Keep Your Powder Dry

The final instalment of the ECWtravelogue's summer expedition to Scotland. This time the focus is on the Highlands and Islands. Lochaber axes, West Highland Museum, Fort William Mingary Castle seen from the Oban-Castlebay ferry through a very long lens C13tth/C14th Mingary Castle was garrisoned by the Covenanters. It fell to the Irish Brigade in 1644. The Castle fell into disrepair and had been abandoned for many years before being renovated in 2013-6. The Castle is now a boutique hotel. Inverlochy Memorial The  second  Battle of Inverlochy was fought on the outskirts of modern Fort William. Montrose defeated and almost completely destroyed the forces of Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll, who had been camped near the walls of Old Inverlochy Castle . A memorial is located on North Road, opposite the car park for Aldi/M&S Foodhall. A stile located  near the bus stop (located towards the roundabout) leads to a short, steep path up to the memorial. Old Inverloc...

After a brief sojourn in the Marches, it's back to Scotland for the  ECWtravelogue. Today's post looks at Central Scotland, and the (alleged) jewel in the crown of Scottish Castles - Stirling. Stirling Castle, from the Rose Garden The Royal palace of Stirling Castle , had fallen into "ruin and decay"  when Anne of Denmark chose to travel to Stirling for the birth of her first child in December 1593. Prompting James VI (later James VI/I)to order repairs on the palace.  in your face Wallace Memorial! The Royal Family would spend time here until the Union of the Crowns of 1603, when his father succeeded as King of England and the family left for London. the C astle's gatehouse battle scars formal gardens laid out for Charles & Henrietta Maria, the central 'earthwork' is the King's Knot Now effectively redundant, the Palace became a prison for persons of note. Restoration work continued, and preparation were made for the visit of Charles I, who stayed ...

Yet another major update for the Shropshire entry (makes a change from all the Scottish travelogue entries of late). Shropshire was, pretty much, a hot bed of Royalist support. The ECW travelogue takes in not just those sites associated with the fighting of the Wars, but also the many places that claim to have helped save the life of the future Charles II. And, of course, an infamous oak tree. I’ve wanted to visit Stokesay Castle ever since I discovered that it was in fact a real castle and not somewhere made up (I grew up on an estate where all the road names were named after castles, guess which castle my road was named after). The gatehouse at Stokesay has to be up in the premier league of timber framed buildings Cared for by English Heritage, Stokesay Castle is "one of the best-preserved medieval fortified manor houses in England" (English Heritage castle expert Dr Henry Summerson - makes a change from the traditional quote from Pevsner). A seemingly eclectic building pr...