Exploring SCOTLAND - Part III - Eilean Donan Castle & The Old Man of Storr скачать в хорошем качестве

Exploring SCOTLAND - Part III - Eilean Donan Castle & The Old Man of Storr

Eilean Donan is recognised as one of the most iconic images of Scotland all over the world. Situated on an island at the point where three great sea lochs meet, and surrounded by some majestic scenery, it is little wonder that the castle is now one of the most visited and important attractions in the Scottish Highlands. Although first inhabited around the 6th century, the first fortified castle was built in the mid 13th century and stood guard over the lands of Kintail. Since then, at least four different versions of the castle have been built and re-built as the feudal history of Scotland unfolded through the centuries. Partially destroyed in a Jacobite uprising in 1719, Eilean Donan lay in ruins for the best part of 200 years until Lieutenant Colonel John MacRae-Gilstrap bought the island in 1911 and proceeded to restore the castle to its former glory. After 20 years of toil and labour the castle was re-opened in 1932. Some people say Eilean Donan is the most beautiful castle in Scotland. Come and decide for yourself! The Old Man of Storr on the Trotternish Ridge is probably the most famous walk, and definitely the busiest attraction, on the Isle of Skye. The Old Man (Bodach an Stòr in Gaelic), is a 55-metre-high pinnacle of basalt rock which is all that remains of a 2,800-million-year-old volcanic plug. The Trotternish Ridge (highest summit being The Storr at 719m) was created around 60million years ago by a massive landslip. Hot volcanic lava flowed onto the weaker sedimentary Jurassic rock beneath it causing the latter to collapse and form the undulating cliff faces of the eastern coastline of Trotternish. The magnificent pinnacles and weathered basalt rock formations of The Storr dominates the Island’s north-eastern landscape and can be seen for miles by travellers heading north as well as from the mainland.