scottish castles scottish castles buildings combine fortifications residence built borders modern scotland castles arrived scotland introduction twelfth century initially wooden bailey constructions replaced stone castles high curtain wall wars independence robert bruce pursued policy castle late middle ages new castles built scale maintenance castles support large garrison gunpowder weaponry led use gun ports platforms mount guns walls adapted resist bombardment late medieval castles built borders form tower houses smaller towers simpler houses fifteenth century phase renaissance palace building castle type palaces beginning elements medieval castles royal palaces tower houses construction scots estate houses built largely comfort castle like appearance seventeenth eighteenth centuries military significance castles declined increasingly tourist attractions elements scots style revived late eighteenth century trend confirmed popularity rebuilding nineteenth century adoption retreat queen_victoria twentieth century isolated examples new castle influenced houses tower houses renovated castles taken scotland open public middle ages castles sense fortified residence lord noble arrived scotland consequence royal authority twelfth century prior little evidence castles having existed scotland remained politically england north ruled kings norway david scotland spent time court earl returned scotland intention extending royal power country scotland military technology including introduction castles scottish king encouraged norman french nobles settle scotland introducing feudal mode use castles way controlling contested suggested creation castles scotland conquest establishing governing system primarily wooden bailey constructions raised mount wooden tower larger adjacent enclosure bailey usually surrounded ditch connected wooden bridge varied size large modest designs like england constructions converted stone bailey castles twelfth century scotland continued occupation stone castles thirteenth century high curtain wall need thick high walls defence forced use economic building methods continuing scottish tradition dry stone rubble building covered lime render uniform appearance addition castles royal castles larger providing defence lodging scottish court local administrative centre included fortifications scotland undertook number castle building projects modern style early death sparked conflict scotland english intervention edward resulting wars independence brought phase castle building end began new phase siege warfare recorded siege scotland siege besieging able break relatively weak stone walls axes days edward invaded scotland brought siege capabilities evolved south border resulting rapid fall major castles fell days castles surrendered english king subsequent english attacks considerable resources including giant siege engines extensive teams miners result adopted policy castle destruction allow fortresses easily held english beginning castles including edinburgh wars independence new castles began built scale maintenance castles house retained troops like near rebuilt duke albany fourteenth century early gunpowder weapons introduced scotland new technology began installed scottish castles beginning edinburgh fifteenth century gunpowder weaponry fundamentally altered nature castle architecture existing castles adapted allow use new weapons incorporation gun ports platforms mount guns walls adapted resist bombardment begun probably castle british isles built artillery fort incorporating shape better resist cannon fire artillery mounted letter box gun ports common mainland europe england rapidly spread kingdom scotland led way adopting new design castle ditches constructed castle tower houses largest number late medieval fortifications scotland built nobles tower house design smaller versions tower houses southern scotland known towers houses defences tower houses primarily aimed provide protection smaller raiding parties intended significant opposition organised military assault led historian defensive typically tall square stone built building surrounded walled courtyard designed hold valuable animals necessarily intended defence built extensively sides border england fourteenth century isles led additional burst tower building region number built scottish towns option small farmers house form fortified house combined functions tower house usually storey houses ground floor acting animals driven living space upper floor reached ladder miles border built turn sixteenth century renaissance palaces extensive building rebuilding royal palaces probably began accelerated reaching peak exceptional revenues key lands establish power kingdom ways including constructing castles extending modifying existing fortifications works seen directly reflecting influence renaissance styles constructed james direction master work referred palace apparently use term country extended began correspond fashionable corner italian palace castle style palace combining classical symmetry neo imagery clean italian appearance evidence italian working reign completed palaces rebuilt proportions according architectural historian results earliest examples coherent renaissance design britain shift architectural focus reflected changing political alliances formed close alliance france reign encountered french version renaissance building visiting marriage second marriage mary guise resulted longer term connections influences work reign largely disregarded style adopted england henry_viii adopted forms european beginning extensive work followed buildings edinburgh described finest examples renaissance architecture britain castle rebuilding planned financed addition work castle house new inn lodging abbey ailing queen copying continental forms scottish architecture incorporated elements styles traditional local patterns adapting scottish materials particularly stone similar themes seen private houses built earl sixteenth seventeenth centuries period french intervention end rough scotland given defended border series forts additions existing castles included erection single edinburgh unique style great private houses scotland later known scots located origin period kept features high walled medieval castles largely obsolete gunpowder weapons influenced french brought scotland work royal palaces drew tower houses towers new estate houses built late sixteenth century nobles primarily built comfort defence called castles retained external features associated nobility larger ground plan plan rectangular block towers castle particularly influential work king master mason death worked rebuilding collapsed 3rd earl began work edinburgh adopted distinctive style applied elements scottish fortification flemish influences renaissance plan like style seen lord houses built edinburgh highly influential style gave way english forms associated later seventeenth century produce inspired comfortable country houses decline scotland inherited crown england bringing period peace countries royal court left london result exceptions occasional visits building work royal castles north border largely ceased castles continued modest military utility eighteenth century royal castles edinburgh continued use practical fortifications tower houses built restoration fortified tower house fell fashion weak state scottish economy larger properties simply abandoned modest castles continued adapted houses rebuilt bishop wars castles held king including roofs removed walls breached base scottish attacks advancing army result submission siege train losing end towers residence point sequence threatened crown scotland culminating rebellion able withstand attack siege end rebellion final castle siege occur british isles aftermath conflict castles barracks forces sent garrison highlands destroyed result rebellion late eighteenth century castles tourist attractions popular location account gardens romantic historic connections tours increasingly popular nineteenth century usually starting edinburgh spending weeks north taking advantage expanding rail steamer network remained popular additional castles joined circuit popular railway line reached north scottish castle known providing long historical accounts sites drawing plots romantic novels details sir novels set scotland northern castles including featured poem gothic revival scotland revival castle late eighteenth nineteenth centuries wider movement new houses built existing buildings gothic styles constructed design input displays incorporation turrets houses revived style son houses style included clearly seen castle adam largely conventional style houses incorporated external features scots style important adoption revival early nineteenth century residence built model modern revival style common features borrowed seventeenth century houses included crow stepped pointed turrets style popular scotland applied relatively modest dwellings architects urban contexts including building street edinburgh 1850s rebuilding palace adoption royal retreat confirmed popularity style scots architects frequently improved existing castles floors castle transformed added grand turrets style spread south architect added scots touch work windsor twentieth century present style peaked end nineteenth century building large houses declined importance twentieth century continued influence construction estate houses including castle rebuilt industrialist ross building world war social change undermined construction rural country houses isolated examples castles include houses combine modern traditional elements place restoration castles began early twentieth century projects including renovation castle complete reconstruction fragments masonry restoration movement grew world war fashion tower houses including restoration castle near restoration tower houses smaller castles continues recent examples including tower near launched scottish castle initiative aimed encouraging private investment restoration scotland castles including register potential restoration candidates despite efforts number castles remain scotland scotland castles ruined occupied remain private ownership open public occasionally twentieth century number older castles transferred care state responsibility created agency cares properties publicly accessible including castles include scotland famous castles including edinburgh numerous tower houses ruined castles founded cares castles estate houses including occupation twentieth century operates historic buildings holiday homes including castles hands local government example castle maintained building preservation charitable bodies example
Scottish castles