Lochranza & Brodick Castle
Posted: Thursday, 06 October 2005 |
On Wednesday we decided to explore closer to home so started the day by hitching to Lochranza as Diane and Ed wanted to see some red deer and Lochranza is lousy with them and the sandwich shop at the pier does great bacon & brie butty.
Outside the village shop
"Ger orf moy laaand!"
A total disregard for the Highway Code
We had a play about in Lochranza Castle (Viking fort 13th century) which is a ruin but for some reason is being re-pointed??? That鈥檚 why there is constant scaffolding up. The castle has great spiral staircases inside towers that open onto half a room where the floor has fallen away etc. There is still a prison and bit of room left. It was inhabited until early last century when the east tower fell into the sea. We were going to go to Huttons Unconformity at the cock of Arran but it was too wet underfoot and far too windy so we plumped for lunch at Pirnmill, possibly the best tearoom in the world.
In the afternoon it looked like rain so we went home and wandered up to Brodick Castle. I live just off the drive to the castle so we walked up the drive past the ubiquitous standing stones (they are everywhere). Brodick Castle isn鈥檛 a ruin, the Dukes of Hamilton used it as a hunting lodge and for a few years before she died in 1957 was the home of the Duchess of Montrose. After The Duchesses death the castle was turned over to the treasury in lieu of death duties and in turn was given to the National Trust.
Standing stone in the field behind my house looking up towards Glen Rosa, or at least it would be Glen Rosa if a blooming great cloud wan't sitting in it. There are usually very good mountains in this view but the were hiding yesterday.
I forgot to take photos inside but it鈥檚 all furnished pretty much as it was left with a few fine collections of art, silver, china etc. They have kept the dodgy papier-m芒ch茅 figures that proliferate in most Scottish castles to the bare minimum and have avoided the temptation to stick a concrete visitors centre in front of it. We had a good chat with the guides who gave us lots of gossip about the previous inhabitants and told some good ghost stories then we went for a wander through the gardens to the Bavarian Summer House
Intrepid Diane
The
Giant Rhubarb
The summerhouse has a fairytale look from the outside and is built on a rocky outcrop so the only way in is over a wee bridge. It is entirely decorated with acorns as you can see from this photo of the ceiling.
The ceiling of the Bavarian Summerhouse completely encrusted in cones
We had afternoon tea in the castle tearoom then walked up to the Duchesses bathing pool which is the base of a fairly good waterfall on the lower slopes of Goatfell, then from there we wandered down to Rosa Bridge where we saw two adders then walked back down the south bank of Rosa Burn through Glen Rosa. We carried on into Brodick for dinner over looking an Arran Sunset. Slept like a log last night.
Brodick Bay, Brodick is Norse for wide bay
Goatfell
Goatfell again. X
Outside the village shop
"Ger orf moy laaand!"
A total disregard for the Highway Code
We had a play about in Lochranza Castle (Viking fort 13th century) which is a ruin but for some reason is being re-pointed??? That鈥檚 why there is constant scaffolding up. The castle has great spiral staircases inside towers that open onto half a room where the floor has fallen away etc. There is still a prison and bit of room left. It was inhabited until early last century when the east tower fell into the sea. We were going to go to Huttons Unconformity at the cock of Arran but it was too wet underfoot and far too windy so we plumped for lunch at Pirnmill, possibly the best tearoom in the world.
In the afternoon it looked like rain so we went home and wandered up to Brodick Castle. I live just off the drive to the castle so we walked up the drive past the ubiquitous standing stones (they are everywhere). Brodick Castle isn鈥檛 a ruin, the Dukes of Hamilton used it as a hunting lodge and for a few years before she died in 1957 was the home of the Duchess of Montrose. After The Duchesses death the castle was turned over to the treasury in lieu of death duties and in turn was given to the National Trust.
Standing stone in the field behind my house looking up towards Glen Rosa, or at least it would be Glen Rosa if a blooming great cloud wan't sitting in it. There are usually very good mountains in this view but the were hiding yesterday.
I forgot to take photos inside but it鈥檚 all furnished pretty much as it was left with a few fine collections of art, silver, china etc. They have kept the dodgy papier-m芒ch茅 figures that proliferate in most Scottish castles to the bare minimum and have avoided the temptation to stick a concrete visitors centre in front of it. We had a good chat with the guides who gave us lots of gossip about the previous inhabitants and told some good ghost stories then we went for a wander through the gardens to the Bavarian Summer House
Intrepid Diane
The
Giant Rhubarb
The summerhouse has a fairytale look from the outside and is built on a rocky outcrop so the only way in is over a wee bridge. It is entirely decorated with acorns as you can see from this photo of the ceiling.
The ceiling of the Bavarian Summerhouse completely encrusted in cones
We had afternoon tea in the castle tearoom then walked up to the Duchesses bathing pool which is the base of a fairly good waterfall on the lower slopes of Goatfell, then from there we wandered down to Rosa Bridge where we saw two adders then walked back down the south bank of Rosa Burn through Glen Rosa. We carried on into Brodick for dinner over looking an Arran Sunset. Slept like a log last night.
Brodick Bay, Brodick is Norse for wide bay
Goatfell
Goatfell again. X
Comments
Sunny - These are great photos. Looks like you had a cracking time. J
Jane from at the desk for the last time....
If Carlsberg made Island Blogs, it would probably look like this...
Jamie from Oban
Arran ExPat wandering the world, residing in Cyprus for now with the odd visit home.
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