Dunrobin Castle and last day in Scotland.

 

Thursday June 15, 6th and last full day in Scotland.  

We wanted to go to a local castle that was about 20 minutes away, called Dunrobin Castle - home to the Duke of Sutherland. We didn’t really plan our transportation out well, so when we finally got a taxi - thanks to Christine- we headed to the castle at 11:00.   The driver picked us up at 3:00pm and very nicely brought us home along the sea so we could try to see seals.  There were dozens on a far shore and only one close enough to take a sort of picture-so I did (of course). 

The origins of the castle lies in the Middle Ages, but the majority of the current building and gardens were built between 1835 and 1850. After expansions and alterations it became the largest house in the north of Scotland.  The original castle (that is still visible in the interior courtyard), may have been built on the site of an early medieval fort, but the oldest surviving portion, with an iron yett, is first mentioned in 1401.  The earliest castle was a square keep with walls over six feet thick. Unusually, the ceilings of each floor were formed by stone vaults rather than being timber.  We enjoyed looking around it. 

We got there in time for a falcon demonstration. The first wasn’t a falcon, it was a hawk from the Arizona dessert called a Harris’s Hawk.  It is gregarious and hunt in packs for small game and it is domestically bred for hunting in UK.  Then he showed us a Gyr falcon which only hunts other birds.  The castle also has peregrine falcons, owls and a few other hawks, that they train.  

They had a wonderful garden to wander in and a very good old fashioned museum with many things including Celtic and Pictish artifacts, hundreds of taxidermy birds and animals, fossils and really anything you can think of nature wise that a super rich person could collect.  

We finished our last night in Scotland at a unique restaurant called “The Oyster Catcher” in a tiny town by the sea.  They only seat one table at a time and everything is cooked right when you order it.  In between they give you small samplers of things such as a Bloody Mary oyster shot, venison pâté, mini soups and smoked salmon spread served beside olives and bread.   Then after a palate cleanser of watermelon/rose/gin icee, we had our main meals of whole lobster and shellfish thermidor.  After getting over that they only seat one table at a time and we were by ourselves, we thoroughly enjoyed this “private table” experience.  

Tomorrow is a travel day.  We are leaving Scotland and heading to Edam Netherlands to visit Gaia! (Christine’s new grand baby). Oh and of course her daughter Kelly and partner Guido!   This really is the last of our exploration days, we are switching to grandma and great aunt mode for the next 4 days! 

We will miss Scotland.

Mary 

Dunrobin castle and the crowd waiting for the falcon demonstration.  

Harris Hawk at Falcon demonstration at Dunrobin Castle.

The hawk is covering it’s prey with it’s wing, this is called mantling.  

The picture top and bottom are a Gyr Falcon.  The falconer let him fly around and told us how the falcon catches it’s prey in mid air.  There are utube videos of this, but I assume that it is not for the faint of heart. 

The pictures top and bottom are Pict Stones found on the property from the 5th to 8th century AD.  They don’t know what they were used for.  I like to think the scary guy in the top stone was to scare people away.  What do you think the below stone with the guy with the dog and fish were used for?  

I was trying to get a picture of the guy in a kilt, but it never worked.  I was bummed, I never saw a bagpiper the whole time I was in Scotland. 

The picture above with Christine looking very interested and the four below are from inside the castle. 

Yep….typical tourist…checking their phone rather than looking at the beautiful sights. 

Parts of the garden at Dunrobin Castle were very lovely!  And you get yet another selfie with Christine and me.  

Last look at the castle. 

Yes, that blob that looks like a sheep in the middle of the picture is a seal. On the far shore there were many of them and where we stopped for 3 seconds (we were in a taxi), there were several people with high powered cameras to see them better.  I’m glad that I got to see the blob! 

Dinner spot.  The couple that owns it are try to retire and sell it, so if you want a unique and incredible eating experience, you will have to try to go this summer. 

This is an ice cube with a Bloody Mary base, the vodka is in the tube at the back and there is a large oyster it.  This “appetizer “ was just an extra they offered while they cooked your dinner. 

Dinner time!