through. It is atmospheric beyond words, and we had it all for ourselves.
It must have been atmospheric even when it was in its full glory, as Bram Stoker took inspiration here for his horror novel Dracula. Speaking of vampires and similar creatures, in one of the castle's rooms was a little witch. No kidding.
After some time of exploring, we started returning south, and made the last stop of the trip by the Dunnottar Castle, a classic of the east coast.
The last time I was here was during the summer; the place looked very different now. Less welcoming but more mythological.
Besides the ruins, we saw dolphins down in the bay.
And that was it. 353 miles, nine castles and a few other landmarks in a little over two days.
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