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Saturday, |
FIRST: Some info about Dalhousie Castle accommodations.
NOTE!
The “COST” of staying here (& in other CASTLES) is discussed at the END of THIS PAGE.
Dalhousie Castle has 27 bedrooms.
Fifteen of them are newly-renovated “Themed” bedrooms,
honoring important individuals who participated in Dalhousie Castle’s history.
a French nobleman under King David, was the first to land at Dalhousie. The Ramsays became notorious border raiders and for-hire cutthroats.”
In 1280, “Ramsay Dalhousie (Ramsay de Dalwolsey)
500 year old Dalhousie Castle Well!
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 [Scanned Pic] |
Well, POOH.
The De Ramseia Suite was already booked the night of our Dalhousie Castle stay.
(Probably by that pesky Bride & Groom! LOL)
I’m not going to bore you with info about ALL the other Themed Rooms
Ruby and I didn’t stay in! But, here are a couple rooms we didn’t stay in that
looked OH-so-Scrumptious!
“William de Ramsay of Dalhousie was a member of the king’s council in 1255 during the minority of Alexander III of Scotland. His son, or perhaps his grandson, also called William, appears on the Ragman Roll, swearing fealty to Edward I of England [stinking “Longshanks”] in 1296 as Ramsay de Dalwolsy, along with ten other Ramsay lairds from Angus, Fife, Midlothian and the borders.”
Later, however, that William de Ramsay “joined King Robert the Bruce, who went on to a glorious victory over the English at Bannockburn in 1314.”
The ROBERT THE BRUCE ROOM Description:
“A very large high ceiling room, facing south across dramatic views of the rolling parkland and forests. The rich, luxurious, Renaldie decor fully justifies the noble place this King represents in Scottish history. A dramatically canopied King Size bed dominates the room, with striking tones of blue and burgundy, whilst the furnishings relate back to medieval times. The en-suite bathroom also reflects this period with its specially designed tiles and antique style fittings.”
Queen of Scots, visited Dalhousie in 1563. |
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 [A scanned pic o’ the Mary, Queen of Scots Room.] |
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suite includes a majestically carved four-poster Queen-size double bed, an enlarged Bathroom and a separate sitting room overlooking the South Esk river and countryside. The historical connection dates back to when the then Laird of Dalwolsie (Dalhousie) joined Mary, Queen of Scots to fight the English, under her banner at the Battle of Langside. During the renovations a 16th century “shot-hole” was discovered in the defensive tower, which has now been restored to its original stone face.” |
Ruby Rexene and I stayed in the SIR WALTER SCOTT room!
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across the twisting River South Esk and rolling parkland. The decor reflects a warm and comforting approachtowards luxury living, with rich mahogany furniture blended into shades of yellow and beige. This double or twin bedded room is festooned withSir Walter Scott artefacts and could be converted into an adjacent sitting room for the Queen Victoria room. The bathroom represents, with its fittings and decor,a late Georgian and early Victorian style.” |
RELAXING IN OUR ROOM BEFORE DINNER
I was still a SMOKER when we stayed here.
This was a truly WONDERFUL room! |
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Beginning with THIS, a shot of the Eastern-most View from our window.
[A Ruby Pic]
MY PIC of the LATE NIGHT VIEW from our WINDOW, looking toward the turret to the WEST of us. |
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At the risk of seeming GAUCHE, let’s discuss what it costs to stay in a Castle!
Because I booked the two of us into a “Themed Room” at Dalhousie
BUT! That amount covered our THEMED ROOM for 2 (a double bed),
(at Ruby’s request!), we were charged £30.00 more than a “standard”
interior Castle room. Thus, the “tariff” for our room was £265 – $527.38
at April 2007’s exchange rate. [There may or may not have been a VAT
(“Value Added Tax”) fee added to that.]
DINNER FOR 2 on Saturday night, a bottle of HOUSE WINE with Dinner
(Oops, we forgot to get it – but we had cocktails before and during dinner!),
AND a Full Scottish Breakfast for 2 on Sunday morning!
If you consider the inclusion of DINNER, DRINKS and BREAKFAST,
$264 bucks per person is NOT an incredibly “expensive” fee
for staying overnight in a REAL (and truly luxurious) CASTLE.
When Susan and I stayed in a privately-owned Scottish Castle in 2002,
That gig cost a bit more than Dalhousie’s package.
we enjoyed close to the same thing: Twin Bed Room for one night,
a Multi-Course Dinner for 2 (ALL drinks included – champagne, wines, whiskey),
and Breakfast for 2 the next morning.
But, Castle Forbes was a very special, very “PRIVATE” Castle.
And, the Castle Forbes Dinner was far more … involved …
than simply dining in a dungeon restaurant.
So, HEY! Castle Forbes was WORTH every flippin’ penny!
THE POINT I’M STRUGGLING TO MAKE, IS THIS:
Yes! It costs more to stay in a Castle than in a B&B or in most regular hotels.
But, lodging in a Castle is a MUST DO AT LEAST ONCE kind o’ thing.
And, it doesn’t have to be an exorbitant expense!
FOR INSTANCE: About an hour’s drive North of Inverness, there is
a Scottish Castle that is part of the SCOTTISH YOUTH HOSTEL system.
If you don’t mind sharing a very Spartan room, you can stay overnight in
CARBISDALE CASTLE for LESS THAN $50 PER NIGHT!
BOTTOM LINE:
Lodging in a Castle is a MUST DO AT LEAST ONCE kind o’ thing.
Dalhousie Castle is an extremely REASONABLY-PRICED way
to enjoy the BEST Castle Lodging Experience!
GO TO THE NEXT PAGE:
Dinner in the DALHOUSIE DUNGEON
c-d-miller@neb.rr.com
