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

The Service Close

Photographed By Michael Herrick, August 26, 2018

1. The Service Close Marker

Inscription. The Service Close In the 1300s, you would have seen men and women making and repairing clothes, heard wood being worked into furniture and smelt ale being brewed around here.

The service close was sited away from the main castle buildings and would have included a brewhouse, bakehouse, dairy, laundry, workshops and animal sheds.

Cattle Rustling
More than half of the animal bones found in an archaeological excavation of this area were from cows. Cattle were a form of wealth and a symbol of status.

Until the mid-1700s, cattle rustling was common between rival Highland clans, Glen Urquhart's herds were raided many times.

( photo captions )
- Centre: This needle could have been used to sew leather or cloth.
- Above: Brewing was vital — from breakfast to supper, everyone drank ale, even children

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Forts and Castles.

Location. 57° 19.438′ N, 4° 26.503′ W. Marker is in Inverness, Scotland, in Highland. Marker can be reached from Scotland Route A82, 3.7 kilometers south of River Enrick (Scotland 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.

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At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Great Kitchen (a few steps from this marker); The Great Raid of 1545 (a few steps from this marker); Loch Ness and the Great Glen (a few steps from this marker); The Great Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); The Stables (within shouting distance of this marker); Ghosts of Urquhart’s Past (within shouting distance of this marker); The Gatehouse (within shouting distance of this marker); The Water Gate (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Inverness.

Also see . . .
1. Urquhart Castle. (Submitted on December 10, 2018, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
2. Urquhart Castle on Wikipedia. (Submitted on December 10, 2018, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)

Photographed By Michael Herrick, August 26, 2018

2. The Service Close Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on January 27, 2022. It was originally submitted on December 10, 2018, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut. This page has been viewed 121 times since then and 4 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 10, 2018, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.