Urquhart Castle by sim1
Urquhart Castle (pronounced as 'Urkhurt') This ruin of a castle is beautifully situated on Loch Ness. This picture was taken in December when the castle was covered in a thin layer of snow. When you look closely at the water you can see a beautiful phenomenon. A river flows into the Loch Ness and the warm and cold water meet each other. This results into a thick fog just at the point where the two meet waters meet. It gives a spooky but beautiful effect.
It is almost certain that the earliest parts of medieval castle date from early 1200's. The building of the castle was probably finished around 1350. The castle switched hands many times and has know many battles. The ordinary people of the Great Glen went through a great deal of suffering and devastation in those times.
But in the 1600's the castle was abandoned by the Grants to the people of the Glen. Those walls which had for so long been a cause of suffering to them, now became their comfort as they dismantled masonry and removed stones to build their own houses. Now only some ruins remain of what once was Urquhart Castle. The castle is beautifully situated on Loch Ness though, which make it worth while to visit it.
Opening times :
April to September :
Monday-Sunday 9:30am to 6:30pm;
October to March :
Monday-Saturday 9:30am to 4:30pm;
Sunday 2:00pm to 4:30pm
Last ticket sold 30 minutes before closing.
Directions : On Loch Ness, near Drumnadrochit on the A82.
More info on:
http://www.aboutscotland.com/ness/urquhart.html