# A few more pics from Scotland..



## Capt Lightning (Jul 21, 2022)

Culzean Castle (pronounced Cullane) at Maybole, W. Scotland.  Ancestral home of the Kennedy family, the castle sits above cliffs which give a view over the sea to Arran island and the Mull of Kintyre.



On the East coast near Montrose is the 'House of Dun'.  This magnificent house was designed by the renowned architect William Adam in 1730.  The Saloon is decorated with ornate plaster mouldings.  At first glance, they may suggest a naval collection, but were in fact symbolic of the owner's Jacobite sympathies.



From the saloon, the estate is visible - down as far as the Montrose basin.  This has both salt and fresh water lakes, and in the past, ice from the fresh water would be transported to the house.


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## hollydolly (Jul 21, 2022)

I used to live on Arran ( Brodick) when I was a teen... my best friend lives on Lamlash


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## oldman (Jul 21, 2022)

Does someone live in that castle? Who pays for the care of it?


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## Capt Lightning (Jul 21, 2022)

Oldman, Many important buildings and grand houses are run by organisations such as The National Trust. 
The Trust was founded in 1895 to "promote the permanent preservation for the benefit of the Nation of lands and tenements (including buildings) of beauty or historic interest".  Historically, the Trust acquired land by gift and sometimes by public subscription and appeal, but after World War II the loss of country houses resulted in many such properties being acquired either by gift or purchased from the former owners .

Money is raised by charging an entrance fee, or by (as in our case)  buying an annual membership (about $100) which gives us  free entrance to all Trust properties in the UK.

Historical military establishments, Roman forts, palaces  and similar  buildings are run by organisations such as  English Heritage.   A small of grand buildings are still in private ownership, and many are open to the public or are used as wedding venues to raise money for their upkeep.


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## oldman (Jul 22, 2022)

Capt Lightning said:


> Oldman, Many important buildings and grand houses are run by organisations such as The National Trust.
> The Trust was founded in 1895 to "promote the permanent preservation for the benefit of the Nation of lands and tenements (including buildings) of beauty or historic interest".  Historically, the Trust acquired land by gift and sometimes by public subscription and appeal, but after World War II the loss of country houses resulted in many such properties being acquired either by gift or purchased from the former owners .
> 
> Money is raised by charging an entrance fee, or by (as in our case)  buying an annual membership (about $100) which gives us  free entrance to all Trust properties in the UK.
> ...


Thanks for educating me. I had no idea how the castle was funded or if anyone actually lived in the castle.


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## Capt Lightning (Jul 22, 2022)

Oldman, an interesting fact about Culzean castle is it's connection with President Eisenhower .
When the Kennedy family donated the castle to the National Trust for Scotland in 1945 they asked that the top floor be given to General Eisenhower as a thank you from the people of Scotland.

Ike first came to Culzean in 1946 and was clearly touched to accept this gift. He visited the castle three more times, once as President when, for a short while, Culzean was his Scottish White House.
His longest stay was during his retirement when he enjoyed painting and walking in the peace and quiet of Culzean's beautiful gardens, woodland and shore, as well as playing golf nearby.  He wrote of Culzean, "This is a place I can relax."

This is his private drawing room with views over the gardens.


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## oldman (Jul 22, 2022)

My dad loved Eisenhower and that’s no lie. He even went to his funeral in Kansas, I think, but may be wrong. Eisenhower pinned my dad’s Medal of Valor on him after the invasion at Normandy. Ike knew my dad by name. When Ike had his farm in Gettysburg, which is a half hour from home, my dad would visit him maybe once or so each year while still in the Army.


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## oldman (Jul 22, 2022)

I have to wonder why the Kennedy family donated the top floor to Eisenhower. “As a gift from the people of Scotland.” Why? What was the connection? Just being curious.


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## Capt Lightning (Jul 23, 2022)

As part of the negotiations to  gift the castle to the National Trust for Scotland, Lady Frances, the widow of the 4th Marquess, asked for the top floor of Culzean to be made into a self-contained apartment with the intention of it being offered to General Dwight D. Eisenhower. The gift was a gesture of gratitude from Scotland to America in recognition of Eisenhower’s role as Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe during World War II.

Tourists can book either a room or the entire 6 bedroom apartment.  Costs for each room vary from approx $200-$300 per night for double occupancy.  (Includes afternoon tea, breakfast and drinks.)


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## Tish (Jul 23, 2022)

Those photos are beautiful.


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## oldman (Jul 23, 2022)

Capt Lightning said:


> As part of the negotiations to  gift the castle to the National Trust for Scotland, Lady Frances, the widow of the 4th Marquess, asked for the top floor of Culzean to be made into a self-contained apartment with the intention of it being offered to General Dwight D. Eisenhower. The gift was a gesture of gratitude from Scotland to America in recognition of Eisenhower’s role as Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe during World War II.
> 
> Tourists can book either a room or the entire 6 bedroom apartment.  Costs for each room vary from approx $200-$300 per night for double occupancy.  (Includes afternoon tea, breakfast and drinks.)


So, a person can actually stay in the castle? Can visitors staying in the castle roam through the rooms? If that is so, my dad would have done that. Like I said, he loved Ike. My dad would say that if anyone else would have led the troops, the whole thing would have gone up in smoke. He considered Ike as a smarter and more strategic general than Patton. Visiting the castle is something my wife may be interested in. She was a professor at Georgetown University in the history department and still enjoys visiting old buildings and even cemeteries from the past. Sounds weird, but true. 

My dad was in the second wave to attack and was labeled as a hero when he crept upon a German machine gun bunker and tossed in two grenades putting himself in danger of being killed. My dad lost most of his hearing in that battle. He was signed by the Cincinnati Redlegs baseball team just before enlisting in the Army. After he returned and was given a physical and was told he had only minimal hearing in both ears and also carried shrapnel from being struck by a bullet in his left foot, but it didn’t keep him from running. However, the Redlegs just didn’t want an injured person on the team. My dad was no Ted Williams. That’s what he told everyone, but he framed his contract and it was hung on the wall in his den. The most precious thing in his life was that medal. When the fire burned the house and he was caught in it and died, everything went up in smoke. I think mom and I both cried for days. It’s tough to lose your dad and your best friend at the same time.

I apologize if it sounds like I am glorifying my dad, but he meant so much to me, I can’t help myself at times.


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## Capt Lightning (Jul 23, 2022)

Oldman, you had a father to be justifiably proud of.  My Father in law was in the merchant navy and sailed on the Atlantic convoys during WW2.
He spoke very little about the war, but gradually stories emerged of ships being torpedoed and sunk.  In 1944, he was on a supply ship taking supplies and ammunition to the D-Day invasion force.  He was only a stoker, and had his ship been hit, he would have had little chance to escape.  Nevertheless he survived the war with barely a scratch.  No medals, no glory, but he was one of the thousands of unsung heroes who did their bit.
A footnote...  After the war, married and expecting a child (who is now my wife of 49 years), he decided on the spur of the moment to look for a job onshore.  Passing a cement factory, he went in and asked to see the foreman.  He looked at F-i-L and asked if he was a sailor. F-i-L said yes he had sailed on the Atlantic convoys, to which the foreman said, "you've got a job'.  He worked there for over 20 years until his retirement.

Sorry, bit of a digression...   Yes, you can stay in a number of castles and grand houses in the UK.  Since the law on where you could get married was relaxed, many castles / large houses cater for weddings, conferences etc. as well a tourist accommodation.
One of the Eisenhower suite  bedrooms you can sleep in...


The same applies to many places in Europe.  I met an American lady in Germany who had stayed in most of the castles along the Rhine valley.  This is Katz castle


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## bowmore (Jul 23, 2022)

My late wife was a MacKenzie, and her ancestral castle is Eilean Donan. It is one of the most photographed castles in Scotland. It was featured in the Movie Highlander.


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## oldman (Jul 25, 2022)

Capt Lightning said:


> Oldman, you had a father to be justifiably proud of.  My Father in law was in the merchant navy and sailed on the Atlantic convoys during WW2.
> He spoke very little about the war, but gradually stories emerged of ships being torpedoed and sunk.  In 1944, he was on a supply ship taking supplies and ammunition to the D-Day invasion force.  He was only a stoker, and had his ship been hit, he would have had little chance to escape.  Nevertheless he survived the war with barely a scratch.  No medals, no glory, but he was one of the thousands of unsung heroes who did their bit.
> A footnote...  After the war, married and expecting a child (who is now my wife of 49 years), he decided on the spur of the moment to look for a job onshore.  Passing a cement factory, he went in and asked to see the foreman.  He looked at F-i-L and asked if he was a sailor. F-i-L said yes he had sailed on the Atlantic convoys, to which the foreman said, "you've got a job'.  He worked there for over 20 years until his retirement.
> 
> ...


Stupid question #96,744:  What kind of trees are mostly planted around this castle and are they also found everywhere else in Scotland? IOW, are these tress indigene to Scotland?


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## Capt Lightning (Aug 12, 2022)

oldman said:


> Stupid question #96,744:  What kind of trees are mostly planted around this castle and are they also found everywhere else in Scotland? IOW, are these tress indigene to Scotland?


Apologies for slow response.....  This is a hard one to answer. In the past, the trees would simply been one of many indigenous species and I tend to think of ones like the Scots Pine and the Rowan  ('row' rhymes with 'how'). I would expect that there would be no trees near the castle  for defensive reasons - no body could sneak up on you!    Later in some wealthy large estates, trees would have been planted for aesthetic reasons - and impress people.

In more recent times non-native trees have been planted as a cash crop and this had the effect of upsetting the balance of nature / wildlife.
There is a move now to replace these trees with native species and re-balance the countryside.  There is even a movement to re-introduce lynx which once would have been native to the Scottish highlands.


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## Geezerette (Aug 12, 2022)

This great topic came at a really good time for me. I’ve been relaxing watching Scottish bagpipers and marchers,ceremonies  and scenery on YouTube. Gorgeous stone buildings and towns. Just seeing the cleanliness and order and when appears to be considerate behavior is such a far cry from today’s world in the USA.


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