(Barcaldine Castle is an enchanting Bed & Breakfast today.)
Words & Photos by Jeff Maisey
We began Day 2 of our West Highland Way trek with sore muscles, dried mud on our boots, and an optimistic sense of adventure with nine miles of what would be very stony terrain ahead on our hike from Kinlochleven to Kingshouse in the heart of the Scottish Highlands.
The morning weather forecast posted on the wall of the dining room in our hotel where breakfast was served called for mostly cloudy conditions with periods of rain and a high temp in the mid-50s.
Clad in durable multi-pocketed hiking shorts, fleece pullover jackets, and backpacks strapped on, Dave, Hal, and I made our ascent from the village at the end of the waterway with mountains on three sides cascading down to sea level.
About 20 minutes into our elevated walk, we paused to look back down at the buildings and Loch Leven. From the westward direction down the loch a ominous dark wall of cloud appeared to rapidly funnel through as a roaring sound of wind grew louder as it approached.
In the time it took us to drop our backpacks, don our rain gear over our clothing, the storm arrived with a blast of horizontal, cold, pelting rain, and wind forcing us to huddle together in a circle, each on one knee, as we rode out the initial impact exposed to the elements.
The three of us embraced the dramatic moment with a feeling of exhilaration — THIS was essential Scotland as we imagined.
With weather conditions vastly improving after the storm-front passed, we continued our upward path over wet, rocky surfaces and were treated to a double-rainbow view in the valley below.
As we meandered down the tight switchbacks of the Devil’s Staircase in Glen Coe the rugged Buachaille Etive Mor — the dramatic mountain at the head of Glen Etive — appeared in the near distance as we made our way to Kingshouse, an isolated hotel in the wilderness build originally under orders from King George III (yes, the same King George American revolutionaries battled for independence) as England’s northern most outpost to house troops to put-down Scottish rebellions.
This adventure was nearly 20 years ago…
(Fabulous hiking in Scotland’s Glen Coe region near Kingshouse)
While my first 10 or so trips to Europe were focused on the United Kingdom, much of the past decade I have leaned more towards travels to France, Belgium, The Netherlands, and Iceland.
Earlier this year, Lynn — my significant other — expressed an interest in visiting Scotland.
Having listened to my West Highland Way stories, she was intrigued to see for herself the splendors of the mythical land of Rob Roy, William Wallace, Bonnie Prince Charlie, and Mary Queen of Scots.
Knowing Lynn, carrying your entire wardrobe on your back and marching a full week up and down mountains in whatever weather comes your way in a mystical, enchanting setting may seem romantic on some level, but certainly not in the cards for the two of us at this stage.
To get a sense of what she most wanted to experience in Scotland, I asked what’s #1 on your list?
In less than two seconds one word was spoken — castles.
And so we plotted a course.
If you want to experience a castle, why not stay in a castle?
We hit the ground running — or should I say driving — after our direct flight from Dulles to Edinburgh arrived on-time, breezing through passport control, and on the road towards our destination — Barcaldine Castle.
We took the M9 route just passed Stirling to connect with A84 to Doune, a charming little town that’s home to Doune Castle. Knowing we would end of trip in Edinburgh with a tour of its castle on the hill, I elected to skip the less interesting Stirling Castle for this time.
For comedic film buffs, the Medieval castle is a must-visit since may scenes from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” were shot. These include the opening scene where King Arthur and Patsy argue with soldiers, the Trojan Rabbit scene, the Knights of the Round Table song and dance routine, and others. You can easily envision Terry Gilliam, John Cleese, Eric Idol, and the gang traipsing around the castle.
Doune Castle, built in the late 1300s, makes for a fun, hour-long visit. The self-guided tour walks you through the Great Hall, kitchen, bedrooms, guard rooms, and courtyard with several stairwells.
From Doune, we drove north on the A85 with a stop at Loch Awe for a blissfully scenic look at the ruins of Kilchurn Castle on the connecting A819 road. For photographers this is the best view with a mountain in the background, the reflective water in the foreground, and what remains of the mid-15th century home of the Cambells of Glenorchy.
As from the scenic view, you can approach the castle from it’s front after a five minute walk through a field of grazing longhaired Highland cows — pronounced coooos. A chainlink fence prevents visitors from entering the fortress, while signs warn of falling stones. The castle has remained in ruins since 1770.
One of the things that struck me as sad on this roadtrip was the disappearance of pubs in small roadside communities like Tyndrum and Callander.
Since my first visit to Scotland in 1990, I have witnessed a steady decline as local Scots purchase cans of beer in the market and stay home to watch the Rangers and Celtic football match on television or movies beamed in via satellite television or over the internet. Scotland, like its English, Welsh, and Irish neighbors, has tough “drink-driving” laws where even consuming one pint of 4% ABV beer might land you in jail or with a stiff penalty.
(Our room at Barcaldine Castle featuring an ornate, oak bed commissioned by Andrew Carnegie in 1898)
By mid afternoon on our first day — from the A828 — we turned onto a single track road barely wide enough for our mid-size SUV rental and we arrived at Barcaldine Castle for our 3 PM check-in.
Known as “The Black Castle,” the ancient structure was built in 1609 — two years after enterprising English colonists arrived in Jamestown — by Duncan Campbell. In 1897, his relative Sir Duncan Campbell 3rd Baronet of Barcaldine restored the castle as a stately home, which today operates as a luxury bed and breakfast.
Barcaldine Castle has six guest rooms. We booked the Breadalbane Room nearly six months in advance. With its deep red walls, intricate crown molding, dark oak period furniture, and a king-size, elaborately crafted wooden bed with four posters, overhead and backboard commissioned by Andrew Carnegie in 1898 for his Skibo Castle property, the room was magical.
Breakfast is served in the traditional Grand Hall of the castle. This elaborate room with its high-beam ceiling and large, stone-crafted fireplace, resembles a British hunting lodge hall with oak wood paneling, leather couches, museum-worthy paintings with elaborate frames, prized antlers adorning the white walls, and windows with views of the surrounding countryside.
The breakfast itself is a horn of plenty. The smoked salmon comes from Loch Creran, which can been seen just past a field behind the castle. The family-run business that smokes the meat is located three houses down the road. Everything — eggs, cream, bacon, bread — is sourced nearby.
Since the castle does not serve dinner, we drove up the A828 road to The Old Inn, a most rustic, unassuming restaurant with arguably the finest steak served in Scotland.
The interior setting is one you won’t soon forget: cold stone walls, an arched ceiling, illuminating candles dripping wax down the whiskey bottle serving as the candle holder. Random wood-top tables with sold iron bases and a collection of non-matching wood chairs to rest your bottom.
The place is quirky enough that pop-rock band The Killers made a special trip up for dinner before returning back to Glasgow for their concert this summer.
Castle Stalker
After dinner, we walked to the backyard of the restaurant for a spectacular view of one of Scotland’s most photographed buildings — Castle Stalker.
Stalker is situated on a tiny island just a stone’s throw from the shoreline of Loch Laich. The 14th-century castle is a pop culture site of relevance as it was also used as a filming location for the Monty Python movie. Tours of Stalker are rarly granted.
As the sun was began to set, we returned to our own castle — Barcaldine — for a nightcap at the recently opened bar room just off the Grand Hall.
Simon served as the bartender and offered interesting stories about the castle’s history, it’s resident ghost, and the surrounding area between the lively fishing village of Oban and Fort William.
The delightfully attentive staff of three live in the stone houses located on the castle grounds.
Simon poured several local single malt whiskeys and was knowledgeable about each distillery and the subtle uniqueness of each pour.
Guests were welcomed to savor their drinks in the Grand Hall by the fireplace as well.
After a few memorable, cherished nights at Barcaldine Castle and a relaxed, rainy daytime pub lunch at the 1790-built Oban Inn, we proceeded to drive through unparalleled natural Highland beauty of Rannoch Moor and Glencoe, while also navigating what is accurately billed as Scotland’s Most Beautiful Road — the single track, non-guard rail, breathtaking Glen Etive Road.
With day-walks being more our speed than long-distance hikes, we took time to explore the lush Three Sisters of Glencoe trail, the Hidden Valley, and strolled a nice stretch of the West Highland Way at Kingshouse.
Returning to Kingshouse Hotel after nearly two decades was both rewarding and…well…different.
The old hotel had a true, Scottish style with its white walls, black shingled roof, and chimneys with billowing smoke from burning peat and coal. The hotel was purchased in 2014 and completely demolished with only a small section of the former structure preserved to house the “hiker’s bar.”
The new Kingshouse Hotel — opened in 2019 — is akin to a resort; very modern or even Scandinavian in style, yet respectful of the surroundings with lots of stone and brown wood used on the exterior.
The large dinning room features large floor-to-ceiling windows for guests to enjoy the magnificent beauty of this remote location, while keeping an eye open for curious stags roaming the grounds.
(Eilean Donan Castle)
From Kingshouse, we made our way early the next morning for the Isle of Skye with a stop at another of Scotland’s most photographed castles — the iconic Eilean Donan Castle.
It’s instantly recognizable as the castle used in the first “Highlander” film. The dramatic setting of the 13th century stone castle has it located on a tiny island connected to the shore by a stone, arched footbridge. Mountains surround for a stunning vista.
What surprised me was I hadn’t realized the castle was now open for tours s a tourist destination.
The castle had sustained damage by the Jacobite uprising of 1719 and sat uninhabited until 1911 when it was fully restored by Lt. Col. John MacRae-Gilstrap.
Until recently, the castle was the private home to four generations of MacRae family members. Today, visitors can tour the entire castle, see how the family had lived over the previous 100 years, and learn the history of its fiery past.
We concluded our Scottish trip in Edinburgh, a city I’ve loved to visit since 1990 when the singer of my former band told me, “Don’t waste your time with England; get yourself up to Scotland.” Spoken like the Glaswegian, University of Edinburgh graduate he is.
Some six years ago, I was in Edinburgh as part of a mostly English roadtrip I did the my friend, Tom.
On my July visit I found my once favorite city to be nearly overrun with tourists. This is a problem most of Europe has experienced since the end of the pandemic. I also noticed what at one time was unthinkable — businesses catering exclusively to tourists with cheap souvenir shops, numerous restaurants selling hamburgers and touting “New York-style pizza.”
Ugh…
Even with the crush of tourists at the “sold-out” Edinburgh Castle — I reserved tickets in advance online, thankfully — Lynn enjoyed the spectacular majesty of the castle and its views over the entire city.
More pleasing than the castle, I must say, was our self-guided tour of The Palace of Holyroodhouse.
“The Palace of Holyroodhouse is extremely important to His Majesty The King and The Queen,” said Vice Admiral Sir Tony Johnstone-Burt. Tony also serves as King Charles’ Master of the Household, overseeing all the royal residences in Great Britain. “We consider it to be the Monarchy’s HQ in Scotland and, with such an illustrious history, it never fails to move people emotionally when they visit.”
Also known as Holyrood Palace, the historic residence is located on the opposite end of the Royal Mile from the castle.
Visitors can stroll through the plush State Apartments used for official engagements and the numerous bedrooms where for centuries royalty rested their heads — even before losing one.
My favorite section of the palace was walking up an almost hidden, narrow set of stairs leading to the well preserved 16th century chambers of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Anna Bennett, the Superintendent of Holyroodhouse, took a moment to share some current insights.
“We’re having about 2,000 visitors a day visit the palace,” she said. “It’s always a balance between public opening and sharing the collection and wonderful history we have here, but also being an official residence of His Majesty The King and allowing for those official state occasions.”
We’re ready to return.
(More on Holyrood in 2025…)
