The Private Chamber
The laird of Grant probably entertained close friends here on the first floor and had his bed on the second. Servants may have slept above.
All In the Family
The Grants were based in Strathspey, southeast of Inverness. With Urquhart, they took over a distant estate racked by clan feuds, raiding and lawlessness.
The family consolidated the castle around this tower after the final MacDonald attack in 1545. Parapets and turrets were added in the early 1600s.
The Broken Heart
'Gur e m' athair rinn an dò-bheart Mise chumail gun do phòsadh.'
'Tha mo run air a' ghille'
'My father did an evil thing Keeping me from marrying you.'
'I Love the Lad'
The laird's daughter Mary Grant is said to have composed a defiant love song after her father held the bard and cattle rustler Dòmhnall Donn captive at Urquhart in the late 1600s. Dòmhnall was later executed.
Did You Know ...
Urquhart's estate with its tree-covered hills was renowned for hunting, the passion of the nobility. Lords and even monarchs chased deer through the forests here. Venison was eaten at feasts and festivities and almost 10 per cent of the animal bones found at Urquhart came from deer.
The Castle Falls
The
last noble resident of Urquhart was Mary Ogilvy, mother of James, laird of Grant. An unpopular landlord, she described the locals as 'knavis' and was chased out when an armed band ransacked the castle at Christmas 1644.
Once abandoned Urquhart rapidly deteriorated. The south wall of the tower collapsed during a storm in 1715. In 1912, the castle passed into State care.
( photo captions )
- Right: James Grant, owner of Urquhart, and his wife Mary Stewart in 1658.
- Left: Hunters depicted in one of the Unicorn Tapestries at Stirling Castle.
- Below: A hunting arrowhead found in the castle and displayed in the visitor centre.
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