Dalcross Castle facts for kids
Dalcross Castle is a super cool old castle that has been brought back to life! It's a type of building called a tower house and was built in the 1600s. You can find it in the Highlands of Scotland, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southwest of Croy and 7 miles (11 km) northeast of Inverness. This impressive castle stands tall on a ridge, giving it a great view.
Contents
The Story of Dalcross Castle
Who Lived Here?
The land where Dalcross Castle sits was once owned by the Frasers of Lovat. In 1620, the 8th Lord Lovat, Simon Fraser, built the first castle here. But not long after, the castle became the property of the Mackintoshes.
A Place for Soldiers
Before a famous battle called the battle of Culloden in 1746, soldiers from the Hanoverian army gathered at Dalcross Castle. After this time, the castle was left empty and slowly fell into ruin.
Bringing the Castle Back to Life
Luckily, in the 20th century, people decided to restore Dalcross Castle! It was brought back to its former glory and became a home again for the descendants of the Mackintosh family who used to live there. The restoration work probably happened around 1896.
What Does Dalcross Castle Look Like?
Castle Design and Shape
Dalcross Castle is often described as an L-plan castle, which means it looks like the letter 'L' from above. However, you could also think of it as two parts that are slightly offset and joined at a corner. One part of the castle has five floors plus an attic, while the other has three floors.
Cool Features of the Castle
Connecting the two parts is a square tower that sticks out. This tower has a small turret on top called a bartizan and a watch-chamber, which was a place for guards to keep watch. This design creates two interesting corners in the castle's shape.
You'll notice many small openings in the walls, which were used for gunloops (for guns) and shot-holes (for shooting arrows or small projectiles). Many of the windows still have their original iron gates, called yetts, which were like strong metal grilles for protection.
Inside the Castle Walls
The main entrance to the castle is found at the bottom of the square stair-tower, leading in from the courtyard. Inside, you'll find a vaulted basement area. This basement holds cellars, a kitchen with a huge arched fireplace, and even a wine cellar. From the wine cellar, a small staircase leads up to the beautiful main hall on the first floor. You can also reach this hall by a wider main staircase.
The main hall has a fancy ashlar (smooth stone) chimney piece with decorative carvings. It also features a coat of arms and a motto that says, "Je Trouve Bien" (which means "I find well" or "I find good"). Higher up in the castle, small spiral stairs lead to the bedrooms. A very large chimney stack sits on top of the east wall of the north part of the castle.
Building Materials and Details
The castle is built from red rough stone, but it has smooth, polished stone details around the windows and doors. The doorway itself has special carved edges and a stepped hood mould (a decorative stone projection above the door). Above the doorway, a stone panel shows the date 1720. Some of the windows, including those that stick out from the roof (called dormers), were added during the 1896 restoration.
Outside, there are lovely gardens surrounded by a red stone wall with a flat top. Dalcross Castle is considered a "Category A listed building," which means it's a very important historical building that needs to be protected.
