| Cindy Vallar
Author, Columnist,
& Editor
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| Cindy Vallar
Author, Columnist,
& Editor
|
|
Scottish Highlands Workshop
These photographs demonstrate some of the material covered in my workshop, The Scottish Highlands: History and Culture. I have also included some of my pictures and information on castles in England and Wales since many participants work on projects involving those countries as well and the castles of Scotland differ from those in the rest of Europe.
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Camster Long, a Neolithic chambered tomb located in Caithness, is nearly 230 feet long. One chamber is polygonal in shape, while pairs of slabs extending from the wall separate the antechamber from the chamber in the other one. |
| This is a long house, sometimes called a black house, from the isles like Lewis. People lived in these into the 1900s. The grass walkway around the roof allowed men to repair or replace thatch. The mound in front is stacked peat, which provided fuel for the residents. Ideal houses for the isles, they endured gales and dampness while protecting those inside from the force and noise of the wind and rain. They also kept the people and animals warm during the winter and the people cool in the summer. |
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Heather and foxglove grow wild in the Highlands. Heather had many uses, while foxglove was the original source of digitalis, used to treat heart ailments. |
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| Wool, and sometimes other fabrics, were woven on looms such as this one. This and the other Highland furnishings can be seen at the Highland Folk Museum in Kingussie. | Crockery and dishes were stored in cabinets similar to this one, which is from the later periods of Highland history. | In early houses the hearth was in the center of the room. Smoke from the fire created a hazy ceiling near the thatch or drifted toward a smoke hole over the fire. People sat around the hearth on chairs low to the ground to eat and talk, as well as get warm. |
| The mountains surrounding Glen Coe where soldiers, who had shared MacDonald hospitality for almost two weeks, murdered MacDonalds while they slept. |
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| One of the few large medieval castles built in the Highlands, Castle Urquhart overlooks Loch Ness. Crossing the bridge over a ditch before reaching the gate house served to further protect the castle. | A view of Loch Ness from the land side of the castle with the tower house. | The tower house includes a spiral staircase visitors can climb to reach the parapet. While the floors no longer exist, you can descend into the vaulted cellars where there's an entrance to the ditch. |
Main entry was through the south curtain, built in the 14th century. Instead of the bridge shown above, the original entrance had a drawbridge. |
Located in East Lothian, Dirleton Castle sits on a craggy knoll dominating lands once owned by the de Vaux, a wealthy Anglo-Norman family under King David I (11-24-1153). A group of men and women were held here in 1649 after the famous witch-pricker, John Kincaid, found the Devil's Mark on them. They were eventually strangled and burned at the stake. What is unique about this castle is that it clearly shows the various sections built betwen the 13th and 16th centuries. |
Lord's Chamber in the south tower. It is six-sided with a lofty domed ceiling, Three of the windows have stone benches. |
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William Wallace's sword, a two-handed sword known as a claidheamh dà làimh, at the Wallace Monument. Although many call it a claymore, the claymore was actually a basket-hilted broadsword. |
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| The two-handed Highland sword (points downward from north to south) is often called a claymore, but this is incorrect. Claymore, a corruption of claidheamh mòr, means "great sword" and refers to the basket-hilted broadsword that dates from about 1620. The two-handed Highland sword, claidheamh dà làimh in Gaelic, was used in medieval times. Their lengths varied, but were often 50 to 75 inches in length. The one above belonged to Allan Cameron of Lochiel, the 16th chief. | These weapons, which belonged Sir Donald Cameron of Lochiel, the 19th chief, include a basket-hilted backsword (claidheamh cùil). The hilt was crafted in Stirling around 1740. The straight, one-edged blade is similar to those of the 17th century. It measures 38 9/16 inches in length. The basket hil protected the user's hand and first apeared in the late 16th century. Also shown is its black leather scabbard. |
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Highland warriors carried a targe, or shield, into battle. Circular and with a diameter of about 20 inches, these were made from oak or pine and covered with tooled leather. Some had brass- or silver-headed studs, but all had a central brass boss that sometimes held a spike. From the 1640s to the 1740s, Highlanders used the targe and broadsword to attack their enemies. |
Stirling Castle is situated atop volcanic rock and commands stunning views of the countryside for miles around. A royal castle has stood here from at least the 12th century, although the prsent buildings date from the late 1400s and 1500s. These were designed by Kings James IV, James V, and James VI. James V was crowned in the Chapel here at the age of 17 months after his father's death in 1713. His daughter, Mary Queen of Scots, was crowned here in 1543 and his grandson was baptized here in 1566. James VI spent much of his childhood within the castle. |
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One of the best preserved of the early medieval Lowland castles, Caerlaverock Castle, is triangular. Ditches made storming the castle difficult, and the moat beyond the last hill still has water in it. The picture to the right is taken from within the castle looking at where the two towers (left picture) form the gate house. |
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Known as Castle Campbell, its ancient name was Castle Gloom. It's situated between the Burn of Sorrows and the Burn of Care in the Central Lowlands. The first Earl of Argyll built the tower house in the mid 1400s. Much remains intact, so there are many nooks and crannies to explore, including this garderobe - the bathroom of the Middle Ages. |
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| Edinburgh Castle sits at the top of the Royal Mile. The oldest building, St. Margaret's Chapel, dates back to Malcolm III's reign in the 11th century. His son moved the royal residence to Edinburgh. Where the fountain stands was once part of Nor' Loch, which was drained to build a new section of the city. This is a fortress rather than a fortified tower house or a palace. |  |
| Dunnottar Castle is the most breathtaking of the Lowland
castles. Its tower house was L-shaped.
To gain access to the castle, you descend a steep hill then climb another. On the way you pass a tunnel leading to the water. For a time the Honours of Scotland were hidden here, but during Cromwell's siege, the Crown Jewels were secretly taken from the castle and hidden in a nearby kirk. |
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Tantallon Castle, one of my favorites, is basically two parallel walls with passages connecting the Mid Tower to the towers at either end. The walls are 12 feet thick and 15 feet high. It belonged to the Red Douglasses and was one of the most beseiged castles in Scottish history. |
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| Above is Tantallon's inner courtyard and wall of the front portion of the castle. The small gun on the right was typical of those used in the 1600s to protect the castle from attack. To the right is the view from inside Tantallon. The rock in the distance is Bass Rock where gannets breed. |
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Inchmahome Priory is located on the largest of three islands in the Lake of Menteith. Augustian canons founded the priory around 1238. Mary Queen of Scots, an infant, stayed here in 1547 after the English invaded Scotland. The picture to the left is of the church and shows the choir section. This is where the canons spent long hours in stalls along the side walls on the western side. The presbytery, the most sacred part of the choir, was on the eastern wall and was where the high altar and ceremonial area lay. |
| Cistercian monks founded Melrose Abbey, located in the Border region, in 1136. It was rebuilt after Richard II of England invaded Scotland in 1385, but after the Earl of Herford's invasion in 1545, the abbey fell into ruins. This view shows the church after it was rebuilt.W |  |
Castles of England and Wales
| The Tower of London with Traitor's Gate in the center foreground. |
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The Queen's House, residence of the Tower's Governor, is the only 16th-century building still in the castle. Although Anne Boleyn's bedroom is located here, the structure wasn't built until four years after her execution. |
 The Great Gate (above) served as the castle's main entrance, stands between two hexagonal towers. The one on the right is the Closet Tower, which housed prisoners in the basement, and the steward's quarters and treasury on the upper floors. The picture below may be situated in what was one of the living apartments for the lord's family and guests, possibly in the Fountain Court. The window embrasure clearly shows the seats on three sides.
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| Caerphilly, distinct among Welsh castles because of its leaning tower, is the earliest and best example of Edwardian concentric fortification. Most of the castle was built during a span of three years (1268-1271). The south-east tower split for some reason and is now at a ten-degree angle. It remains undamaged and is the least altered part of the castle. The Inner East Gatehouse included a great hall and a private chapel (above lower). The western gatehouse had a drawbridge pit. |
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Beaumaris was the last of the royal castles Edward I of England built to ring north Wales and was begun in 1295. The chapel occupied the first floor of the tower situated halfway between the Northeast and Southeast Towers. |
James of St. George was the architect of Caernarfon Castle in Wales, which was built for Edward I. If standing in Eagle Tower, the greatest of all the castle's towers, this is the view of the courtyard. The building on the right is the Chamberlain Tower, which was also called the Treasury or Record Tower. Across from it is where the King's Gate stands. The back, which is visible, was never completed. The upper end of the courtyard houses the Queen's Gate. |
© 2000-2006 Cindy
Vallar
