I 
castle u r g^u h a rt. 
C /" URQUHdR? is a large, romantic, beautiful, winding Talley j the 
f ,? t 0m j 1S 'P iea ^ w ' t ^ 1 r ' c ^ ara ^le fields, interlperfed with fome paflure grounds, 
W ate] . ri ^ un ^ed by lofty hills, finely varied with rocks, and woods, and dreams of 
Nearly" ^ !etc ^ es U P ^ or feveral miles from the north-weft fide of Loch-nejs, lying 
p all y °Ppofite to the high grounds of Strath- Erick, and to the General's Hut , and 
ot Fyers, on the fouth-eaft. . 
fo me ^ iere J Spreading up into the hollow of the valley, forms a fpacious bay; 
Ve r y j 1 ln § g r0lJ nds infulated in the bottom of it, and clothed with trees, have a 
bo lln j eafin S e ^ e< ^- On the point of a rocky promontory, which forms the weftern 
ritual ^ ^ ie rema ’ ns Castle Urquhart are placed in a ftrong 
Perp e °?. ’ ^ 01 the. walls °P the principal tower nearly correlpond with the face of the 
latijj - 1 lcu ^ ar roc hj which is wafhed with the waves of the lake ; and the neck of 
*°Wers ky ft°tit bulwarks. The walls of the citadel, and fome other 
for f e rerna in j but more extenfive ranges of buildings, which were once barracks 
ftiir, at ^ era ^ hundred men, are now totally demoli filed, and fallen into one indifcri- 
§taf s r ^‘ n - The has gathered over them : they are covered with weeds and 
v eftiges, however, of maflfy ramparts, ditches, &c. ftill fliew the very 
Sra extenc ground which the buildings within had occupied. 
p 
trat tfa£b 1Tlany particulars obfervable in the records that are preferved concerning 
to re h lte to Cajlle Urquhart , the principal tower, at leaft, appears 
*H>t *j en built a very early age, to which, in all probability, our hiftories do 
t j^ en ■ 1° proportion to the progrefs of the fcience of arms and of defence, 
tf ef s nu mber of inhabitants who occupied the country, the buildings of the for- 
, Cl e gradually ftrengthened and enlarged by thofe Caledonian chieftains who 
fl, P eriorit y anc l pofleffion of the adjacent lands. By fupporting an 
lr) . ment °P military vaflals, and keeping a numerous garrifon in the caftle, 
as th e p' r “ t . a ‘ nec ^ defpotic authority over a very extenfive territory there ; and as late 
C ^ e c ro^ lnn * n ® £ ^ e fourteenth century, held it as a principality independent of 
^ th at • n ‘ They oppofed the edifts and refufed tribute to Edward I. of England ; 
fo rt c ecame an objefl of fome moment in the eye of Government to reduce 
acc 6 ^ an< ^ a hrge body of forces were drawn north for that purpofe ; the caftle 
0r in gly regularly befieged, and after an obftinate refinance taken, anno 
Cujlle Urquhart was then conftituted a royal fort ; and the barony of which 
* Abercrombie's Martial Atchievements. 
O 2 
It 
