Borthwick Castle was built by Sir William Borthwick in the mid 1400s on the foundation of an older castle. In the mid 1500 Mary Queen of Scots visited not long after she married James Hepbert who was the Earl of Bothwell. A group of 1000 men came to kill the Earl of Bothwell. The Queen of Scots negotiated with them while her husband escaped and then she escaped in the morning disguised as a page boy. In the 1600s Cromwell attacked Borthwich Castle damaging the parapet.

There is said to be an apparition of a page boy stalking the halls of Borthwick Castle. 

You can easily find this castle as it is in the Edinburgh area 13 miles from the Edinburgh Airport.

You can enjoy this historic Scotland castle on your Scotland vacations because it is now a hotel with all the modern connivances and historical ambiance. This is a wonderful place for weddings or just the honeymoon.

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Scotland castles are majestic, and are located in some of the most beautiful parts of the world. These castles were built for a purpose and much of there history isn’t all that pretty. These fortresses were built to keep out the enemy, and often sat on top of dungeons used to imprison and torture those that could not be trusted.

Who was there enemy?

Since the beginning of humanity people have gathered together as families into groups. These groups would look at the other groups nearby and start to worry that the others might be bigger and stronger then themselves. They would think the other group might try to overtake us and kill the ones I love and maybe carry away the rest. Or, maybe you belong is the strongest group? You would look at the weaker groups and thing that they might want to take yours over and make its people there slaves. We have to get them before they can get us. 

This has been the way things have been for so long on every continent. In fact this is still the way things go now. This is not a political statement, just an observation of how we humans protect ourselves. In Scotland’s history these groups were called clans. These clans were a group of families that stuck together and had a common ancestor. They were always looking at the nearby clans with distrust and sometimes bloodlust in there eyes.

We don’t want to forget about another group to the far north that considered trade such a way of life and an essential part of there survival that they would attack anyone that got in there way. You guessed it; I am talking about the Vikings. Although many of Scotland clans very likely had Viking in there ancestry, this group was still a treat and therefore many of Scotland’s castles were built to perfect its inhabitants from them.

The Newer Castles have History to

Scotland also has castles that have a much more recent history. Most were erected to protect the people inside because they were the rulers, and there for in constant danger of being murdered and there empire taken over. A few more recent of Scotland’s castles were actually built by wealthy families that had very little to do with royalty. These of course are the ones that were built more for looks than protection. They are also rich in history.

Above photo of Aberlemno Kirkyard by Keri’sKicks  -(back and catching up)

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Do you need to relax and smell the roses on your next vacation? Life is so busy and tiring that when you have a short break from it sometimes you just want to get away from home and relax somewhere else. You don’t need a hectic vacation where all you do is check sights off of your list after you have run through them. Will you even remember all of those places you had to see once you get home? Are you going to need a vacation after your vacation because you are so exhausted from it? Are you looking for a truly relaxing and enjoyable vacation that you will have no trouble remembering for years to come? If you do, you need to pick a single destination. Scotland has plenty of these single destinations that you can go to and relax. 

You could visit a single small town and enjoy taking walks though and around it. Most places in Scotland have nice places to stay and place to eat as well as local attractions to visit. The point is to take things slowly and really see, smell, and feal the area around you. 

One such place in Scotland that you could enjoy is Castle Lock. Castle Lock is a beautiful lake. This is the prefect destination for your Scotland vacations. This is a loch that you can get some exorcize or just sit back and commune with nature. What are the main things to do at Castle Loch?

The Fishing

The fishing is world renowned and the fish are large and begging to be caught by you. Just make sure you get the proper licenses before you start fishing to keep everything friendly.

Wildlife and Bird Watching

There is a path that goes around almost the entire lake. Take your binoculars and see what types of animals you can spot.

There are many other places that a tired person in need of a refreshing vacation can enjoy in Scotland.

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You don’t have to be a history buff to enjoy Scotland castle vacations. If you like old crumbling buildings, opulent palaces, or just the countryside castle vacations are for you. It isn’t hard to imagine the kings, queens, lords, ladies and the many servants that once walked the halls of any historic castle your visit. Here are a few castles worth putting on your itinerary for your Scotland vacations.

Edinburgh Castle

You can’t have a Scotland vacation without a visit to Edinburgh castle. This has to be the most famous castle of them all in Scotland. This castle consists of a few different building most of which you can tour that were built in different eras. There is a lot of walking here to be sure to wear good shoes. If you plan your trip right you can enjoy the Edinburgh military tattoo.

Glamis Castle

Do you enjoy the though of castles that would exist in fairy tails? If you do you can’t mill Glamis castle. This is an important castle in Scotland as it has a very strong royal past with the Queen Mother; Elizabeth Bowes-Loyn called it her home and even had her second daughter there. If you enjoy ghost tails then be sure to ask about the resident ghosts when you visit.

Castle of Mey

The castle of Mey is so far north that you could see the Orkney Islands on a good day. This castle was the home of the Queen Mother that was the widow of George the VI when she bought it in the 1900s and restored it. You can visit this castle during the warmer months.

Above photo of Invergarry Castle Ruin by jacob earl

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In the 1400s the Campbell Earls of Argyll built the original castle, but in the mid 1600s this castle was burnt down in the civil war. The present castle was built in the mid 1700s by the third Duke of Argyll and the XIII Duke of Argyll is in charge of the castle today. There are numerous ghosts that are said to haunt this Scotland castle. Two harpists and a young woman are among them.

You can visit the castle and take in some of there events or tour the grounds and castle or just stay in one of the holiday houses.

Above photo of inverary castle by jacob earl

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Built sometime in the 1300s as a keep and then extended to become an amazing fairytale castle. Glamis Castle has been held by the Lyon family since the 1500s and still is today. This Scotland castle is believed to be the most haunted in Scotland. There is a ghost known as “Earl Beardie” that was said to have played cards with the devil in a walled up room. Then there is the “Gray Lady of Glamis” which is believed to be Lady Glamis who was accused of being a witch by King James V and burnt at the stake. 

You can find Glamis Castle on you Scotland vacations in Angus just 5 miles south of Forfar.

You can visit Glamis Castle and tour the amazing grounds and gardens or attend an event. 

Above photo of Glamis Tower by yewen

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The first tower house was built in the 1400s, but there might have been inhabitant on this spot before that. In the 1800s Culzean Castle was transformed from a tower house to a trophy house. Today this castle has been lovingly restored by the National Trust for Scotland.

Sir Thomas Kennedy an owner of the Culzean Castle and it is said that whenever one of his decedents gets married a ghost piper is seen playing on the grounds of this Scotland castle.

Culzean Castle can be found on your Scotland vacations in the south Ayrshire Coast overlooking the Firth of Clyde.

You can visit Culzean Castle and see the Castle, visitor’s center, gardens, restaurant, and shops in the summer. In the winter you can see visitors center, restaurant, and shops on your Scotland vacations.

Above photo of Culzean Castle by gordontour

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Cowdor Castle is located 12 East of Inverness in the Highlands.

This castle was built in the late 1300s or at least the current buildings were. The tower was built around the famous “Holly Tree”. Cowder Castle is said to be built on the spot that William Cowdors donkey stopped to rest as foretold in a dream. This Scotland Castle is still the home of Cowdors.

Some have claimed to have seen a ghost in a blue velvet dress that might be Muriel Cowdor who was kidnapped and married at the age of 12 by Earl of Argyll’s son. There is a second ghost that is believed to be the first Lord Cowdor.

If you want to visit this Scotland castle on your Scotland vacations than you can tour the grounds and the castle itself. You can also shop in the store, east at the restaurant, and stay in one of the holiday cottages on the grounds.

Above photo of Cowdor Castle by stusmith uk

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