Day 30 Castles abound.....

Tuesday 17/04/2018 Friokheim 12 Heather Bank Paul and Pauline Hartley

So today we go to stay with friends we meet a few years back in Bavaria and have kept in contact with ever since. Last time we came to the UK they made a special trip to Edinburgh to meet up with us, we had Vic, Bil, Chris and Geoff with us as well....

Last breaky here and yes they did help make the stay in this cold, cold place bearable.....
Off we set with the wind howling around us and the weather looking awful.. see how it pans out I guess......

Off to our first castle on the country roads...As we have been on many of the back roads we have spotted ruins of what looks like castles in many a paddock.... because we are usually on a mission to get somewhere and if we did pull up for everything we see we would get to our planned destination on time...

Tolquhon Castle was our first for the day... the gentleman on the door was so helpful joking with us as we emerged into the horrible wind that it through you as we wandered around....

Info on this unreal Castle, below!
Tolquhon Castle (pronounced: "toh-hon", and sometimes spelt 'Tolquhoun') is located in Aberdeenshire, north-east Scotland. It lies about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north-west of Pitmedden, and 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Tarves. The castle was built by William Forbes, 7th Laird of Tolquhon, between 1584 and 1589 as an extension to the earlier tower house known as Preston's Tower. Although ruined, the castle has been described as "the most characteristic château of the Scots Renaissance". It is in the care of Historic Scotland and is open to the public.

Preston's Tower was constructed in the early 15th century, either by Sir Henry Preston or by his son-in-law Sir William Forbes, who inherited part of the Preston lands in 1420, following Sir Henry's death. His descendant William Forbes, 7th Laird of Tolquhon (died 1596), began work on a new castle in 1584, retaining the Preston Tower but adding new, more comfortable accommodation. He also improved the gardens and parkland around the house. King James VI was entertained at Tolquhon in 1589.The new buildings were arranged around a courtyard, and included an elaborate gatehouse, and a first-floor gallery. An inscription on the gatehouse records that "AL THIS WARKE EXCEP THE AULD TOWR WAS BEGUN BE WILLIAM FORBES 15 APRIL 1584 AND ENDIT BE HIM 20 OCTOBER 1589". The home of a "Renaissance man", Tolquhon was designed for show rather than defence, and was the work of the mason-architect Thomas Leper or Leiper. Leper's distinctive triple shot-holes flank the main entrance, and are also found at nearby Arnage Castle and Dean Castle in Ayrshire. Also unusual is the stone tilework in the main hall. After William Forbes' death his descendants continued to occupy Tolquhon until 1718, when they were forced to move out due to debts incurred by the failure of the Darien scheme. The castle subsequently decayed and is now a ruin. It is in the guardianship of Historic Scotland and is open to the public. Tolquhon is also a scheduled monument.

Onto the next Castle this one to me looked more like a stately home... than a Castle....

Info on this Castle....
Crathes Castle (pronounced Crath-es) is a 16th-century castle near Banchory in the Aberdeenshire region of Scotland. This harled castle was built by the Burnetts of Leys and was held in that family for almost 400 years. The castle and grounds are owned and managed by the National Trust for Scotland and are open to the public. Crathes sits on land given as a gift to the Burnett of Leys family by King Robert the Bruce in 1323.[1]
In the 14th and 15th century the Burnett of Leys built a fortress of timbers on an island they made in the middle of a nearby bog. This method of fortification, known as a crannog, was common in the Late Middle Ages. Construction of the current tower house of Crathes Castle was begun in 1553 but delayed several times during its construction due to political problems during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots. It was completed in 1596 by Alexander Burnett of Leys, and an additional wing added in the 18th century. Alexander Burnett, who completed the construction of Crathes, began a new project, the early 17th-century reconstruction of nearby Muchalls Castle. That endeavour was completed by his son, Sir Thomas Burnett. Crathes Castle served as the ancestral seat of the Burnetts of Leys until given to the National Trust for Scotland by the 13th Baronet of Leys, Sir James Burnett in 1951. A fire damaged portions of the castle (in particular the Queen Anne wing) in 1966. Another historically important structure in this region linked to the Burnett of Leys family is Monboddo House.

Onto our next stop was Drum Castle again stately

Drum Castle is a castle near Drumoak in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. For centuries it was the seat of the chief of Clan Irvine. The place-name Drum is derived from Gaelic druim, 'ridge'.
The original 13th-century tower of Drum Castle has been suggested as the work of medieval architect Richard Cementarius, who built the Bridge of Don in Old Aberdeen. It is believed to be one of the three oldest tower houses in Scotland (and notably unaltered). A large wing was added in 1619 by the 9th laird, and further alterations were made during the Victorian era.

Dunnottar Castle (Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Fhoithear, "fort on the shelving slope") is a ruined medieval fortress located upon a rocky headland on the north-east coast of Scotland, about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of Stonehaven. The surviving buildings are largely of the 15th and 16th centuries, but the site is believed to have been fortified in the Early Middle Ages. Dunnottar has played a prominent role in the history of Scotland through to the 18th-century Jacobite risings because of its strategic location and defensive strength. Dunnottar is best known as the place where the Honours of Scotland, the Scottish crown jewels, were hidden from Oliver Cromwell's invading army in the 17th century. The property of the Keiths from the 14th century, and the seat of the Earl Marischal, Dunnottar declined after the last Earl forfeited his titles by taking part in the Jacobite rebellion of 1715. The castle was restored in the 20th century and is now open to the public.
The ruins of the castle are spread over 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres), surrounded by steep cliffs that drop to the North Sea, 50 metres (160 ft) below. A narrow strip of land joins the headland to the mainland, along which a steep path leads up to the gatehouse. The various buildings within the castle include the 14th-century tower house as well as the 16th-century palace.

As we headed to Friokhiem, we cam across a massive Rail line with a lot of arches but as we were again on a mission I get the fly by shooting never dies justice to any of the wonderful sights..plus the other wonderful sight was a res of Daffodils growing in paddocks as we speed along, again this just doesn’t do justice to the pics and i can’t continually as John to pull up as he is so generous taking me to stops as it is.... truly there is just sso much to see so much to stop at most costing money, but also time... If you had a lifetime to just continually look I still don’t think you could do it all.....

We are tired now, and taking in so many sights does make you very tired.... the brain and body can only take so much!

We finally get to Friokhiem and it is a Village Paul says a 1,000 live here... They live in a new estate in from the outside a cream small bungalow, but from the inside it really is very big and just beautiful, very new and surprisingly very spacious...

We meet Paul and Pauline as I mentioned above, in Bavaria 4 years or so ago and just hit it off with them from word go....we have been in contact ever since... Paul is English and Pauline is Maltese they meet while he was stationed with the Marines many years ago.... Pauline is a full on amazing lady who keeps us entertained the whole time, it so lovely to just sit and have a conversation with people you feel comfortable with.....

Lots of talk, lots of wine and beer and late to bed...
Another great day....Read more