Doune Castle

This castle was built around 1400 by Robert, Duke of Albany. Interestingly, it was never completed. Another feature of this castle which is unusual is that it has had very little alterations or additions over the years, so is the same, more-or-less as when it was first built. It was built on a large earthwork, probably the site of an earlier timber castle. The Duke of Albany never was king, but did rule Scotland for about twenty-five to thirty years (part of that time James I was imprisoned in England). The Duke of Albany died in 1420, and his son took over, but was executed when James I returned to Scotland. The castle wasn't an important structure after that, and was used as  a hunting lodge and such. But it was seized by the Jacobites during the Jacobite Rebellion.

And of course, I must add that its greatest claim to fame is that it was used in the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

A view of the river Teith from the roof.

You can't tell, but I'm up on the roof in this picture.

In the kitchen: the place where they'd sharpen their knives!

The stones sticking out from the wall indicate where more building was going to take place - but never did.

The Great Hall, purposefully built to be old-fashioned: no fireplace, just a huge brazier in the middle of the hall.