near Perth, Scotland, UK

July 2019

This historic castle, northwest of Perth, is definitely worth a visit.  We had a bit of a time finding it as it is only well marked from one direction. We came close to giving up, but then it became a challenge and it was worth every circle around the neighborhood.

Originally known as Place of Ruthven, it was a residence of lords from the 1400’s to the 1700’s.  At first it consisted of two tower houses. In the 1600’s they were joined together to make it look more like a country mansion.

This was one of the locations that Mary Queen of Scots and her husband Lord Darnley stayed at during the Chaseabout Raid, in 1565, a rebellion by her half-brother James Stewart.

Also in 1582, the Earl of Gowrie and his friends kidnapped Mary’s son, James VI, and held him prisoner for ten months.

Holes in the walls show where joists held the boards for the upper floors.

There is a legend that the daugher of the 1st Earl of Gowrie was in love with one of the servents.  They would meet secretly, at night, in the east tower.  One night she heard her mothers footsteps (coming to catch the couple) and went up to the roof. She leapt from one tower to the other, a distance of 3 meters.  The next morning the couple eloped.  After seeing the distance and angle of this jump I find it highly unlikely but it makes a great story.

Another great feature of this castle is that you can walk the roof ramparts, which provides fantastic views of the surrounding countryside.

This castle also contains one of the oldest remaining painted ceilings and wall paintings from the 16th century.