Day 15 - Of Castles and Coconuts

Day 15, July 18, 2013:

Each day the same, sunny and brilliant!  Today it was off to Doune Castle, only a few miles outside of Stirling and by our standards just around the corner.   This is a smallish castle, a single courtyard on a small hill with two small creeks along its flanks, it is an irregular pentagonal shape made of rust red sandstone and you can walk all around it in five minutes.  It is a medieval stronghold built back in thirteenth century, damaged badly in the Scottish wars of Independence and then rebuilt in its present form by Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany (1340-1420) the son of King Robert II of Scotland and the regent of Scotland until he died.  It stands out from other castles for two reasons:  It has survived relatively unchanged and complete since building (it is now maintained by Historic Scotland and restoration is ongoing), and it has been the site of much filming including Game of Thrones (it is Winterfell) and the classic parody of the Arthurian legend – Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  So of course I had to enter the keep trotting up the cobbles under the portcullis banging together a pair of coconuts!  - I have the evidence on film! 

The castle itself is small and compact being made up of a single courtyard with living quarters and the great hall built into the front side of the castle.  You can visit virtually all of the castle, from store rooms to royal chambers to the battlements and it is incredibly undisturbed and original.  The castle is a bit out of the way so it is not crowded and the four pound entrance fee also gets you the best audio guide I have had complete with pithy commentary and cut scenes from the filming of Monty Python.  Great fun, great value and coconuts, what more can you ask for from an historic site.

After the castle and a spot of lunch back at our cottage, as it was so sunny and actually hot, we put on our swim suits, grabbed our towels and off we went to the small village of Luss, for a swim in Loch Lomond.  Not surprisingly the little beach at Luss was crowded but a pleasant surprise was the water in the Loch was pleasant to swim in, warmer on the surface and cool below but fine for swimming.  We paddled around, admired the ducks and family of Swans (mother and eight cygnets) that were unconcerned we were there and looking for handouts then headed into Balloch for a brief shop and home.  A wonderful bbq and dinner outside overlooking the hills behind us with the three quarters full moon rising then watched Rob Roy (a good Scottish film about Clan honour with Liam Neeson) and passed out.  Tomorrow is our last day in the north and we are Glasgow bound.