the seasoned traveler with george bauer

Program 209:

Scottish Castles

From Northern England, I drive next to Southern Scotland for a trip back in time, to visit places fit for royals but some of them offer commoners a chance to live like a lord. I'm stopping at some Scottish castles and there are plenty to choose from: 76. When you lump together Scotland's castles, palaces, towers, and stately homes you'll find 250 magnificent edifices. Not bad for a small land of lochs and just five million souls.


Traquair on the River Tweed...

I begin my castle-trek along the River Tweed, at Traquair, which records show is the oldest continuously-inhabited house in Scotland. It has been standing proudly for some 900 years. Given its notoriety, 27 Scottish and English monarchs have paid a call over the centuries. After all, it was originally a castle occupied by Scottish royals. The estate later came under the control of the Earls of Traquair and it is still inhabited by their descendants, the Maxwell Stuart family. The current occupant is Catherine Maxwell Stuart, 21st Laird of Traquair, who showed me around the house and described its long, rich lore.

Traquair House began as a fortified tower, then it evolved into a stout-walled 17 th Century Mansion. The rooms are small. For example, the King's Room is impressive but tiny by royal standards. I liked the powder closet for His Majesty's wigs. Mary Queen of Scots lived here for a time and placed her baby in this room's cradle. That infant was James the Sixth of Scotland, who later became James the First of England, the first monarch to unite England and Scotland.

The Drawing Room is one of the most impressive in the house, with painted beams, a notable Scottish decorating tradition. On the top floor is the Priest's Room, complete with a secret stairway out of the mansion. Whenever anti-Catholics came in search of Scottish Catholics, there was an escape route. There's a wing off to the side of the house, which holds the main dining room and a pleasant sitting room adjacent to it.

Traquair is home to one of the oldest breweries in Scotland. It operated for centuries, fell into disrepair, and was rehabilitated in 1965. Traquair produces half a dozen "brews" for public consumption.

And here's one of the best parts of the place. You can pretend you belong here because Traquair has three suites that you can reserve to celebrate special events in this most-upscale B&B. Outside your room, 6,000 acres of land to roam, as you dream of what life is like for the landed gentry.


Stirling Castle perched ...

From the Southeast, I travel next to Central Scotland to what most people say is the grandest of the grand castles, Stirling. It was the royal residence of James IV, Mary Queen of Scots, and James VI. The castle sits atop a craggy cliff, protecting its occupants from marauders. Once inside, it is apparent immediately that everything about Stirling is BIG. The Grand Hall is larger than the entire homes of common folk. The Chapel seems as big as a local church, the restored kitchen is monstrous, and even the Queen's ante-chamber and Presence Room seem huge. If you visit Stirling Castle, be sure to look for the tapestries in the Queen's Presence Room. Seven will grace the walls, all related to the famous fable of the unicorn. They will be exact duplications of the originals, housed at The Cloisters, part of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. And they are all being hand-crafted in the castle's tapestry studio. Dedicated staffers will spend a total of ten years creating the masterpieces, thread-by-thread-by-thread.

Stirling is a must-stop for serious castle-crawlers. And while I was in the neighborhood, I drove up the road to Doune, to visit Doune Castle, a 14 th Century enclosed two-tower fortress which is now a hulking stone shell. One of the reasons I went was because it was pointed out that Doune has a more-recent history. It was the castle highlighted in the 1974 motion picture Monty Python and the Holy Grail . Even today it makes history because as I stopped by, the place was crawling with guests, who had flocked here for a wedding.

After Doune and Stirling, I couldn't wait to get to Ayr in the Southwestern corner of Scotland, 40 miles south of Glasgow. Ayr is a fine resort town on the coast, with substantial homes and some haute hotels. But my destination was south of Ayr, to one of the most interesting castles I've seen.

Like Stirling, Culzean Castle sits at the edge of a cliff. Unlike Stirling, this posh house has a commanding view of the North Channel which leads to the Atlantic Ocean. The Scottish island of Arran can be seen in the distance.


Culzean restored and majestic ...

And what an amazing place it is. Culzean (pronounced Cul-ANE) began as a bachelor pad. From 1777 to 1792 famed British architect Robert Adam converted the old fortified tower into what many call the finest Georgian castle in Scotland. He was working for David Kennedy, the 10th Earl of Cassillis and no relation to the Kennedys of the United States of America. The architect's genius can be seen throughout the stately home. The Armoury is home to the most significant collection of military arms in existence and the second largest in size after that of Windsor Castle in England. All the weapons in the room have actually been used by British military regiments. The Library and Dining Room are both appealing and they lead to the dramatic oval Grand Stairway, of which Adam was so proud, but which he never saw completed because he died before it was finished. At the top of the Stairway, the Circular Saloon, a magnificent room with a sweeping view out over the water from the many windows. Even the doors of this round drawing room are round.

On the very top floor of Culzean there are several bedrooms, a large sitting room, kitchen and dining room. The Scottish Kennedy family donated the castle to the National Trust for Scotland in 1945 but it requested that the top floor be made available as a thank-you gift to General Dwight Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander in Europe during World War II. The General and 34th American president accepted the offer and he visited Culzean several times, the longest sojourn was during his retirement.

Now, you can visit the Eisenhower apartment, or you can stay in it. Culzean, like Traquair, rents out six bedrooms to guests. They are beauties. In addition to the room in which to lay your head, you'll have the services of a staff which will serve you afternoon tea, cocktails, dinner, and breakfast the next morning. The castle grounds are spectacular too, with gardens around the building, an aviary, deer park, and an extensive trail system through the woods. I loved Culzean Castle and I'm sure you will too.


Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh

Some of the other palatial places you might want to visit in Scotland include Balmoral Castle in the north, where the reigning royal family spends its summer vacation; Eilean Donan in the northwest, which many consider the most beautiful castle, or at least the one in the most beautiful setting; Glamis Castle, up north, which was the childhood home of the late Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother; the Palace of the Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh is the official residence of the reigning British monarch while visiting Scotland; one of Scotland's best-known big houses is Edinburgh Castle, atop solid volcanic rock. It's the centerpiece of the city's renowned summer festival and it's a special spot to ring in the New Year, when Scotland celebrates hogmanay.

As I noted earlier, there are 76 castles in this castle-studded land but there are 100 whisky distilleries across Scotland. Scotch is a leading export product and there are some marvelous single malts being brewed. Try some and buy some.