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Cawdor Castle places to visit in the Scottish Highlands

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Last Updated on Saturday, 05 May 2012 17:33

Cawdor Castle is 14 miles east of Inverness, and is the title that Shakespeare's witches promised to Macbeth and the castle is reputed to be the place where Duncan was murdered. The Thanes of Cawdor built the castle, and lived in it from the late 14C.
Legend has it that the then Thane of Cawdor had a dream in which he was given instructions to choose the site of his new castle. He was to send a donkey laden with gold into the selected area and to build on the spot where the donkey halted for the night. The donkey lay down under a hawthorn tree Carbon dating gives the date of the tree as being approximately 1372.

On approaching the castle from the drawbridge side, the central tower is the 14.C keep with the 17.C wings to the right. Later additions and transformations created the castle of today.
In the Drawing Room, the original great hall, holds a Francis Cote's portrait of Pryse Campbell, 18th Thane of Cawdor, resplendently attired in an assortment of tartans.
This ardent Jacobite defied all by having himself portrayed thus in 1762, during the period of Proscription of Highland dress.
The painting also helps to prove that the idea of one clan one sett, was in reality a concept of the 19C.
Emma Hamilton, a friend of John 1st Lord Cawdor and his wife, is portrayed by Romney. The Tapestry Bedroom is so named after the set of 17C Flemish tapestries depicting events from the life of Noah. The imposing 17C Venetian four poster retains its original velvet hangings.
The Yellow Room is a good example of Jacobean design. The centre window of the Tower Sitting Room was the original, and only, entrance to the castle in the 14C served by removable wooden steps' The fine set of 17C Bruges tapestries are after designs by Rubens.