Savvy Sightseer - tips and insights for seasoned travelers!
Boats cruise the 24-mile long lake in Scotland.
Scotland's Trossachs and Highlands
There is much to reward visitors who venture into the Scottish countryside beyond Glasgow and Edinburgh. Lakes (yes, there are more than Loch Ness!), untamed forests, rolling fields, pretty towns - all steeped in history - are well worth the trip!
Inveraray Castle
At Inveraray Castle, the door is wide open to (paying) visitors. Although still the family home of the Clan Campbell and Duke of Argyll, part of this castle on Loch Fyne was opened to the public in 1953. Torquhil Ian Campbell, the 13th Duke of Argyll, considers the castle “first and foremost” a family home, where he and the Duchess (formerly Eleanor Cadbury, of chocolate giant fame), raise three children in the castle’s private section. Each room on the public side is exquisitely detailed; the Armoury Hall literally takes your breath away as you walk from the distinguished dining room with its camouflaged doors leading to a turret stocked with full sets of delicate china. Once through the arch your gaze wanders up – and up - to find swords and other instruments of killing artfully displayed along the walls of the almost 70’ tall room, reportedly the highest ceiling in Scotland. The Saloon, technically at the rear of the house, but originally intended to be the main entranceway, has as much modern history as ancient. Followers of the popular period program, Downton Abbey, may recognize it as the setting for the family’s entrance in the Christmas 2012 show. A piano sits off to the side of the room, but it has a history all its own. It was at this piano that the famous duo of Lerner and Lowe, guests of the Duke, tickled the ivories and came up with some of their most famous songs for the musical My Fair Lady.
Up a graceful stairway bathed in natural light, you enter the MacArthur bedroom, where it’s entirely possible to bump into one of the castle’s ghosts. The turret off this room is filled with family memorabilia, clan history and accolades.
The imposing ancestral home of the 13th Duke of Argyll welcomes visitors.
A mighty display of the tools of war
A young harpist suffered a gruesome death and now haunts the room trimmed in traditional Black Watch Plaid. It is said, a harp can be heard playing when a family member is about to die.The Clan tartan is named for a British army regiment that was formed largely of Campbell soldiers loyal to the Crown. In 1746 an act that banned the wearing of Scottish tartan was enacted; the Black Watch tartan was the only allowed exception.
The imposing ancestral home of the 13th Duke of Argyll welcomes visitors.
Click the slide show above and visit Inveraray Castle yourself.
Stirling Castle
Scotland is riddled with remnants of a bygone era when kings and clans ruled the land. One of the best preserved from the early 12th century is Stirling Castle in the central highlands. A 10-year, £12 million restoration recently brought the fortress back to its stunning Renaissance-period glory. It is easy to conjure up images of James V striding down the halls or across the expansive courtyard, or his daughter, Mary, on her way to being crowned Queen of Scots.
For James V, Stirling Castle served several purposes. He made it his mission to transform a simple castle into a Royal Palace to showcase of his wealth, importance, and most importantly, entitlement to rule. It was certainly a daunting fortress, perched high above the town on volcanic rock with steep cliffs on three sides, but he wanted it also to be the envy of every other leader. He hosted lavish banquets in the Great Hall, which could fit 500 people for an event. So large, a full-sized boat was once placed in the center to act as a serving buffet!
Symbols of James’s importance and formidability remain – 250 statues dot the castle façade and grounds. Some are remarkably grotesque sculptures with devils and odd animals. Placed around the outer wall, these seemingly threaten that James V meant business and could be a dangerous adversary. On the courtyard side, though, a more benign collection in the form of Roman gods and symbols tout James V’s attributes: a leader who will bring prosperity, peace and harmony to Scotland.
One of the palace’s most unique features is the collection of hand-carved oak medallions, known as the Stirling Heads. The originals, dating from the mid-1500s, decorated a ceiling with circular images of kings, queens, nobles, Roman emperors and characters from the Bible and Classical mythology. As part of an extensive restoration, these have been painstakingly reconstructed by a master craftsmen and conservation experts. Another singular feature of the royal residence is the collection of tapestries, restored through a 14-year reweaving project. The Hunt of the Unicorn series is one of many depictions at the palace of the mythical creature – considered the national “animal” of Scotland.
Stirling Castle’s grounds are as intriguing and significant as the palace. Looking down from the ramparts you find an oddly shaped mound in what was once the royal gardens. Recent research indicates it is here, hidden in the King’s Knot field, that King Arthur’s round table may be buried!
In the distance is the National Wallace Monument, marking the spot where William Wallace (aka Braveheart) watched in 1297 as English soldiers floundered and fell at the Old Stirling Bridge before he swooped in and routed them completely. In the castle entry courtyard stand two historical figures. There’s a kilted infantryman commemorating soldiers lost in the Boer Wars, and Robert the Bruce, a medieval King of Scotland who won Scottish independence from England in 1314. About two miles to the south lies Bannockburn, where Robert had fought a decisive battle against the English in 1306.
It’s no accident Stirling embodies so much history and bloodshed. Its strategic location led to the adage, “He who holds Stirling, holds Scotland,” and doomed it to be a continually contested piece of territory. The castle changed hands many times between English and Scottish rulers, and was even abandoned for a time. Now, though, it is frozen in time – when it was a jewel in the crown of Scottish rule.
Click the slide show to the right and wander around Stirling Castle.
The distinctive yellow hue of the Great Hall stands out against the grey castle turrets.
Scotland's warrior king was crowned in 1306.
About two miles to the south of Stirling lies Bannockburn, where Robert the Bruce had fought a decisive battle against the English in 1306.
The distinctive yellow hue of the Great Hall stands out against the grey castle turrets.
Trossachs, Highlands and Beyond
Visit Loch Awe, and be awed by the country’s longest lake and pretty sights around. One not to be missed is the delightful St. Conan’s Kirk (Church), a sustaining symbol of a loving and considerate son. Walter Campbell realized the 11-mile hike to the nearest church was becoming too much for his devout, elderly mother, so in 1907 he started building her one of her own in the town of Loch Awe! An unconventional architect, Campbell designed the church with an odd blend of styles and materials that resulted in a truly unique building. Lake Awe has no shortage of interesting buildings; one of the most consequential is Castle Kilchurn. Now abandoned, from the 1400s into the 1700s, it was the powerhouse base of the mighty Campbell clan. Despite it’s state of decay, Castle Kilchurn is one of the most photographed castles in Scotland.
On Scotland’s west coast is another example of an altruistic endeavor that led to building a Roman coliseum-type structure on the hill above Oban, a seaside resort. Local banker John McCaig, commissioned the tower in 1895 to provide employment for local stonemasons during the winter months. Unfortunately he died before it was completed, and his family nixed more spending. His dream of an elaborate art gallery and lasting tribute to the McCaig family name died with him. Today the incongruous structure houses an open air garden and provides a stunning view of the bay, islands and North Atlantic beyond.
Home base of the powerful Campbell Clan for hundreds of years.
There's no shortage of pretty scenes just begging visitors to stop and enjoy.
After being blown up by the English in a battle during the Jacobite uprising in 1719, the castle on Scotland's west coast lay in ruins for 200 years. It was purchased privately in 1911 and restored over a 20-year period.
Home base of the powerful Campbell Clan for hundreds of years.
Click the slideshow to the right for an expanded view and more information.
Trotternish Peninsula
and the Isle of Skye
Click the video above to meet a Highland Cow and the slideshow above for an expanded view and more information about the Isle of Skye.
Tucked away in Scotland's Inner Hebrides is one of the most beautiful and striking areas of Scotland. Nature has worked hard on creating a masterpiece of rock formations and stunning vistas that give rise to the most delightful legends.
There's the Old Man of Storr, a 160-foot pinnacle of rock that reaches for the sky on the Isle of Skye's Trotternish Ridge. Perhaps it's the thumb of a giant! Pushing out into the northeast coast above the Sound of Raasay is Kilt Rock, maybe the mark of a giant's kilt drying in the breeze? The Quiraing is a dramatic and breath-taking landscape formed by an ancient landslide - said to be the meeting place of fairies!
History is also a key part of the region; it is from Skye that Bonnie Prince Charlie escaped British troops after the doomed Jacobite stand at Culloden Moor in 1746. He posed as the maid of Flora MacDonald as he fled to France. The island was immortalized in 1884 with the lyrics of what has come to be known as the Skye Boat Song: "Carry the lad that’s born to be King, Over the sea to Skye."
The Outlander Effect
Frank spontaneously proposed to Claire as they crossed under these arches.
Falkland in Fife was more suitable for the scenes walking through the town in days past, so Outlander fans likely won't recognize the real Inverness straddling the River Ness
Frank spontaneously proposed to Claire as they crossed under these arches.
Click the slide show above and follow in Jamie and Claire's footsteps through Seasons 1 through 4 (no spoilers - just some sights to look for in upcoming scenes).
When Starz cable channel started running a new series called the Outlander in 2014, one of its stars failed to get top billing in the credits – scenic Scotland! Adapted from a series of books by American author Diana Gabaldon, Outlander is the story of Claire Randall, a WWII combat nurse who is inexplicably whisked away through Standing Stones in the Scottish highlands, catapulting from the 20th century to the 18th. Love and intrigue play out against a backdrop of the 1745 Jacobite Rising - the failed attempt to free Scotland from British rule and regain the throne for exiled Charles Edward Stuart (aka Bonnie Prince Charlie).
The popular series is filmed largely in Scotland, which has sparked a spike in tourism to see the country’s rugged highlands, castles and towns through which key characters live and travel. Tours have been developed around film locations and historical sights. One tour guide recently noted that the first question Americans disembarking from cruise ships in Edinburgh, Scotland, ask is where are the scenes from Outlander?
You don’t have to go very far to find these. A drive from Edinburgh or Glasgow brings you into the central highlands and their stunning views featured in most episodes. In Glasgow, there’s the filming location of lead character Frank Randall’s spontaneous proposal to Claire in Season 1, as well as the gothic Cathedral used to film hospital scenes in Season 2. Edinburgh played host to the filming crew in early 2017 as they started work on Season 3. Around every corner is a place likely to find it’s way onto the screen, such as The World’s End Pub, cobbled streets, and Holyroodhouse. Season 4 will reportedly be filmed at least in part in Stirling, Scotland, a region that has featured prominently in Scottish history and detailed above.
Continue your trip through Great Britain with a visit to Scotland's Glasgow & Edinburgh, Wales or England or back to the
Great Britain home page.
