Cawdor Castle rises near Inverness like a proud stronghold. It’s surrounded by wonderful gardens – and deep inside, it also guards an ancient plant.
According to legend, the Thane of Cawdor wanted to build a great new castle in medieval times. In a dream, he was told to load a donkey with a chest full of gold, send it out across his land, and build his new stronghold wherever the animal came to rest. Said and done. He sent the donkey off, and it sought out a fine holly bush, under which it lay down. The Thane of Cawdor began to build.
By the end of the 14th century the first part of the castle had been built – the tower keep at its centre. Inside it, to this day, it guards the trunk of the holly tree – what became of the donkey, on the other hand, is not known. Right next to it lie mysterious vaults, likely used as a refuge from attackers or as a dungeon. To make life as hard as possible for enemies, a moat and a drawbridge were added too.
The rest of the castle is a little less rustic: further wings were added over the centuries, and the rooms filled up with all manner of valuable furniture and paintings from across the ages. The tour inside Cawdor Castle is well worth it for that reason alone.
The dark stronghold is surrounded by three colourful gardens. Closest to the castle is the old walled garden, which dates back to around 1600. Alongside herbs and flowers, it’s home to a genuine maze. A little further on lies the beautiful flower garden, and finally, behind the castle, there’s the “wild” garden, only laid out in 1960.
Golfers will find a different kind of green here: the nearby golf course has nine holes, playable with a separate day ticket.
Cawdor Castle is a genuine castle that, unlike Dunrobin Castle, was never converted into a stately mansion during the Renaissance. A winding maze in the garden and mysterious vaults inside give it a suitably eerie atmosphere.
Good to know: Cawdor, Shakespeare and Macbeth
“I wish the poet had never written his damned play!” – The poet in question was Shakespeare, the play was Macbeth, and the man these angry words escaped from was the 5th Earl of Cawdor. He was fed up with his castle and family constantly being tangled up with the play “Macbeth”.
In truth, there’s no reasonable connection between the castle and King Macbeth at all. Not even part of Shakespeare’s play is set there – all it reveals is that it’s a castle “in Inverness”. Only the title “Thane of Cawdor” was bestowed on him in the play. Historically speaking, though, the real Macbeth never actually held that title.
It’s true that the real Macbeth did kill King Duncan. But that didn’t happen at Cawdor. Nor was it some scheming murder – it happened in battle near the nearby town of Elgin in the year 1040. From there it would still take a full 300 years before Cawdor Castle was even built.
Put bluntly, then: Macbeth has NOTHING whatsoever to do with Cawdor Castle. Which makes the 5th Earl of Cawdor’s frustration entirely understandable.
Tip: Into the maze
Cawdor Castle has a real speciality waiting in its garden: a maze made of holly bushes. If you go in, bring a bit of time with you, since there’s only one path through it, and it takes a while. Halfway through the maze there’s a fork that leads you straight back out again. Miss it, and you’ll have to make your way through the second half too.
By the way: Cawdor Castle combines nicely with a visit to the Battlefield of Culloden and Fort George.
Personal note: The sports car of writing desks
I’m certainly not someone who pays much attention to furniture. But inside Cawdor Castle stands a French writing desk (from the era of Louis XV, as far as I understood) that completely captivated me. The shape of its top is finely curved and smooth – it almost looks like the wooden bonnet of a sports car. I’ve never wanted a desk more…
Getting there:
With sat nav: “IV12 5RD” gets you close to the castle.
Without sat nav: From Inverness, take the A96 towards Nairn. Turn off at the B9090 sign – Cawdor Castle is already signposted here with a brown tourist sign. After a few kilometres the B9090 swings left, then curves gently right, before you drive through the small village of Cawdor. Continue past the traffic-light junction, and the turning to the castle’s car park is signposted on the right. Don’t be surprised: the drive continues quite a way further before you reach the car park. From there it’s still a few minutes’ walk to the building itself.