The Great Hall
Lavish banquets with music, dancing and storytelling were staged in the building before you.
This was where Urquhart's lord or his constable entertained guests and showed off their wealth and status. It was also where they administered justice and local government.
The Venue
Look above the ruined cellars for the holes into which massive timber beams once slotted. They supported the wooden floor of the hall, while the large block of masonry carried the hearth.
The mighty Comyn family built the hall in the late 1200s. The great chamber to its left was added in the early 1300s, probably as a private apartment for the lord and his family
After the Party
The hall was replaced by a less substantial building in the early 1400s, probably after being wrecked in an attack. The great chamber and kitchens were abandoned at this time.
Did You Know ...
Some of the most powerful figures in medieval Scotland dined in the great hall. In 1342 Robert Lauder, Urquhart's constable, entertained King David II, son of Robert the Bruce, William Earl of Ross and the bishops of Moray and Ross among others.
'They brocht breid to the buird and braun of ane bair and the worthyest wyne went upon hicht.'
[brocht breid: brought bread; buird: table;
braun of ane bair: boar meat, went upon hicht: flowed]
The Toill of Rauf Coilyear, a Scottish poem of the 1400s.
( photo captions )
- Below: A drink in each hand.
- Right: The Lord and his guests used water poured from this bronze ewer to clean their hands before dining. It was probably made in the Netherlands in the 1400s.
Left: An artist's impression of the great hall in the mid-1300s, based in part on evidence from other castles.
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