We've been staying up on the West Coast of Scotland for Christmas. After way too much to eat we took a walk down to Dunstaffnage Castle on what was a beautiful day here in Scotland.
The castle is quite old, having been built in the 1200s, and sits on a seat of very old bedrock. The castle is mostly a ruin, but you can still go in and even get on top of the walls - although it was closed today.
It was quite a stunning day today, with mostly clear blue skies - although the wind coming of the sea was very cold. The Castle sits on a headland which juts into the Firth of Lorn.
This view looks over to Dunstaffnage Marina, then onto Connel and the mountains in the Background. Ben Cruachan is the highest - which we could see some patches of snow on. The cold wind was so biting today, that it was easy to think that more snow could be on the way.
Being winter, the low sun angle was casting long shadows from the trees. Here is another view of the castle showing its wider setting.
The picture above shows the remains of the old stable block with its main arch still intact. According to display signs, there were quite a few other buildings around the castle when in its prime, but this and a ruined old chapel are all that remain today.
Sailing is very popular on the West Coast of Scotland, with many people regularly sailing out to the many islands. From here, many are within easy reach including Mull, Lismore, Kerrera and the slate islands.
The Castle is operated by Historic Environment Scotland. The grounds are free to enter although there is a reasonable charge to enter the castle. Gaelic is spoken more in the West Coast than anywhere else in Scotland, and here you can see the sign is presented in both English and Gaelic (I dont speak it - it was not spoken in the area I am from).
I'm certainly glad we got out today, and I actually did this walk twice - before and after dinner - due to the amount I ate, I needed to make sure and get my steps in !!! Plus with it being such a beautiful day it was certainly worth the effort.
Above is one last shot of the Castle, with my own long shadow cast in the foreground. Such beautiful days make for memorable walks at this time of the year - even if you do have to wrap up warm to brave the elements.
Merry Christmas from the West Coast of Scotland.