Scotland - A wealth of Stately homes and Castles

Scotland's story is set in stone - in the very walls of the castles which once heard the clash of armies and were the settings for intrigue and dark deeds. A heritage of fine buildings is an important part of any visitor's Scottish experience. Scotland is a land of castles. From mighty fortresses on rocky crags to humble keeps on isolated hillsides, they draw the visitor with a promise of drama and romance.

On the island of Wyre, Orkney there stands a small rectangular tower enclosed by a ditch. A Norseman called Kolbein Hruga built it around 1145. Cubbie Roo's Castle, as it is known today, is probably the earliest stone castle in Scotland. (There were older fortresses - but these were built of wood. All that is left of them today are the raised mounds or mottes on which they were built.)

Slightly easier to reach than Cubbie Roo's little fortress, Castle Sween, southwest of Lochgilphead in Argyll, is the oldest mainland stone castle. Many of these castles are cared for by Historic Scotland, a government agency created in 1991 to safeguard Scotland's heritage and promote its understanding and enjoyment.

Some say that the grandest fortress of all is Stirling Castle. It has been described as "like a huge brooch, clasping Highlands and Lowlands together" - a reference to its former key strategic role controlling the main routes between north and south. Not surprisingly, it looks down upon some of the most famous battlefields in Scotland's history, including where the hero Sir William Wallace's army defeated the occupying English forces at Stirling Bridge in 1297, and where Bruce defeated the same foe at Bannockburn in the summer of 1314.

As a fortress and royal palace, its buildings were frequently destroyed and rebuilt, or refashioned as the times dictated. Yet so much survives, including the impressive 15th century Great Hall, the marvellous Renaissance Palace and the Chapel Royal of King James. The castle is brought to life with a reconstruction of the castle's medieval kitchens, which would have served spectacular banquets of the Stewart kings, and a £20 million investment programme by Historic Scotland is conserving the castle for centuries to come.

Edinburgh Castle stands as a symbol of Scotland. It was at the castle in 1566 that Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to Prince James, who would become King James VI of Scotland and I of England, and here in 1818 that Sir Walter Scott broke down the door of the Crown Room in his quest to find the hidden Honours of Scotland, the oldest crown jewels in the United Kingdom and among the oldest in Christendom. (They had been stored away and all but forgotten after 1707, when Scotland and England's Parliaments were united.Today these symbols of monarchy can be seen in the castle.)

Some Historic Scotland properties have, in historical terms, a more recent origin. In the north, Fort George stands on the edge of the Moray Firth near Inverness, a monument to the might of the Hanoverians following the defeat of the Jacobites at Culloden (also near Inverness). After the rising of 1745-46, the government of the day was determined that the Highlands could never again become a breeding-ground for rebellion. King George II ordered the construction of the impregnable Fort George, built on a spit of land jutting into the firth.

The fort's defensive walls stretch almost a mile around. It took 21 years to complete and cost nearly £1 billion at today's prices. It has never seen a shot fired in anger and remains the finest example of 18th century military fortification in Europe - a place where visitors can learn a whole new range of terms: scarp and counter-scarp, bastion and ravelin, to describe the curious geometric shapes and defensive points along the huge walls.

Though from an earlier age, mighty Tantallon Castle, east of North Berwick, shares with Fort George a setting on an easily defended narrow neck of land. Erected by the Douglas family, it sat secure behind a red sandstone curtain wall stretching across a formidable promontory on the shores of the Firth of Forth. Further north, steep cliffs and the sea also protected St Andrews Castle from maritime attack, while ditches cut out of the rock once defended the landward approaches.

The castle was the main residence of the bishops and archbishops of St Andrews who had to be prepared to defend themselves and the property of the church. A siege of the castle in 1546-47 left fascinating evidence of medieval siege techniques. Visitors can squeeze down the narrow passage of a counter-mine - a tunnel built out to meet the much larger mine or tunnel carved by the invaders trying to get in.

Visitors can also see the bottle dungeon -a dark and airless pit cut out of solid rock from which death was the only release. Keeping visitors out was one thing, but well-defended castle sites were perfect for keeping people in as well. The 14th century Lochleven Castle, on an island in Loch Leven, was the prison for Mary, Queen of Scots for nearly a year before her dramatic escape in 1568, aided by a boatman, William Douglas. He is remembered in the name of the boat which takes visitors out to the island from Kinross, only half an hour by road from Edinburgh.

The romantic settings of castle ruins today belie the turmoil of history. Caerlaverock Castle has stood guard over the Solway Firth since the 14th century. Its unknown builder decided on a triangular plan, unique in Britain, with a double-towered gatehouse. Inevitably, its position close to the Border meant in its time it was besieged both by the English (1356-7) and the Scots (1312) when it sustained much damage.

The 13th to 17th centuries were particularly bloody, requiring many repairs and defensive changes in Scotland's fortresses. Kilchurn, on Loch Awe, was abandoned in the 1760s by its owners, the Campbells of Glenorchy. The departing Earl described it as a "useless house" - but few visiting the site today would agree with him. From its loch-side setting near the main Oban road it offers spectacular views across Loch Awe to Ben Cruachan. In a magnificent setting in the hills above Dollar is Castle Campbell, the stronghold of the Campbell Earls of Argyll.

Once known as Castle Gloom, it stands in solemn isolation, topped by a crescent of higher hills and a precipitous ravine on either side. At the bottom are the rushing waters of the Burn of Sorrow and the Burn of Care. The view south is extensive, across the Forth Valley to the distant ranges of the Pentland Hills.

Medieval society was not all warfare and bitter feuding. At Edzell Castle, near Brechin, the visitor gets closer perhaps to the reality of lordly life in those times than any other castle. Edzell was the seat of the Lindsays and one of the family's greatest building achievements was the castle's garden built in 1604. The extraordinary walled garden, with its captivating heraldic and symbolic sculptures, is unique in Scotland and gives Edzell a distinctive place in the art history of the European Renaissance.

Like Edzell, Dirleton Castle, near North Berwick, is as much a place of sumptuous beauty and wealth as it is of strength. Once a formidable fortress, today it looks out over the elegant gardens of its later owners who saw the ruined castle as the most elaborate garden ornament. It features one of the largest herbaceous borders in Scotland, at its very best in July and August.

Notable garden features are a part of the castle experience at many properties (not all necessarily in the care of Historic Scotland) - for example, at Cawdor Castle near Inverness, Aberdour Castle in Fife and Castle Fraser near Aberdeen. A recent development in the way Historic Scotland presents its castles can be found at Urquhart Castle, a very popular attraction on the shores of Loch Ness, where a £4 million visitor centre has recently opened after three years of construction. The new centre offers visitors improved parking, high-quality facilities, purpose-built to make the most of the lochside setting, and an opportunity to learn the full story of Urquhart Castle and those who have lived there.

Part of the overall project was also to widen the A82 - the main road along Loch Ness -so that there are now turning lanes into the carpark for traffic coming from either direction. The carpark itself will have room for 12 coaches and a stopping-off point and the lower carpark will take 120 cars. The centre is an innovative design that combines environmental efficiency with ease of access.

An audiovisual presentation in a purpose-built auditorium is included in the ticket price and the story of the medieval castle is told using artefacts discovered onsite and loaned to Historic Scotland from the National Museums of Scotland. A cafe shop, educational space and washroom facilities are also included in the design.

The centre is set back into a manmade hill, so that visitors can reach it from the carpark and make their way down using either an elevator or stairs. There is wheelchair access throughout and panoramic views to the castle and the loch beyond from all areas. Urquhart Castle is one of Scotland's largest and has seen many battles and sieges throughout its 500-year history.

By the year 1250 Alan Durward was lord of Urquhart. As brother-in-law of King Alexander III, Urquhart was one of the most influential men in Scotland, widely recognised as the power behind the throne. The stronghold that Urquhart established continued to be of strategic importance throughout the Wars of Independence against England, sparked by the untimely death of Alexander III. Soon after the Wars began in 1296, the English army captured Urquhart. Within two years, the castle was back in Scottish hands after resistance, led by William Wallace.

Over the next half century it changed hands many times. Urquhart's stirring history continued with frequent raids by the Macdonald Lords of the Isles in the 15th and 16th centuries. In 1509 the Chief of Clan Grant was granted the castle. It was last inhabited by government troops following the Jacobite Rising of 1689. Though Historic Scotland is the state-run conservation body for a huge variety of important monuments and properties, there are other agencies with an interest in preserving Scotland's heritage of fine buildings.

The National Trust for Scotland is the nation's main conservation charity. It cares for a variety of monuments, from a printing works to a "doocot" (dovecote), and among their properties are some superb stately homes and castles. The House of the Binns, for example, near Linlithgow, is highly interesting as it represents the early 17th century change from fortified stronghold to spacious mansion.

Also close to Edinburgh, Newhailes is noted for containing one of the most important rococo interiors in Scotland. Its library was described by, Dr Johnson, the English lexicographer and man of letters, as "the most learned room in Europe". Much of the original decoration and furnishings have survived intact to the present day.

No visit to the island of Arran in the Clyde estuary is complete without taking in Brodick Castle and Country Park. The ancient seat of the Dukes of Hamilton contains a superb collection of paintings, porcelain and silver acquired over the generations. The gardens are likewise superb especially in late spring, where the internationally acclaimed rhododendron collection is at its most spectacular.

On the other side of the Clyde estuary, Culzean Castle and Country Park is the Trust's most popular property and the former home of the Kennedy Earls of Cassilis, Inside, the visitor can see the spectacular Oval Staircase and the Circular Saloon. There is also a suite of rooms, a guest flat, given to US President Eisenhower as a token of appreciation from Scotland for his support in World War II.

Over in Fife, Falkland Palace in the village of the same name, was a former hunting lodge of the Stewart monarchs and is also associated with Mary, Queen of Scots. Within easy distance of Falkland in the East Neuk (corner) of Fife, Kellie Castle is a sympathetically restored property originally dating from the 14th century. The Victorian walled garden is run organically - so there is plenty to see for gardening enthusiasts here as well.

In olden times the north-east corner of Scotland sometimes lay beyond the main thrust of Scotland's warlike story - away from the path of hostile forces, many castles survived intact. In fact, there was a great flowering of castle building here and the area today contains some of the country's very finest. The best of them can be enjoyed by following the northeast's Castle Trail (containing a mix of Historic Scotland and National Trust for Scotland properties).

Follow the signposts to discover the outstanding gardens at Crathes Castle west of Aberdeen, or the five great towers of Fyvie Castle to the north. (Pick up a leaflet from any tourist information centre.) Also on the Trail are places like Drum Castle, one of the three oldest surviving tower houses in Scotland, Castle Fraser, the most elaborate Z-plan in Scotland, as well as the famed Craigievar, a fairy-tale structure sometimes described as the very finest example of Scottish baronial architecture.

Many of the Trust's castles also have a shop and cafe attached, making them ideal excursions. Aside from conservation bodies with an interest in stately homes and castles, there are still many fine properties in Scotland in private ownership, some held by generations of the same family.

Scone Palace, by Perth, for example, home of the Earls of Mansfield, has a particularly distinguished history as the ancient crowning place of Scotland's kings. This castellated palace was enlarged at the beginning of the 19th century and its interiors include magnificent collections of porcelain, furniture, clocks and needlework. The Moot Hill in the grounds was the site of the famous Coronation Stone of Scone, stolen in 1296 by King Edward of England and only returned to Edinburgh Castle in 1996.

Floors Castle, home of the Duke of Roxburghe, near Kelso in the Scottish Borders, also contains fine antique furniture, works of art and tapestries and is also distinguished as the largest occupied house in Scotland. Extensive parklands and gardens overlook the River Tweed, offering fine walks and picnic areas, while the walled garden has superb herbaceous borders at their best in high summer.

Home of the Marquis of Linlithgow, Hopetoun House is one of the finest examples of its kind in Europe. It is set in rolling parkland on the south shore of the Firth of Forth within easy reach of Edinburgh. Originally built between 1699-1707, the property was extended by the famous Scottish architect William Adam. Today's visitors can see its original furniture, carriage collection, paintings by famous artists, 17th-century tapestries, rococo ceilings and Meissen ceramics.

From Muness Castle in Shetland (Scotland's most northerly) to Smailholm Tower, which overlooks a wide panorama of hills in the Scottish Borders, Scotland's wealth of historic buildings await exploration.