Dunvegan Castle

It has been longer than usual since my last post, but for the very happy reason that I have been on holiday with family. We went to Skye for my first time ever, and it was absolutely extraordinary, even on the rainy day we had when we chose to visit Dunvegan Castle. (and please be assured, many posts on Skye will be coming as soon as I can sort through the mountain of pictures I took)

Now I have to admit, it doesn’t often happen that I am underwhelmed by a castle, but Dunvegan is on the list. It may be due to the rain – though that doesn’t usually hold me back – or the fact that I did not go inside to tour the castle proper, which does look impressive in pictures. But, the excitement I had felt preparing to see this famous spot did not quite measure up. It may also be that it has been remodelled in a mock-medieval style, or that the original stones have been coated with concrete to provide a smooth exterior (most likely I imagine for preservation). I have made my preference clear for older-style castles, even crumbling ones, to those still used as baronial residences or palaces.

I do not mean to say that the castle is not incredibly impressive – by all means, the sight of it towering over the bay, commanding views and a romantic atmosphere even in the rain, demonstrates the significance of the location and why there was a fortress here for hundreds of years. The castle is the seat of the MacLeod of MacLeod, chief of the Clan MacLeod, and it is surrounded by a beautiful garden with water features, a walled formal garden, and more natural forest spaces. On the day we visited, the gardens were more our style and were the focus of our time. Even in the rain and after the height of the summer blooms, it was very easy to see how stunning the place would be on a sunny day in the right season. One amusing story here is that I had declined to bring my tripod with me due to the poor weather, but as I was resting my camera on a railing to keep it steady, a kind German man offered me use of his so that I could properly capture the waterfall. I think I did ok with out it, though!

We made a circuit that ended with the walled garden and greenhouse, then ventured down towards the pier where they were advertising seal cruises. It is hard to imagine the cruise could beat the one we went on in Fort William, and even if we had been tempted, this is when the rain hit in honest, turning from a gentle pitter-patter to a downpour. I managed to get my brolly up in time to take a few pictures of the castle from the water side before we made our way swiftly back towards the car. From this angle it is even more evident why the spot would be chosen – more than 50 feet above the low tide, the castle would be incredibly difficult to attack from the sea.

One of the most striking aspects of Dunvegan really falls in its ownership, which is still held by the Chief of Clan MacLeod. This family line can be traced back to the thirteenth century, when Skye and many outer islands were still ruled by the Norse; Norse influence on Skye is evident in many place names. Despite living in Scotland and professing a love of Medieval history, I have never delved too deeply into the lore of Highland Clans, but more visits to castles like this one would be a good way to pique my interest. Certainly, if I were to visit again, I would hope to do so at a time of year when the flowers were properly in bloom and with someone who might have the patience to tour the castle itself.

As an end note, here are some of the lovely variants of hydrangea blooming throughout the gardens: