The Stables
These walls may have echoed with the clatter of horses' hooves. Close to the gatehouse, this was the ideal spot for the castle's stables.
Carrying a Heavy Load
Riding horses or 'coursours' carried nobles; pack horses or 'capills' — from the Gaelic capall — hauled loads and pulled carts; 'aivers' dragged ploughs.
When Urquhart's lord and lady set off on a journey, 'capills' carried their household belongings, even their beds. The famously strong Highland horse or 'garron' — from the Gaelic gearran — was well suited to the task.
Stop the Cavalry
A medieval knight needed a powerful warhorse. But in the rugged Highland terrain, cavalry was vulnerable to Gaelic warriors, who preferred to fight on foot.
Did You Know ...
Most medieval horses in Scotland were the height of modern ponies. Robert the Bruce supposedly 'raid apon a litill palfray' at the Battle of Bannockburn — "palfrey' later meant a lady's riding horse. Strength and bulk were more important than height.
( photo captions )
- Above: A spur from the 1300s or 1400s, used to guide a horse. A man 'won his spurs' when he became a knight.
- Left: An artist's impression of a stable boy holding a noblewoman's



mount for her.

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Ghosts of Urquhart's Past
Doocot
The Service Close
The Water Gate
The Great Kitchen
Urquhart the Defiant
A Castle for All Seasons
The Great Raid of 1545
The Gatehouse
Loch Ness and the Great Glen

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