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endlessraritiesAfter a quick diversion to Ancient Greece, it's back to medieval Scotland.
Here's another castle to whet the appetites of Scot-oholics everywhere. It's an obscure one, and a bit off the beaten track, but it's a Guardianship site in the care of Historic Scotland which means it's open to the public.
This is a late example of castle-building, dating to 1532. It was built by James Hamilton of Finnart, an illegitimate son of the 1st Earl of Arran who became a great favourite of James V.
It's thought that Craignethan Castle has literary associations - it's believed to be the inspiration for the 'Tillietudlem Castle' which features on one of Walter Scott's Waverley Novels.
Once again, I've added a few views from MacGibbon & Ross's 1889 masterpiece of castle illustration and interpretation, Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland, just for atmosphere. They're a triumph of 19th century illustration.
But not even MacGibbon & Ross got this one completely right. Excavation of the west ditch in the 1960s revealed an extraordinary range of defences, including this caponier, complete with gunloops so the defenders could use handguns against attackers.
For further information and yet more photographs check out its Canmore entry at: http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/46563/details/craignethan+castle/ or if you want to go and discover it for yourself, visit the Historic Scotland website at: http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/places/propertyresults/propertyoverview.htm?PropID=PL_075&PropName=Craignethan Castle
It's a bit off the beaten track, lying roughly 5 miles WNW of Lanark and 8 miles SE of Hamilton. But it's well worth the visit and the wider landscape setting is stunning.
And finally, here's a nice stone beast located in the Outer Courtyard. No, it's not a Unicorn (I assumed when I first saw it that it was...). It is in fact an Antelope.
It's a bit off the beaten track, lying roughly 5 miles WNW of Lanark and 8 miles SE of Hamilton. But it's well worth the visit and the wider landscape setting is stunning.
And finally, here's a nice stone beast located in the Outer Courtyard. No, it's not a Unicorn (I assumed when I first saw it that it was...). It is in fact an Antelope.
The photographs are mine (and yes, since I'm now a committed blogger, I really should invest in a better camera!), but the line drawings are of course from MacGibbon and Ross and the information about the castle's history is drawn from Craignethan Castle: The Official Souvenir Guide, written by Iain MacIvor and published by Historic Scotland.
