Inverness in Highland, Scotland, United Kingdom — Northwestern Europe (the British Isles)

A Highland Icon

Photographed by Michael Herrick, August 26, 2018

1. A Highland Icon Marker

Inscription. A Highland Icon ‘S a bhaidealan àrda
Air sgàineadh o chèil’
‘S chan eil eachdraidh no seanchas
A dh'fhàg dearbhadh o chèin
Air an àl chuir an àird e
No dhaingnich a stèidh
Òran do Ghleann urchadain — Tòmas an Todhair
The tall towers have fallen apart And no history or tale has left any trace Of the generations who built it or laid the foundations A Song for Glen Urquhart — Thomas MacDonald Artists and poets recast Urquhart as a relic of a heroic and honourable Highland heritage. Robert Burns explored the ruins, Samuel Coleridge wrote about their mystery and John Everett Millais captured their formidable character.

The Romantic Ruin
For centuries, Lowland writers despised the Highlands as barbaric and backward. But in the 1800s a romanticised version of Gaelic culture was embraced as authentically Scottish. Tourists began to seek out Urquhart.
The castle's iconic status was enhanced by stories of chivalry and defiance during the Wars of Independence.

The Cursed Chamber
Legend has it that in the 1100s, the Gaelic nobleman Conachar Mòr Mac Aoidh gained a secret hold over local witches,

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forcing them to build the castle for him. Another story claims two chambers are hidden under Urquhart – one filled with gold, the other plague. Would-be treasure hunters were supposedly put off for fear of unleashing pestilence.

( photo captions )
Poets, Painters and Travellers
- Above from left: Roberts Burne, Samuel Coleridge and John Everett Millais.
- Above: Tourists looking for Highland heritage bought Victorian guides like Michael Bouquet’s book of 1850.
- Left: The leading pre-Raphaelite artist John Everett Millais painted ‘Tower of Strength’ in 1878.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Forts and Castles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1850.

Location. 57° 19.449′ N, 4° 26.644′ W. Marker is in Inverness, Scotland, in Highland. It can be reached from Scotland Route A82 3.7 kilometers south of River Enrick (Route A831), on the left when traveling south. Located at Urquhart Castle. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Inverness, Scotland IV63 6XL, United Kingdom. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Scotland’s Highlands.

Globally,

Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Michael Herrick, August 26, 2018

2. Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness

it is on the Atlantic Ocean,

in the North Atlantic Region,

on the Atlantic Arc,

in Europe,

on the Celtic Fringe,

in Atlantic Europe,

on one of the British Isles,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Caisteal Ainmeal Urchadain (a few steps from this marker); The Trebuchet (within shouting distance of this marker); Urquhart the Defiant (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); A Castle for All Seasons (about 90 meters away); Destroying the Gatehouse (about 120 meters away); The Stables (about 120 meters away); Ghosts of Urquhart’s Past (about 120 meters away); Doocot (about 120 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Inverness.

Also see . . .
1. Urquhart Castle. (Submitted on December 9, 2018, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
2. Urquhart Castle on Wikipedia. (Submitted on December 9, 2018, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)

Credits. This page was last revised on January 27, 2022. It was originally submitted on December 9, 2018, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut. This page has been viewed 667 times since then and 44 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 9, 2018, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.