An out-of-the-ordinary
tour of Scotland
Getting away from the emblematic
cities and lochs of bonny Scotland, here we explore some of the more unusual
and fascinating sites to visit. These include an abandoned stately home,
mysterious caves and the famous "Harry Potter Bridge."
1. Buchanan Castle, Drymen,
Scotland
Buchanan Castle is a classic
example of “things ain’t what they used to be.” Formerly a stately country
house (pictured below), the castle became involved in World War II before
eventually being abandoned and getting covered with overgrowth.
The original castle burned down
in 1850, and was rebuilt as the grand home for a family of Scottish dukes.
The home was constructed in a traditional baronial style of the period,
with its striking, pointed towers and spacious and luxurious living areas.
The dukes occupied Buchanan
Castle until 1925, when it was converted into a hotel with a golf course.
Photo by Abcdef123456 on
Wikimedia
Commons
World War II began and the former
hotel and estate was appropriated for the war effort and was used as a
hospital. A number of war wounded were treated here, including Hitler’s
right-hand man, Rudolph Hess when he was flown to Scotland during 1941.
At the end of the war, the building became a school for a short time but
was eventually abandoned, partially demolished and left for nature to take
its course.
The golf course is still
there and is apparently in use, however the castle itself is now covered
with creeping plants all over the walls that still remain standing.
2. Gilmerton Cove, Edinburgh,
Scotland
Next on our weird and wonderful
tour of Scotland, we find out a series of mysterious caves exists on
the outskirts of the city of Edinburgh. Admittedly, Gilmerton, an Edinburgh
suburb, was originally a thriving mining community. However, the mysterious
series of passages and caves underneath the village are definitely not
related to mining. The series of caves has been dubbed Gilmerton Cove,
and consists of seven caves and a number of passages running around underneath
the suburb. The existence of the caves has baffled historians ever since
they were discovered and no one really knows who created them. In the cavern
pictured here, a carved rock table and seats can clearly be seen.
 Photo by John Dale on Wikimedia
Commons
Locals speculate that possibly
it was an underground hideout for the gentry to have a few discreet drinks.
Others believe it was a hiding place for religious refugees. Yet more speculation
speaks of a mysterious smuggler’s lair.
During 2003, the hand-dug
caves became an official tourist attraction and the town is hoping to attract
historic detectives who can explore and figure out the reason for Gilmerton
Cove for themselves.
3. Glenfinnan Viaduct, Highland,
Scotland
Any fans of the Harry Potter
films will recognise the Glenfinnan Viaduct right away, but of interest
to note, when the photographer posted the image below to Flickr, he commented
that he couldn’t understand why so many foreigners were standing and gazing
at it. Two years down the line, it is unsure whether it's worth explaining
it to him!
 Photo by John McSporran
on Flickr
The Glenfinnan
Viaduct was originally built in the 1890s and was reportedly the first
structure ever built with mass concrete in Great Britain. This obviously
worked well, as the overpass remains in excellent condition today.
Since then it has been the
scene of Harry Potter and his friends from Hogwarts travelling back to
their school of witchcraft and wizardry on the famous Hogwarts Express.
There was one particular scene where the Hogwarts Express was featured
crossing the viaduct, while Arthur Weasley’s flying Ford Anglia passed
by. Due to its fame in the movies, the 100-foot-tall and 416-yard-long
viaduct has been nicknamed “Harry Potter Bridge.”
We hope you have enjoyed
this brief tour into the less usual side of Scotland! Visit these great
locations on your next holiday in the Scottish Highlands.
top
UK
Travel Guide
|
.jpg){kind=link}