Castle Scotland
WelcomeCASTLE SCOTLAND FEATURE OF THE MONTH
Cawdor Castle is set amid magnificent gardens approximately 10 miles (16km) east of Inverness and 5 miles (8 km) southwest of Nairn. Although open to the public during Spring and Summer, it also serves as home to the Dowager Countess Cawdor, stepmother of the 25th Thane, Colin Campbell. In this particular castle Scotland is indelibly associated with William Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth, the title character being made Thane of Cawdor. However, the story is highly fictionalised, and the current castle was built many years after the events of the play.
A Brief History
Cawdor had been a Thanedom for centuries. The site for the original castle was on the top of the steep bank sloping down to the ravine of Cawdor Burn. On the far side of the burn, in the current castle's garden, a dry moat was cut to offer further defence. The earliest documented date for the current castle is 1454, the date a building license that was granted to William, Thane of Cawdor (The name was originally spelled Calder, but due to the miss-spelling by Shakespeare, the family's moniker was eventually altered). However, some portions of the castle may precede that date. Architectural historians have dated the style of stonework in the oldest portion of the castle to approximately 1380. William reputedly had a dream that he should fasten a box of gold to the back of a donkey and build wherever it first stopped to rest. William put his dream into action and sent the animal into the fields. The donkey came to rest under a tree above the burn. The stump of the tree is still to be seen in the vaulted cellar of the keep which was built over and about it in that year. and has come to be called a hawthorne tree but is in fact a holly. In 1499, on the death of the third Thane, Sir John of Cawdor, the King chose Archibald Campbell, second Earl of Argyll as protector to John Cawdor's only child, Muriel. The land and castle of Cawdor were tempting pickings and as Muriel was a child, the Earl decided to have her brought to Argyll with the ambition of marrying her to his youngest son, Sir John Campbell. Campbell of Inverliever on Lochawe was sent with his sons to fetch the little girl. The family tradition holds that in the struggle over the child, her mother branded her with a key and her nurse bit off the tip of her finger for identification. After Inverliever left the castle, the Lady Cawdor sent word to her brother, Rose of nearby Kilravock Castle, who gave frantic chase. Inverliever had his sons defend a bundle which was wrapped in the girl's shawl while he carried the youngster through the hills to Lochawe. None of his sons returned. Muriel was eventually married to Sir John at the age of 11. She died in 1575, aged 78, having produced a large and energetic family. Sir Hugh Campbell, Thane of Cawdor, (1642-1716), undertook an extensive building effort. A broad stair was built adjoining the North-Western corner of the keep and linking it to the inner angle of a new "L" shaped range of buildings along the sides of the original courtyard. The vaulted basement of Castle is the only survivor from the earliest period. The "L" range can be seen in the large Hall or Diningroom with adjacent private anteroom, a withdrawing room and numerous bedrooms on the upper floors. Sir Hugh had a number of mantlepieces carved, one of which commemorates the infamous marriage of Sir John Campbell and Muriel of Cawdor. Above the head of the great stair is a small chamber which can only be reached across the roof; a hideaway where, it is said, the Jacobite Lord Lovat of Beauly hid after Culloden. The entrance gateway and drawbridge, the parapet walk and corner turrets on the keep and improvements to the outer ranges of buildings to the South were all undertaken in the 17th century, mostly by Sir Hugh. The south courtyard was renovated and the buildings enlarged, but in the same style as the 17th century additions so that the castle appears as a cohesive whole. The iron yett was brought from another Scottish castle at Lochindorb, around 1455 when the Scottish Privy Council instructed the Thane of Cawdor to dismantle Lochindorb Castle after it had been forfeited by the Earl of Moray. For several generations the family spent most of their lives in Wales after one of them had married an heiress of lands there in the 18th century. This meant that Cawdor never underwent the alterations which might have taken place had it been the main residence of the family. The family are now resident in the area for much of the year. Although the family are members of the Campbell Clan, they have their own distinctive tartan, separate from other Campbells. Shakespeare's play Macbeth took liberties with the story of the historic Scottish King Macbeth, who asserted that from this castle Scotland was ruled after his forces killed King Duncan of Scotland. The play, first written in 1606, drew from somewhat fanciful tales of King Macbeth written by the monk Andrew of Wyntoun in his Cronykil (completed in 1406). Among the elements Shakespeare took from the monk's stories was the idea of the three strange prophesying sisters. In the play, Shakespeare has the three Witches foretell that Macbeth, then Thane of Glamis, would become Thane of Cawdor and then King thereafer. Duncan, indeed, almost immediately makes Macbeth Thane of Cawdor. Believing it necessary to accomplish the remainder of the prophesy, Macbeth and his Lady murder Duncan in his sleep, an act that leads to Macbeth's ultimate downfall. In the play, the murder of Duncan takes place in Macbeth's castle in Inverness, not Castle Cawdor (hardly surprising, as Macbeth had only just been granted the title Thane of Cawdor and thus would not yet have made any castle in Cawdor his home). Although the name Cawdor will forever connect this classic work of literature to Cawdor, this Scottish castle did not exist during the lifetimes of Macbeth or Duncan, and the events of the play are almost wholly fictitious.  The castle is known for its gardens, including the Walled Garden (originally planted in the 17th Century), a large walled Flower Garden (18th century), and the Wild Garden (added in the 1960s). There is a newly-planted holly maze and a modern, circular water garden. In addition, the castle grounds include woodland walks featuring numerous species of trees. Visiting The Castle opens on May 1st 2008 and closes on October 12th 2008. Opening Times. 10am - 5.30pm (Last entry 5pm) 7 days a week. Official Website www.cawdorcastle.com
Cawdor Castle is set amid magnificent gardens approximately 10 miles (16km) east of Inverness and 5 miles (8 km) southwest of Nairn. Although open to the public during Spring and Summer, it also serves as home to the Dowager Countess Cawdor, stepmother of the 25th Thane, Colin Campbell. In this particular castle Scotland is indelibly associated with William Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth, the title character being made Thane of Cawdor. However, the story is highly fictionalised, and the current castle was built many years after the events of the play.
A Brief History
Cawdor had been a Thanedom for centuries. The site for the original castle was on the top of the steep bank sloping down to the ravine of Cawdor Burn. On the far side of the burn, in the current castle's garden, a dry moat was cut to offer further defence. The earliest documented date for the current castle is 1454, the date a building license that was granted to William, Thane of Cawdor (The name was originally spelled Calder, but due to the miss-spelling by Shakespeare, the family's moniker was eventually altered). However, some portions of the castle may precede that date. Architectural historians have dated the style of stonework in the oldest portion of the castle to approximately 1380. William reputedly had a dream that he should fasten a box of gold to the back of a donkey and build wherever it first stopped to rest. William put his dream into action and sent the animal into the fields. The donkey came to rest under a tree above the burn. The stump of the tree is still to be seen in the vaulted cellar of the keep which was built over and about it in that year. and has come to be called a hawthorne tree but is in fact a holly. In 1499, on the death of the third Thane, Sir John of Cawdor, the King chose Archibald Campbell, second Earl of Argyll as protector to John Cawdor's only child, Muriel. The land and castle of Cawdor were tempting pickings and as Muriel was a child, the Earl decided to have her brought to Argyll with the ambition of marrying her to his youngest son, Sir John Campbell. Campbell of Inverliever on Lochawe was sent with his sons to fetch the little girl. The family tradition holds that in the struggle over the child, her mother branded her with a key and her nurse bit off the tip of her finger for identification. After Inverliever left the castle, the Lady Cawdor sent word to her brother, Rose of nearby Kilravock Castle, who gave frantic chase. Inverliever had his sons defend a bundle which was wrapped in the girl's shawl while he carried the youngster through the hills to Lochawe. None of his sons returned. Muriel was eventually married to Sir John at the age of 11. She died in 1575, aged 78, having produced a large and energetic family. Sir Hugh Campbell, Thane of Cawdor, (1642-1716), undertook an extensive building effort. A broad stair was built adjoining the North-Western corner of the keep and linking it to the inner angle of a new "L" shaped range of buildings along the sides of the original courtyard. The vaulted basement of Castle is the only survivor from the earliest period. The "L" range can be seen in the large Hall or Diningroom with adjacent private anteroom, a withdrawing room and numerous bedrooms on the upper floors. Sir Hugh had a number of mantlepieces carved, one of which commemorates the infamous marriage of Sir John Campbell and Muriel of Cawdor. Above the head of the great stair is a small chamber which can only be reached across the roof; a hideaway where, it is said, the Jacobite Lord Lovat of Beauly hid after Culloden. The entrance gateway and drawbridge, the parapet walk and corner turrets on the keep and improvements to the outer ranges of buildings to the South were all undertaken in the 17th century, mostly by Sir Hugh. The south courtyard was renovated and the buildings enlarged, but in the same style as the 17th century additions so that the castle appears as a cohesive whole. The iron yett was brought from another Scottish castle at Lochindorb, around 1455 when the Scottish Privy Council instructed the Thane of Cawdor to dismantle Lochindorb Castle after it had been forfeited by the Earl of Moray. For several generations the family spent most of their lives in Wales after one of them had married an heiress of lands there in the 18th century. This meant that Cawdor never underwent the alterations which might have taken place had it been the main residence of the family. The family are now resident in the area for much of the year. Although the family are members of the Campbell Clan, they have their own distinctive tartan, separate from other Campbells. Shakespeare's play Macbeth took liberties with the story of the historic Scottish King Macbeth, who asserted that from this castle Scotland was ruled after his forces killed King Duncan of Scotland. The play, first written in 1606, drew from somewhat fanciful tales of King Macbeth written by the monk Andrew of Wyntoun in his Cronykil (completed in 1406). Among the elements Shakespeare took from the monk's stories was the idea of the three strange prophesying sisters. In the play, Shakespeare has the three Witches foretell that Macbeth, then Thane of Glamis, would become Thane of Cawdor and then King thereafer. Duncan, indeed, almost immediately makes Macbeth Thane of Cawdor. Believing it necessary to accomplish the remainder of the prophesy, Macbeth and his Lady murder Duncan in his sleep, an act that leads to Macbeth's ultimate downfall. In the play, the murder of Duncan takes place in Macbeth's castle in Inverness, not Castle Cawdor (hardly surprising, as Macbeth had only just been granted the title Thane of Cawdor and thus would not yet have made any castle in Cawdor his home). Although the name Cawdor will forever connect this classic work of literature to Cawdor, this Scottish castle did not exist during the lifetimes of Macbeth or Duncan, and the events of the play are almost wholly fictitious.  The castle is known for its gardens, including the Walled Garden (originally planted in the 17th Century), a large walled Flower Garden (18th century), and the Wild Garden (added in the 1960s). There is a newly-planted holly maze and a modern, circular water garden. In addition, the castle grounds include woodland walks featuring numerous species of trees. Visiting The Castle opens on May 1st 2008 and closes on October 12th 2008. Opening Times. 10am - 5.30pm (Last entry 5pm) 7 days a week. Official Website www.cawdorcastle.com
If you want a castle Scotland is the place to look. A small country with a big past, every square mile of Scotland has been fought over, defended, bought or sold. From Mary Queen of Scots and King James I, to the MacDonalds and the Campbells, the ‘Black’ Douglas and the Earls of Moray, Scottish Castles have been silent witnesses to a long history, both treacherous and heroic. Castle Scotland gives you the history of our finest buildings, all of them key players in the story of Scotland.
