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prunesquallormdFar too exhausted to write anything much but a few weeks ago I went with alobear and cholten99 to Scotland for the weekend. We stayed in Rosslyn Castle, a just a stone's throw away from Rosslyn Chapel (and built by the same family, at roughly the same time - 1400-ish). The castle proper was badly damaged by Cromwell in about 1650 and shortly afterwards a lovely little 2 storey stone house was built in its places. It's an extraordinary building, like nothing I've ever seen: built on a rocky outcrop reached by a stone bridge, about 60 or 70 feet above the river valley below, and providing direct access from a stairway within the house, to the three remaining levels of the castle (uninhabitable but completely intact). The current Earl of Rosslyn and his family don't live there (it's too cold apparently, and I can see why: we were there on a gloriously warm early September weekend and the inside of the house was by no means toasty. In the middle of winter it must be bleak as anything) so they rent it out all year to cover the cost of upkeep, which must be eyewatering.
I took loads of pictures and I'm struggling to upload them all, so here's a few as a taster. A weekend wasn't enough to truly appreciate it but it was certainly a wonderful experience.
Looking down into the river valley below the house.
And the bridge leading to away across to the house.
And there it is standing among the ruins. For a 400 year old ancestral pile built on top of a major baronial castle it really is very cute.
On one side of the house you have a pretty little lawn with bunnies. On the other you have a sheer 60 drop into the valley below. I mean, literally one whole side of the house is a single wall all the way down, with 2 levels of glazed windows above and 3 storeys of barred castle windows below. I didn't get the chance to see it from the valley but it must look stunning.
Cromwell really did a number on the original building. There's not too much left above ground.
The entryway and front door. It's surprisingly, and welcomingly, un-grand.
Likewise the main staircase. They built it to be homely rather than imposing, I think.
And a view from the non-valley side.
More of the ruins, with modern work to slow the final crumbling into nothing.
Over the wall it's 60 or 70 feet straight down.
And those windows look out over the abyss.
This picture in the dining room gives a fair idea of how it looks from below.
I have no idea who this jolly chap is. One of the old earls perhaps?
There's more to come in part 2(including a journey into the depths of the castle proper). Meanwhile, here's more about the castle.
Have a lovely weekend!
alobear and cholten99 to Scotland for the weekend. We stayed in Rosslyn Castle, a just a stone's throw away from Rosslyn Chapel (and built by the same family, at roughly the same time - 1400-ish). The castle proper was badly damaged by Cromwell in about 1650 and shortly afterwards a lovely little 2 storey stone house was built in its places. It's an extraordinary building, like nothing I've ever seen: built on a rocky outcrop reached by a stone bridge, about 60 or 70 feet above the river valley below, and providing direct access from a stairway within the house, to the three remaining levels of the castle (uninhabitable but completely intact). The current Earl of Rosslyn and his family don't live there (it's too cold apparently, and I can see why: we were there on a gloriously warm early September weekend and the inside of the house was by no means toasty. In the middle of winter it must be bleak as anything) so they rent it out all year to cover the cost of upkeep, which must be eyewatering. I took loads of pictures and I'm struggling to upload them all, so here's a few as a taster. A weekend wasn't enough to truly appreciate it but it was certainly a wonderful experience.
Looking down into the river valley below the house.
And the bridge leading to away across to the house.
And there it is standing among the ruins. For a 400 year old ancestral pile built on top of a major baronial castle it really is very cute.
On one side of the house you have a pretty little lawn with bunnies. On the other you have a sheer 60 drop into the valley below. I mean, literally one whole side of the house is a single wall all the way down, with 2 levels of glazed windows above and 3 storeys of barred castle windows below. I didn't get the chance to see it from the valley but it must look stunning.
Cromwell really did a number on the original building. There's not too much left above ground.
The entryway and front door. It's surprisingly, and welcomingly, un-grand.
Likewise the main staircase. They built it to be homely rather than imposing, I think.
And a view from the non-valley side.
More of the ruins, with modern work to slow the final crumbling into nothing.
Over the wall it's 60 or 70 feet straight down.
And those windows look out over the abyss.
This picture in the dining room gives a fair idea of how it looks from below.
I have no idea who this jolly chap is. One of the old earls perhaps?
There's more to come in part 2(including a journey into the depths of the castle proper). Meanwhile, here's more about the castle.
Have a lovely weekend!
