Dunrobin Castle

Dunrobin Castle is an unusual beauty castle in the mountainous section of Scotland, which is the residence of the Sutherland clan. In its history, the castle has seen many intrigues and battles.

Castle History

At the beginning of the 13th century, these lands were bought by Lord Hugh Duffus. Around 1230, Sutherland County emerged, inherited. The first notes on the protective structure in this place date back to 1401. The original castle was square with walls almost 2 meters thick. It is believed that the castle of Dunrobin was named after the sixth Count of Sutherland. In the 15th century, Earl of Sutherland married his daughter Adam Gordon, in 1508 the count died, declaring his son the heir, but during the trial all the property passed to Adam Gordon. In 1518, while he was not in Dunrobin Castle, Alexander Sutherland ( the legal heir to the castle ) captured him. The Gordon quickly recaptured the castle, captivating Alexander, they beheaded him, and stuck his head in a spear and placed it on top of the castle tower. John Sutherland in 1550 tried to return the family estate, but he was killed in the castle garden. So the castle was entrenched in the Gordon clan. Later, the head of the Gordon clan will change his surname by becoming the 17th Earl of Sutherland.

In 1745, the Jacobite rebellion against England took place, and the Sutherland clan supported England. Soon, Dunrobin Castle was stormed by Jacobites, but the count managed to leave through the back door. In 1766, the castle was inherited by Elizabeth, who married politician George Leveson-Gower. As a result, George received the title of First Duke of Sutherland. In 1835-1850, a large-scale restructuring of the castle took place, during which it acquired its current appearance. The restructuring was led by Charles Barry, who was the architect of the Westminster Palace. At the end of construction, Dunrobin Castle turned from a majestic palace. The architecture of the castle and the adjacent garden clearly shows the inspiration of French architecture, in particular Versailles.

In 1870, a railway was brought to the castle to maintain the castle. During World War I, he was used as a military hospital, then there was a fire that destroyed most of the interior. In 1973, the castle was opened to the public, leaving part of the rooms for the Sutherland family. Dunrobin Castle has 189 rooms, the interior of which had to be restored after a fire. Inside is a museum, in the collection of which there are objects brought from abroad by family members: heads of animals brought from safari, household items from other continents, archaeological finds. The castle is open from April to October.