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Cawdor Castle is supposedly situated on a spot picked by a donkey, which was foretold in a dream
The 15th century saw it being fortified after being granted a licence by James II of Scotland. A tower and turrets as well as renellations were added with the whole structure being surrounded by curtain walls. 1716 saw the death of the then owner and Lord, Sir Hugh and Cawdor Castle was left to fall into ruin by successive successors for the next 100 years. Whilst they preferred to inhabit their other estates in London and Wales, the Estate at Cawdor was managed by factors that did the bear minimal to maintain the house. A fire in the early part of the 1800’s resulted in the loss of many family heirlooms (paintings) and prompted the 1st Earl of Cawdor to arrange on site accommodation for his factor. During the following years a new house had been built as an annex to the castle with further renovations and extensions being carried out in the Victorian era. This allowed for more natural daylight and generally brightened the place up with the addition of luxurious furnishings. During the 15th century the Castle became part of the Campbell Empire. The then heiress Muriel Calder was kidnapped at the age of 12 to be married to the earl of Argyll’s son, Sir John Campbell. To this day, a ghost wearing a blue velvet dress has been reportedly seen wondering the castle. People claim this to be the ghost of Muriel but no one is quite sure.
Tourist InformationNearest Train Station: Nairn Nearest Airport: Inverness Location: Situated between Inverness (14 miles) and Nairn (5 miles) on the B9090 off the A96 Riverside trail now open between Nairn Seafront and Cawdor Local Tourist Information Centre: +44 (0) 1463 234 353Months Open: May 1st to second Sunday in October 10.00am-5.00pm daily Admission price: Adults £7.00 Senior Citizens and Disabled £6.00 Students £6.00 Family Ticket (2 Adults + up to 5 Children aged 5 to 15) £22.00 Children (aged 5-15) £4.30 Gardens, Grounds & Nature Trails only - no charge
Catering: Licensed Restaurant;Licensed Restaurant; Snack Bar;Picnic Area Parking: Free coach park and car park near the Castle
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