Inverness Castle

 A-Z Challenge 2012 - I

Inverness Castle

The red sandstone Inverness Castle on the cliff overlooking the River Ness in Scotland is a comparatively modern castle. Although a series of castles have stood on the site since the 11^th century, the castle we see today was built as recently as 1836.

Inverness Castle - 2005

The 12^th century earth and timber fortress was occupied by English troops under King Edward I; King Robert the Bruce took and destroyed the castle in 1310. A stone castle founded in the early 15^th century by the Earl of Mar had a square stone tower added by George Gordon, Earl of Huntly in the 1548. Gordon was constable of the castle until 1562.

He was hanged by Mary Queen of Scots after the castle had been taken for the Queen by the Frasers and Munros. Earlier the Queen had found the gates of the castle shut against her.

The castle was defended against the Jacobites more that once. During the second major Jacobite rising in 1745 it fell to Bonnie Prince Charlie (Prince Charles Edward Stuart). It was blown up after the Battle of Culloden.

The castle now standing on the site was built to house the Sheriff Courthouse and County Hall. A deep well and part of a bastion wall are all that remain of the medieval castle.

Inverness Castle front - 2007

Hilary Melton-Butcher's Castle H - Herstmonceux Castle, East Sussex

Attribution

• Inverness Castle, 2005, by Dave Connor, originally posted to Flickr; Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
• Inverness Castle – Front, 2007, by Conor Power (Waterford, Ireland); Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. 

Fotheringhay Castle and Mary Queen of Scots

 A-Z Challenge - F

Fotheringhay Castle and Mary Queen of Scots

The village of Fotheringhay is situated six kilometres north east of Oundle in the county of Northamptonshire. There is nothing left of its castle today other than the motte on which it was built which provides excellent views of the River Nene.

Site of Fotheringhay Castle - 2009

Site of Fotheringhay Castle The motte and bailey is all that remains of Fotheringhay Castle, where Mary, Queen of Scots was executed. Behind is the modern Castle Barn and beyond, Fotheringhay Church. 

The Norman castle was built around 1100. The motte topped by a stone keep was surrounded by a moat. King Edward III (1312-77) rebuilt the Norman castle and granted it to his son, Edward, Duke of York. In 1452 the wife of a later Duke of York gave birth to the future Richard III. The reign of Richard III was short (1483 – 85) as he was killed at the Bosworth during the War of the Roses.

Henry VIII gave it to Catherine of Aragon as part of her dowry but she refused to go there. The castle became infamous as the site for the imprisonment and execution of the tragic Mary, Queen of Scots. She was tried and convicted for treason and beheaded in the Great Hall on 8^th February 1587.

(If you are squeamish you may want to give the video a miss)

 The castle fell into disrepair and in 1627 it was razed to the ground, its fixtures and fittings sold. The great horned windows and the staircase down which Mary walked to her execution ended up in the Talbot Hotel in Oundle. Reputedly Mary’s face is seen occasionally gazing out at passers-by.

 Hilary Melton-Butcher's Castle E - Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire

Attributions

• Site of Fotheringhay Castle:  By Ian Simpson 2009 – Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license. (Geograph Project Collection)
• Video: Execution scene taken from the BBC series 'Elizabeth R' (1971). Starring Glenda Jackson as Elizabeth and Vivian Pickles as Mary, Queen of Scots. No copyright infringement intended