Cawdor
is a very fine castle with an ancient keep c.1380 at its core, and is surrounded by lesser
wings and three courtyards. The vaulted ground floor of the tower still has the remains of
a holly tree which grew on the site, and tradition says this is where the builder’s
donkey lay down to rest, thus choosing the tower’s location. The keep rises to four
main storeys, with crenellated parapet and corner turrets.
Entry to the castle is made
across a drawbridge. The drawing room (great hall) has a minstrel’s gallery and many
family portraits. The Tapestry Room has fine Flemish tapestries dated 1682. They depict
Noah and his family. The Yellow, Woodcock and Pink Rooms follow, all sumptuously
furnished. The Tartan Passage contains old needlework and a model of the sailing ship
Victory. Off the vaulted Thorn Room is the old dungeon which, when it was discovered in
1979, contained nine tons of rubble. The yett came from Lochindorb Castle. The front stair
leads to the dining room and its heraldic fireplace of 1510. When the stone for this was
being brought across the drawbridge it collapsed, injuring 24 men. In this room is
preserved a bronze bell of the 9th century, found at Barevan Church. A modern
kitchen of 1971 is followed by the original vaulted kitchen, complete with large well and
copper utensils. The former larder has an unusual tricycle, fire engine and other relics,
many of them from the Victorian period.
In the courtyard is a
well-stocked bookshop. To the south of the castle are the flowers and wild gardens, and to
the north the old walled garden, with a modern maze.
The
Calders, Thanes of that Ilk held the lands of "Calder", until 1510 when they
passed by marriage of the then heiress, Muriel, to Sir John Campbell. The Campbells still
own the estate, and were created Earls of Cawdor in 1827. |
