Scone Place (pronounced Scoon, rather than Scon!) was one of our very first old abode trips out – way back in April 2018…

The palace is nestled between the village of Scone and the River Tay; easily accessible via the A93 and well signposted in the local area.

Scone has a rich history, the crowning place of the Kings of Scotland from the 9th century and original home to the Stone of Scone, better known as the Stone of Destiny. An abbey originally stood on the site, sacked in 1559 and with little other than foundations to mark the area. The land was sold on, a building to replace the abbey was erected and is common in Scottish history, there were arguments around all of it for a couple hundred years! (Can you tell that this is not my forte?!) The current palace was finished in 1807 with ongoing work to the interior, contents for the extensive galleries and landscaping of the expansive gardens occurring since…

Owned by the Earl of Mansfield, the palace and the gardens are open to the public and an extremely popular Scottish attraction. Visitors can have a tour of parts of the palace, and/or the gardens. We took part in a guided tour and while informative , I got the sense that we only saw a very small part of the palace.

Up-to-date details of tours, opening times, and ticket prices are available on the website – https://www.scone-palace.co.uk – the palace being open for guests start of April until the end of October and the gardens being available up until med-December and from the beginning of February. Tickets (for the palace and the gardens) currently cost £16.50 per adult, or £12 per child.

Talking of the gardens, it was these that really made the trip worthwhile, and it would be easy to lose a morning or an afternoon on a sunny day just wandering around and taking in the scenery – particularly useful when you need to run the legs off a small person!

I hope that the pictures give some sense of scale of just how much room there is to enjoy. Dogs on leads are welcome in the grounds, but bear in mind there are peacocks roaming, who don’t appreciate the attention of loud dogs or curious children…

A short distance from the palace stands a chapel on Moot Hill (above) and although not obvious in the picture, a replica of the Stone of Destiny. Guests are also invited to navigate the popular star-shaped maze, burn off some energy in the outdoor play park, or wander the walled gardens.

Accessibility around the whole area is good – the map above shows the parking in comparison to the palace, and there are disabled spaces available closer to the main building. Paths and tracks are all flat and well-maintained, suitable for buggies and wheelchairs.

We ended a very enjoyable afternoon with hots drinks and scones on the lawn, provided by the cafe which sits at the end of tour. While I (as ever) was more entranced by the scope and scale of the building rather than its contents, Scone Palace is a must for history-buffs, lovers of art and anyone with an appreciation of space for their younglings to stretch their legs.

All photos my own, I know some of them are far from high definition and for that I apologise, it was a couple of smart phones ago and the camera wasn’t the best – but sure you get the gist!

Visited in mid-September, 2021, this was the second a two-castle trip in the Blairgowrie area of Perthshire. While the photo below shows where we parked in relation to the castle…

…the next one down shows where that is in relation to the nearby Kinloch and A923.

Historical recap

A few miles north of Kinloch, the castle can be accessed at the bottom of a narrow single track lane. Two houses are at the end of said lane, and I approached the very pleasant owners of the (bigger) northernmost of the two, asking permission to have a look at the castle. They directed me through the field to the south of the houses. A gate about 50m along on the left (picture below) leads up to some sheds and from there, you will see the castle ruins up to the right.

A history of Glasclune Castle is provided by The Castle Guy – https://thecastleguy.co.uk/castle/glasclune-castle/ – who states that the existing building dates back to around 1600.

Canmore also notes some history of the site – https://canmore.org.uk/site/28735/glasclune-castle

The site does not appear to be maintained, and unfortunately visiting at this time of year after a particularly warm summer meant the surrounding area and the ruins were extremely overgrown. It is possible to get right up to the tower (shown above) which stand remarkably proud given how thin the walls are.

No admission charges, but as noted, we did ask permission as the location is marked as a private site.

We did have the dogs with us, but kept them on short leads. Although no livestock were noted, we were tramping farmland nonetheless. The youngest daughter appeared entirely underwhelmed by the experience, enjoying neither the walk up the short incline to the ruin, nor how overgrown everything was. There is a very steep ravine behind the castle, disappearing down to the burn below and the remains of the tower really did look fragile. We kept the child away from both…

Accessibility, as you might have guessed, was pretty poor all round. Certainly not a jaunt for those with mobility issues, or buggies/wheelchairs.

Overall, I rather enjoyed visiting this little ruin. I was disappointed not to be able to see more of it and suspect late autumn or early spring might be a better time to visit, as nature recedes a little. The views over the Strathmore valley are breathtaking and the location of the castle makes sense in that regard. While we won’t be rushing back, very happy to have been able to tick Glasclune Castle off the list.

Visited in late August 2021, Taymouth Castle was the shining glory on our tour of old abodes around Kenmore and Aberfeldy.

In the centre of Kenmore stands a large stone arch, beyond which is small housing estate, a couple of sizeable car parks and a playing field. Follow that lane further and a gate will be reached which blocks vehicular access to the estate. Pedestrians are welcome, however, and we passed a large number of people walking in the grounds.

Taymouth Castle was built on the site of the destroyed Balloch Castle, with construction taking over 35 years and being completed in 1842. Initially built and owned by the Campbells of Breadalbane, Sir Gavin Campbell, the last of his line, died without an heir in 1922. Since then, the castle has enjoyed numerous roles, including hotel, hospital, Civil Defence Corps training school, boarding school and drama school.

Bought by a business consortium in 2005, the castle has slowly been developed as a luxury hotel. Around 2016, it had been restored well enough to host some events, but presently appears to be completely closed to the public, with no obvious website. Work is ongoing however, with evidence of scaffolding and building materials to the rear.

It is not currently possible to enter the castle, but please do not let that put you off visiting. The building is utterly lavish, the grounds are vast and well-maintained and the grandeur of the entire estate cannot be over-emphasised.

Dogs are welcome on the grounds if kept on a lead. Our youngest (child, not dog) really enjoyed gambolling around the estate and skipping between the stone arches. Meanwhile we all marvelled at the huge stain glass window on the south-facing wall.

No particular accessibility issues to note. The walk from where we parked to the castle itself took around 15 minutes at a leisurely pace, on the old road in. Flat and fairly smooth, this would be suitable for wheelchairs and buggies.

I joked upon seeing Taymouth Castle that it was if a child had designed it, and I didn’t mean it as a slur! It truly is one of the castliest-castles we have come across so far, with so many features but all beautifully put together. I adored it, and will follow its future with interest. Having only seen the external aspect, I can only wonder at the marvels within and look forward to the opportunity to explore further.

One of at least three ‘Knock’ Castles in Scotland, we visited in early September 2021. The castle can be found up a winding farm track, just up the B976, which is the road between Ballater and Balmoral. Noted on the map is where we parked, but please note we just abandoned the car on a grass verge; no formal parking spaces noted nearby.

Immediately south of the castle, which is clearly visible from the track, is a stile to help visitors over the barbed wire fence. The castle itself it situated within a fenced off area, accessible by an easy to open gate.

Now ruined, the castle was previously four storeys high, dating from around 1600, having been rebuilt on the site of an earlier 12th century building destroyed by fire.

From the information plaque… “The tower belonged to the Gordons. Tradition had it that one laird, upon hearing of the murder of all his seven sons by the Forbes, fell down the stairwell and died also.”

The Castle Guy – https://thecastleguy.co.uk/castle/knock-castle-ballater/ – covers the history of the site in a lot more detail.

The castle was taken into the care of Historic Environment Scotland in 1951, who act as guardians for the site. It is well-maintained; the grass was recently cut and the plastic tubing over the barbed wire fence at the stile was a thoughtful touch.

Admission is free, and the castle is not staffed. There are no other attractions on site, nor any facilities. The door in was unlocked, so we could gain entry into what appeared to be the basement. However, all of the upper floors are absent and only a few steps remain of the ascending spiral stair case.

Child-friendly? For children older than buggy age, absolutely. As ever, the walls would not be suitable for clambering on so best to keep an eye on them.

Dog-friendly? The field within which the castle sits is sometimes used for livestock, but there is no reason why a closely-controlled dog could not join the trip. My bigger dog spectacularly failed to figure out the style, and needed rescuing. The smaller one slipped through the fence without issue.

As noted, no formal parking per se. Accessibility issues included the stony farm track up from the main road, and the stile, both of which preclude buggies, wheelchairs and anybody with significant mobility issues.

Overall, this was a charming little castle that I felt very lucky to stumble upon. Not big enough to warrant a mention on my big map of Scottish Castles, I noticed it while looking over the local OS map. Well worth a visit if you are in the area and a lovely secluded area for a picnic.

Having lived in Angus for the majority of my life, I had never heard of the diminutive Vayne Castle, near Fern and Forfar. We visited on the very first day of 2021; cracking blue skies and a chilly wind. An excellent way to start of a new year of castling!

Vayne Castle is certainly not the easiest to direct you to – we required directions from the local farmer (Vayne Farm), who was happy to let us wander over his fields to the site which is neither marked nor advertised in any way. While January is a good month for tramping over farmland, I would advise always checking in with the farmer first, as we walked over stubble fields clearly utilised for growing crops in the summer.

If heading north up the A90, take the Finavon Hotel turn off, and then first right along the road which passes Easter Balgillo and Nether Balgillo Farms. Right at the top of that road and then right again at the next junction gets you onto the Vayne Farm road (the one across the top of the map), approaching from the West. Alternatively, if approaching while heading South down the A90, take the right turn off for Careston (opposite the Balnabriech cafe) and a left at the crossroads (towards and then through Careston) and stay on that road to approach Vayne Farm from the East.

Just down from the Vayne Farm turn-off is a cottage that we parked behind (with permission from the farmer and marked on the map). From there we walked down the wee lane which heads West, and South down the fence line that divides the fields.

Little information is available on the history of the castle, other than to note it was a 16th Century Z-plan design, with two towers; one square and one round. Further information can be found here on the Historic Environment Scotland website – https://canmore.org.uk/site/33664/vayne-castle – which includes some artist’s impressions of what the castle would have looked like in its prime.

The site is not maintained, is surrounded by a rusty barbed wire and has unfortunately suffered from a tree collapsing through one of the main walls. It is accessible if you are feeling adventurous, and it is possible to gain entry – however – bear in mind it would be a nightmare for emergency services to attend, so be careful!! Also not recommended for parents and carers of young children that like to clamber… the walls really are very weak.

While I was thrilled to find a ruin so close to home, I will not be rushing back to Vayne Castle. The site is not easily accessible, and I was nervous about the wee one and the dogs careering around a building that looks to be on its very last legs. Unfortunately you need to be up close to admire its stature and imagine its former legacy. Just not one for the family…

Visited in May 2021, Dunnideer Castle and Hillfort is located on the outskirts of Insch, Aberdeenshire. Noted on the map below with a yellow pin is the small car park at the bottom of the hill, with space for 4 or 5 cars. This is on Western Road, as you head west (oddly enough) out of Insch.

The remains of the existing castle date back to around 1260 AD, although the site has been utilised since the late 800s. However, the Hillfort has provided evidence of a settlement possibly as early as 550BC. Driving into Insch, the remain of the castles stand proudly on the hilltop, and it seems an obviously defensive position, with a full 360 degree view of the surrounding countryside for miles around.

It is not immediately apparent who maintains the site, but Historic Environment Scotland have the following website which provides extensive information about its history and the links to the surrounding area – https://canmore.org.uk/site/18128/dunnideer

A small but attractive woodland clusters at the bottom of the path, and there is clear signage directing visitors up the hill to the ruins. Although well-maintained, and not particularly long, the path is steep. While the smallest child and dogs scampered ahead, it took a little puffing to get me to the top. Certainly not suitable for pushchairs, wheelchairs or anybody with significant mobility or health issues.

As evident from the pictures, not much of the castle remains – and that which does is far from ornate. Nonetheless, the setting is as impressive as any in Scotland and the youngest seemed very taken with the site, skipping around the tussocks and trying to figure out which way the ‘princess’s bedroom window would have pointed’.

Dunnideer Castle is a little jewel in the Aberdeenshire countryside; what it lacks in size it makes up for in scenery. Free to visit, and well-maintained, it is well worth a detour if you happen to be driving in the local area. The walk up the hill will clear out the cobwebs, if nothing else.

Visited in April 2018, Dunnottar Castle was one of our first forays into old abodes in Scotland.

The castle is located a couple of miles to the south of Stonehaven, and just off the A92, which is the road that connects the town, Angus and Dundee (hugging the coast). The castle is also easily accessible from the A90, which is generally a quick road to drive.

The name Dunnottar translates from the Gaelic Dùn Fhoithear, or ‘Fort on the shelving slope’. The earliest written records of the site date back to around 681AD, but the remaining buildings were erected in the 15th and 16th century. Strategically situated on the east coast, and well placed for defence, the castle has been prominent in Scottish history, up to and including the Jacobite rebellion.

Undiscovered Scotland provide a detailed account of the history of the castle, plus the importance of its geography.

https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/stonehaven/dunnottarcastle/index.html

The site has been owned by the Cowdray Family since the 1920s and remains in their possession but run as a visitor site. Their website is https://www.dunnottarcastle.co.uk and has up to date information on tickets and opening times. At the time of writing, adult tickets were £8 while children were £4.

There is a large car park close to the castle (marked with a red pin on the map above) with toilets and food vans on site. While the paths leading up to and within the castle were all well maintained, the path to the site itself is not suitable for wheelchairs, buggies, very small children or those with mobility issues, given the 200 odd steep steps. It’s almost as if the original builders did not anticipate Dunnottar’s later life as a tourist attraction.

A personal point of interest are the large stables within the castle grounds – I would have been very interested to see how the horses and ponies navigated the route up and down!

Dunnottar is a must-visit for anyone with an interest in Scotland’s castles. It’s the perfect mix of history, geography and stunning scenery, which the owners have capitalised upon as a well-run visitor attraction. If you have time, nip down to Stonehaven. We can recommend the Bay Fish and Chip Shop (award-winning!) and Aunty Betty’s (for ice creams as big as your head).