Aberdour Castle is a striking, partially ruined manor house just off the coastal road which runs along the Firth of Forth, and lays (disputed) claim to being the oldest Scottish castle still standing. We'd just driven across the Forth Road Bridge through thick fog, and might not have stopped if the visibility hadn't improved, but we arrived at Aberdour in beautiful sunshine which was perfect for wandering the gardens.
One of the most distinctive features is this beautiful painted ceiling, in one of the remaining original rooms. The colours are faded, but the patterns are still quite clear.
We also walked across to the huge dove cote, a stone beehive-shaped building which would once have provided a decent supply of meat for the castle's residents. On the terrace below, the curators have re-planted the old orchard, so in a few years time it will be even more impressive.
Just around the corner, the small Norman church is also worth a visit. Previously fallen into ruin, St Fillan's was restored in 1925-6, and now has regular Sunday services again.
7 comments:
Love these Castle posts. They spur creative thoughts.
The painted ceiling is fascinating. It just goes to show that the medieval period wasn't as monochrome as we tend to think!
What a fascinating place, Rachel. I love the dovecote but actually I also love the Norman church. I'd like to go and see it someday. I keep seeing wonderful blog posts about Scotland and realise it's too long since I've been.
Oh my!!! Such wonderful old architecture...one of my favorite travel things to do is to wander through ruins and imagine how they might have been "in the day"
Beautiful photos. And I have a thing for old churches. They did a wonderful job with the restoration!
Gorgeous! I love castles (although I have never had the privilege to see one!) Thanks for sharing such great photos!
Love your pictures! My family genealogy has been traced back to the Douglases who once had Aberdour Castle. I ache to visit it. Maybe next year!
Thanks again for sharing your wonderful photos.
Post a Comment
Thanks for dropping in! I'd love to hear what you have to say, and if you leave a URL, I'll be round to visit you soon.