Some places evoke a feeling way beyond its mere four walls; cosy cottages, grand Georgian estates or, perhaps most evocative of all, fairytale castles. As the birthplace of the archetypal fairytale castle, it is no surprise Europe is bursting with the kind of enchanting turrets and towers that put Disney to shame. One place that exemplifies the aesthetic is Dunrobin Castle in the Highlands of Scotland:
Situated at the top of Scotland on the east coast of the Highlands, Dunrobin Castle and Park sits on a hill overlooking the Moray Firth and the rugged North Sea beyond. Dating back to the 13th century, Dunrobin has been home to the ancient Earldom of Sutherland since 1235, when the ancient fort that stood on the grounds was named Dun Robin. Since then, the estate has been added to, altered and renovated, ultimately resulting in today’s stunning chateau designed in part by Sir Charles Barry, architect of the Houses of Parliament. A fire gutted the house in 1915 and was renovated and redesigned by Scottish architect, Sir Robert Lorimer.
Today’s inhabitants form part of the 700 years of history in this house, with the castle’s current owner, 25th Earl of Sutherland, welcoming visitors to tour the home and garden. The official website describes the property as:
‘Dunrobin Castle is the most northerly of Scotland’s great houses and the largest in the Northern Highlands with 189 rooms. Dunrobin Castle is also one of Britain’s oldest continuously inhabited houses dating back to the early 1300s, home to the Earls and later, the Dukes of Sutherland.’
As well as the breath-taking wedding cake-style exteriors, the interiors of the castle are just as stunning, with large cathedral-height ceilings in the stone entrance hall, beautiful, wood-panelled rooms with intricate ceiling plasterwork, friezes, deep window seats, sweeping staircases, gothic-inspired arched corridors, vaulted ceilings and marble floors, as well as antiques, tapestries and paintings by renown artists such as Chippendale, Canaletto and Laszlo, all of which can only be fully appreciated in person.
The 1,379 acres-worth of landscapes can be visited in sun and snow, while the property also features a tea room, shop and museum, which features relics, artefacts and other objects collected by the Sutherlands over the years, all housed within a former-summer house in a Victorian-early 20th century arrangement. Find out more about the castle and how you can plan a visit, by browsing their website here
View similar properties open to the public in previous posts such as Tintinhull Manor or Buckingham Palace, or see more historical buildings by browsing the ‘historical homes‘ category.
feature image © Copyright David Dixon (cc by-sa 2.0)