British and Irish Castles

Once upon a time, Scottish castles were associated with wild chieftains exacting brutal retribution on their neighbours and crofters. Then came the age of enlightenment, which saw the Scottish aristocracy trying to emulate their English neighbours and become a little more refined. This led to a lot of new properties being built of a less defensive nature and with more emphasis on comfort and elegance. The arrival of Queen Victoria for her long period of mourning, further heightened the desirability of a Scottish home and many large ones were built during this period, incorporating new inventions like heating and electric light.

Sadly for much of the early part of the 20th century, there followed a period of decline, as the great estates struggled to maintain their noble homes and were either broken up or fell into disrepair. Fortunately by the eighties a new renaissance was emerging and this combined with greater prosperity led to a period of recovery & rebirth for a lot of these wonderful homes. It took a while for some of the older families to raise the huge sums required to restore their crumbling homes but it was slowly achieved, often with some aid from government bodies. Newcomers with deeper pockets were able to achieve results quicker and now it is all the rage to own and restore a huge pile.

Throughout the country, homes that twenty years ago you could hardly give away are now selling for millions. Add on to this the huge refurbishment cost and indeed the massive upkeep costs and you have an expensive ’second’ or in many cases ‘third’ home! However demand has never been higher and finding suitable properties is now extremely hard. Of course, anyone can stay in a luxury hotel, charter a huge yacht but not everyone can hire a 500 year old castle, surrounded by several thousand acres and boasting private shooting, fishing and total seclusion. Throw in a few battlements, ghosts and old family retainers and you have the makings of a movie set.

Obviously most of these homes are deserted during the winter months but come summer and private jets are plopping down in every small airport throughout the country. A few gleaming range rovers will be on hand to whisk up the guests and within an hour or two, everyone will be lying on the heather with a wee dram in one hand and a smoke salmon sandwich in the other. It’s intoxicating stuff for urban types and there is no danger of some annoying Russian screaming past in his Ferrari or some helicopter buzzing overhead. Of course, guests can easily get bored, so some form of ‘retail therapy’ is vital and the local cashmere outlets are happy to help out.

Grouse shooting and salmon fishing once the preserve of the upper classes is now being enjoyed by clientele of all stripes and in any case new owners of large piles are quick to don their tweed suits and present themselves as lairds of long standing. This is perfectly natural and has been witnessed by the locals for centuries. What is wonderful for Scotland is the huge amounts of money poured into the local economy by these ‘Chelsea’ Highlanders. They head north and not only help preserve these old homes but through a multitude of suppliers, they keep a lot of shops and other companies busy, as well as employing a lot of local people to help look after the properties themselves.

Absentee landlords are often much criticised but in fact they are essential and need to be encouraged. They pump funds into rural and often poor parts of the country and take on properties that are not financially viable at all. They are of course ‘living a dream’ but life is all about fulfilling ones dreams and if wealthy folk from all over the world find romance and happiness in maintaining a little bit of our heritage, well then we should encourage them. It is a great era for Scotland’s ancestral houses & castles and it’s wonderful to see.

About the author:

Andrew Loyd is a director of Loyd & Townsend-Rose Ltd, who specialize in Scottish castles for hire - ideal for luxury vacations, family reunions, corporate events, or as venues for filming and sporting activities.

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With Summer coming to a glorious climax, the gardens of Hidden England are in full bloom. For garden enthusiasts the opportunities are endless.

Explore more than 10 acres of wonderful gardens in the process of restoration at Easton Walled Gardens - with a cottage garden, turf maze and auricular theatre all new for 2006. Relax in the enchanting mix of formal gardens and semi-wild woodland at Grimsthorpe Castle or in the magical Duchess’s Spring Garden at Belvoir Castle where woodland gardens nestle in a natural amphitheatre.

If rare and unusual plants are your interest you can buy them at Barnsdale Gardens, and at the same time explore the fascinating gardens created for television by the late Geoff Hamilton. Or if a more relaxed lakeside walk is your style than visit Belton House or Burghley - and at Burghley you can also explore the 15 acre Sculpture Park created in the previously lost lower garden created by Capability Brown.

For a fascinating insight in how a formal garden is being transformed see the Gardens of Rockingham Castle. At Rockingham series of new radial yew hedges will provide opportunities for vistas and walkways connecting with the 19th Century Rose Garden.

Work in progress at Rockingham on a series of garden ‘rooms’ designed to contain deep borders of stunning herbaceous andshrub planting, with each room being given a different character.

All the houses and gardens of Hidden England are now open for the Summer Season.

For times and admission costs please visit the Hidden England website. We look forward to seeing you. It’s the perfect time to visit the Gardens of Hidden England.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Stephen

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England has many castles and most make claim to being haunted but Chillingham castle situated in the county of Northumberland with it’s dark dank dungeons and medieval torture chambers has gained a sinister reputation. It has been declared the most haunted castle in England!

The castle dates back to the 12th century and has been continuously owned by earls. It has a turbulent history and its spooky reputation has brought it to the attention of TV programmes exploring the world of the paranormal.

The castle has several ghosts in residence. The most famous being the ‘blue boy’ who upon the stroke of midnight is heard to cry out and moan in agony. The pathetic wailing has been traced to a secret passage in the castle cut through a ten foot thick wall.

It is said that when the cries of the distressed spirit eventually die down, a soft halo of light appears over a nearby four poster bed. Anybody brave enough to sleep there may catch sight of a sad faced young boy dressed all in blue surrounded by ethereal light. At some stage in the castle’s history the entombed remains of a young boy and fragments of blue clothing were discovered behind a wall in the castle. Indicating that he was perhaps the victim of a foul deed!

Another ghostly regular at the castle is ‘Lady Mary Berkely, who is said to be eternally searching for her husband, who had indulged in an hot blooded affair with her sister and eventually ran off with her. Lady Mary, desolate and broken hearted lived on in the castle alone with her young daughter. But in spirit she searches the corridors of the castle for her wayward husband!. The soft rustle of her dress can be heard as she passes visitors on the turret stairs.

These two ghosts are just two of the most sighted but there are others waiting to send shivers down your spine if you are brave enough to visit the castle, especially during the hours of darkness!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

LINDA PRESTON WORKS AS A PROFESSIONAL PSYCHIC & WRITER OF PARANORMAL ARTICLES. HER WORK HAS BEEN FEATURED POSITIVELY IN NATIONAL MAGAZINES. SHE CAN BE CONTACTED VIA HER WEBSITE AT http://www.psychicreadingsbylinda.co.uk

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