Final Up to date on eighth October 2024 by Sophie Nadeau
This put up could include affiliate hyperlinks. Please try my privateness coverage and disclosure for extra info.
Dunrobin Fortress is the biggest and most northern of Scotland’s nice homes, discovered within the northern Highlands. This huge French château-inspired fortress has a protracted and storied historical past that spans over 800 years. Regardless of its magnificence and appeal, the location can be recognized to be one of many harshest episodes of clearance in Scotland. Right here’s you information on the way to go to Dunrobin Fortress, typically hailed as “a jewel of The Highlands”.
The place is Dunrobin Fortress?
Dunrobin Fortress is located within the northern Highlands and sits barely to the north of Golspie, a quaint village in Scotland. It’s the most northerly of Scotland’s nice homes and the biggest fortress within the northern Highlands, boasting 189 rooms.
A short historical past
The 800 years of Dunrobin Fortress’s historical past could be traced again to 1211 when the lands of Sutherland had been acquired by Hugh, Lord of Duffus, the grandson of a Flemish nobleman. In 1235, the Earldom of Sutherland was created for Hugh’s son William.
The Earldom of Sutherland is likely one of the seven historic earldoms of Scotland and the Sutherlands had been thought-about to be at one time, some of the highly effective households in all of Britain.
The primary point out of Dunrobin Fortress’s earliest elements being constructed is in 1401, although it’s believed to have been constructed on the location of a former medieval fort. The title ‘Dun’ means fort or fortress in Gaelic, and the location was based by Earl Robin in 1275. Subsequently, it interprets as Robin’s fort.
The fortress was constructed and fortified and stood overlooking the Moray Firth from its strategic place up on the cliff aspect. Over the subsequent few centuries, the fortress noticed loads of scheming, capturing, recapturing, and killing. Nonetheless, the seventeenth century was a bit extra peaceable.
Through the Jacobite Rising of 1745, the fortress was stormed with out warning, as a result of the Sutherlands supported the British Authorities. The seventeenth Earl of Sutherland narrowly escaped and headed off to hitch the opposition, the Duke of Cumberland’s military.
The next yr on the sixteenth of April 1746, the Culloden Battle, which ended the Jacobites, would happen 50 miles west from Dunrobin Fortress.
Though its origins lie within the Center Ages, many of the constructing seen in the present day was rebuilt or added over time. Between 1835 to 1837 the Duchess of Sutherland proposed a significant restoration and growth of the fortress.
It’s value noting that Dunrobin Fortress performed an enormous function within the Highland Clearances within the early nineteenth century. The Duke and Duchess of Sutherland had been accountable for clearing and forcing a whole lot of tenants from their properties as they discovered the land to be extra worthwhile for grazing sheep than farming. This had a major impression on the Highlands and provoked a large inhabitants shift.
One other large renovation undertaking was made by Sir Charles Barry, an architect who primarily remodelled the fortress in 1845, his work was impressed by different influences from all through Europe together with French and Italianate structure.
One thing that units Dunrobin Fortress apart from others in Scotland is its very apparent French château affect, with conical spires reaching into the sky and superbly landscaped gardens primarily based on these discovered within the grounds of the Palace of Versailles.
Dunrobin Fortress was used as a navel hospital through the First World Warfare, and in 1915, a lot of Barry’s inside design was destroyed by fireplace and needed to be repaired. Except for this transient use, up till 1963, the Sutherlands used the fortress as a summer season residence/ Highland retreat- that is evidenced by means of the quantity of looking memorabilia foudn all through.
The fortress served to accommodate round 30 individuals, and they might have round 70 members of workers to take care of them and the grounds…oh, to be wealthy!
From 1965 the fortress was remodeled right into a boys’ boarding faculty and would stay as one for the subsequent 7 years.
In 1973 the home was opened as much as the general public. Nonetheless, to this very day, the twenty fifth Earl of Sutherland and his household nonetheless reside right here and name the fortress house, making Dunrobin Fortress one in every of Britain’s most repeatedly lived-in nice homes.
In fact, that is only a very transient and easy summarization of over 800 years of historical past; I suppose one of the best ways to really be taught and expertise the fortress for your self is to go to!
go to
Dunrobin Fortress is 50 miles north of Inverness, and it’s potential to get both the line X99 bus, taking 1.5 hours or to drive from town centre, which takes simply over 1 hour. When you arrive, there’s ample parking.
Open hours: March, April & October 10:30 am – 4:30 pm day by day & Might, June, July, August & September 10 am – 5 pm
You’ll ideally wish to put aside a minimum of 2-3 hours to discover Dunrobin Fortress, so be beneficiant along with your timing when planning your go to.
Buy your ticket on the fortress entrance (please observe, that it’s solely potential to purchase a ticket for Dunrobin Fortress on-site, you can not buy a ticket on-line).
When you’ve entered, you’ll be able to take pleasure in exploring the grounds of this magnificent historic sight. Audio guides can be found for self-guided excursions with info boards all through, nonetheless, there are not any guided excursions, however the workers dotted round are there to assist with any questions you will have.
Highlights
Museum
Though Dunrobin Fortress was handled as a summer season Highland retreat, in 1762 William the sixteenth Earl of Sutherland, determined to construct a small summer season home within the fortress grounds. This small constructing has since been remodeled right into a museum.
The museum sits throughout the gardens and could be entered by means of its arched doorway. It needs to be stated that this isn’t a spot for the faint-hearted or those that are repulsed by taxidermy. Nearly each nook the attention can see is stuffed with ‘looking trophies’, numerous heads of animals caught for ‘enjoyable’.
Throughout the museum, you may as well see some essential historic stones in addition to different artefacts which were collected by the Sutherland household all through time.
Dunrobin Fortress Library
Essentially the most enchanting room of Dunrobin Fortress needs to be its stunning library, which is stuffed with some 10,000 books or so, most of which date again to the early 18th and nineteenth centuries.
The sycamore-panelled library was designed by Sir Robert Lorimer, a famous Scottish architect, who made adjustments and repairs to the fortress following the devastating fireplace from the battle in 1915.
Drawing Room
That is the biggest room of the constructing and was initially two rooms till it was made into one after the damages suffered through the battle.
This formal (and actually attractive) house overlooks the landscaped gardens and sea within the distance and is stuffed with stunning tapestries, statues and work. Once more, it was created by Lorimer through the castles’ restoration.
Eating Room
The elegant and embellished eating room of Dunrobin Fortress is about out as if ready for a celebration to reach for dinner. The eating desk is laid out with household silver and may seat round 24 individuals. On the partitions of the room are grand oil portray portraits of the first Duke of Sutherland and his household.
Kids’s Quarters
The Kids’s Quarters are a number of rooms the place you’ll be able to see classic toys out on show, an outdated rocking horse, an enormous mannequin boat, and so forth. There are additionally the rooms during which the youngsters would have slept with their nanny.
The Haunted Room
Dunrobin Fortress has seen bloodshed all through the centuries, however one explicit ghost which is alleged to nonetheless be heard in the present day resides within the Seamstress’ Room. Right here, you’ll be able to spy out varied coronation robes. Nonetheless, the primary factor is to maintain an ear out for the little woman nonetheless crying.
Through the fifteenth century, the Earl of Sutherland is alleged to have attacked the Mackay clan and captured a lovely younger noble Mackay, of which he needed to make his spouse. After refusing to marry him, the Earl of Sutherland locked her away within the Seamstress’ Room.
When he went to examine on her later, she was making an attempt to flee by way of a rope of sheets. The Earl lower the rope along with his sword, and the younger Mackay lass fell to her demise.
Gardens
As talked about, Sir Charles Barry took inspiration from that of the French Palace of Versailles when it got here to landscaping the attractive gardens of Dunrobin Fortress. Not solely do they boast the most effective views of the fortress itself, however the serenity they convey is solely breathtaking.
Little has modified within the 150 years since they had been designed and laid out, with the views overlooking the ocean, the gardens can actually transport you to a different place which feels distant from that of the north of Scotland. The very best time to go to is throughout summer season when the flowers are in full bloom.
Falconry show
Whereas exploring this fairytale fortress, some of the enchanting issues to do is watch a spectacular present of the native birds of prey because the resident falconer takes you thru a formidable aerobatic shows (carried out by the birds in fact) and talks concerning the varied strategies of how they hunt.
Falconry shows are held every day at 11:30 am & 2:30 pm from twenty ninth March till the thirty first October.
Tea rooms & reward store
You possibly can cease on the tea rooms and revel in a scrumptious gentle Scottish lunch or selfmade cake with a cup of tea; that is one of the best ways to really feel like the Aristocracy in such a grand place! Earlier than you permit Dunrobin Fortress, head to the reward store and choose up a memento to recollect your go to by.
Loved studying about the way to go to Dunrobin Fortress? Pin this text now, and skim it once more later: