Caerlaverock Castle And Sweetheart Abbey

A friend brought this castle to my attention. I found my way to this dramatic and often attacked castle on a misty Saturday. Caerlaverock Castle was the home of Sir Herbert Maxwell and his family in the late 1200s but fell when it was attacked in 1300. It was rebuilt and in 1634, it was retrofitted to become a fashionable mansion for the Maxwell family, keeping the basic triangular structure but adding large windows and more common rooms. Ironically, it was sacked once again a few years later by the Protestant Covenanting army.

I certainly did not do the castle justice with these photos. Please look at this one - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Caerlaverock_Castle_from_the_air.jpg The shape is fascinating.  Of all the castles I have wandered through, I found this to feel the most welcoming and I attribute it to the triangular shape.  

One wall is almost completely gone.  This is the view from the top of a side wall.

Inside the castle walls.

Many gorgeous fireplaces throughout the castle.

Having fun with nature's patterns...and proof that it does rain in Scotland:)

From Caerlaverock Castle to Sweetheart Abbey in the charming town of New Abbey. Having been in some breathtaking abbeys in France, I found this one charming in its own right but it had more to do with its current state of disarray - the red sandstone frame with the contrast of the grass floor and open fields.  Although, the architecture no longer serves its purpose of drawing your eye up.  

The abbey was established by Devorgilla, Lady of Galloway in 1273, in memory of her husband John Balliol, father of King John of Scotland and founder of Balliol College in Oxford.  On his death, she had his heart embalmed.  When she died in 1289, she was buried with the embalmed heart of her husband in front of the high altar, hence the name "Sweetheart Abbey".  

Another SmartWool pair joined me today....