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My Insta Scotland, Oban (2026)

30/08/2026

Midhope Castle,
in Outlander used as Lallybroch, home of the fictional character Jamie Fraser.

The property was owned by the Martin family in 1478, and they had a castle here, but passed to the Livingstones soon afterwards. James Lindsay, Lord Lindsay, had a ratification of 1592 for the lands of Midhope, with the tower and fortalice thereof. Midhope belonged to the Drummonds of Midhope, who were in possession during part of the 16th and 17th centuries, and Alexander Drummond of Midhope remodelled the tower in 1587 and his initials with those of his wife Marjorie Bruce are on a former lintel now above a gateway. Alexander Drummond of Midhope is on record in the 1640s, then Sir Robert Drummond of Midhope in 1647 and 1661.

The property passed to the Livingstones in 1664, and the intials of George Livingstone, 3rd Earl of Linlithgow are on a lintel, then went to the Hopes in 1678 and they remodelled the building. In 1710 the place was described as ‘a fine towerhouse with excellent gardens, one of the seats of the Earls of Hopetoun’. Midhope Castle was used to house farm workers after the building of nearby Hopetoun House, and in 1851 53 people lived here, but it was later abandoned and is now semi-derelict, although the outside was consolidated in 1988. The castle lies on the extensive Hopetoun estate.

23/08/2026

Melrose Abbey, Scottish Borders.

David I founded Scotland’s first Cistercian monastery in 1136. Being so close to the border, Melrose Abbey suffered at English hands during the Middle Ages. Melrose’s location put it on the front line of conflict with England during the later Middle Ages.

Melrose was attacked by Edward I (1300 and 1307) and Edward II (1322) required major repairs. Also Richard II’s attacked Melrose in 1385 led to a complete rebuilding of the abbey church.

The Abbey suffered from the Protestant Reformation in 1560. Afterwards, the existing monks were allowed to stay on: the last died in 1590.

In 1996 during excavations of the abbey ruins a urn was discovered and confirmed to hold the heart of Robert the Bruce. A circular marker on the east side of the Abbey indicates the supposed final resting place.

16/08/2026

Falkland Palace, Fife.

Inspired by the grand châteaux of France, in the 16th century James IV and his son, James V, transformed this favoured retreat of the royal Stuarts – the palace became one of the finest examples of Renaissance architecture in Scotland.

One of Falkland’s most famous royal residents – Mary, Queen of Scots – was enchanted with the palace, and took advantage of Falkland’s vast estate to pursue falconry and hunting, while also enjoying a game of tennis in what is now the oldest surviving real (or royal) tennis court in the world.

Although it fell into disrepair after 1660, Falkland Palace was saved from ruin in the 19th century by the 3rd Marquess of Bute. The National Trust for Scotland is taking care of the palace today.

Did you know?
Johnny Cash played a televised concert at Falkland in 1981.

Cash learned upon researching his ancestry, that he was of Scottish royal descent. After the opportunity of meeting with former Falkland, Fife laird, Major Michael Crichton-Stuart, he traced the Cash family tree to 11th-century Fife, Scotland.

09/08/2026

Inchcolm Abbey

Inchcolm Abbey sits on the small island of Inchcolm in the Firth of Forth, between Edinburgh and the coast of Fife. Despite being only a short boat trip from the mainland, the island feels wonderfully remote and peaceful.

The story of Inchcolm began in the early 12th century. According to tradition, King Alexander I was caught in a violent storm while crossing the Firth of Forth in 1123 and was forced to take shelter on the island. After being helped by a hermit who lived there, Alexander reportedly vowed to establish a religious community on Inchcolm.

After Alexander’s death, his brother King David I brought Augustinian canons to the island and a priory was established. In 1235 it was raised to the status of an abbey.

Because of its exposed position in the Firth of Forth, Inchcolm was far from untouched by Scotland’s turbulent history. The island was repeatedly attacked by English forces during the medieval wars between Scotland and England, and the monks eventually had to live with the constant threat of raids.

Today, Inchcolm Abbey is considered one of the best-preserved medieval monastic complexes in Scotland. Its remarkable octagonal Chapter House, cloisters, church and other surviving buildings give a fascinating impression of monastic life in the Middle Ages.

The island later gained a completely different military role. During both World Wars, Inchcolm formed part of the defences protecting the Firth of Forth, the naval base at Rosyth and the strategically important Forth Bridge.

With medieval ruins, wartime fortifications, sea views and plenty of seabirds, Inchcolm is a fascinating mixture of Scottish history and island atmosphere – and it’s easy to understand why the abbey is sometimes called the “Iona of the East.”

02/08/2026

Dunfermline Abbey, Fife

In 1070, Margaret founded a priory in Dunfermline on the site where she had married Malcolm III. She introduced a small community of Benedictine monks from Canterbury, and so laid the foundations of the first Benedictine house in Scotland.

David I made the priory an abbey in 1128. He had a new church built on a grand scale, of which the magnificent nave survives. The Romanesque pillars are similar to those of Durham Cathedral, and it’s likely that the same masons carved them.

In 1250, St Margaret’s remains were moved to an elaborate shrine at the east end of the church. A 19th-century parish church (Abbey Church) now stands on the site of the choir and presbytery. This is the location of the tomb of Robert the Bruce and the other royals buried here.

26/07/2026

Linlithgow Palace

James I ordered work on a palace to begin in 1424, following a fire that severely damaged the earlier residence. The elegant, new ‘pleasure palace’ became a welcome rest stop for royals on the busy road between Edinburgh Castle and Stirling Castle.

Mary, Queen of Scots, was born on 8th of December 1542 at Linlithgow Palace, to King James V and his French second wife, Mary of Guise. Mary was baptised at the nearby Church of St Michael shortly after she was born. On 14th December, six days after her birth, she became Queen of Scotland when her father died.

The palace fell quickly into decline when James VI (son of Mary) moved the royal court to London in 1603, following his coronation as James I of England.

The palace’s north quarter, which probably housed the queen’s apartment where Mary was born, fell to the ground in 1607. It was rebuilt around 1620, on the orders of James VI. The Duke of Cumberland’s army destroyed most of the palace buildings by burning in January 1746.

12/07/2026

King James V watches over Stirling Castle.

This remarkable statue can be found on the façade of the Royal Palace at Stirling Castle. James V transformed Stirling into one of the finest Renaissance palaces in Britain and made it one of his favourite royal residences.

The palace is famous for its impressive collection of statues and carvings, many of which represent kings, queens, nobles and mythical figures from Scotland’s past.

More than 480 years later, James V is still keeping an eye on his castle and the visitors below.

06/07/2026

Jedburgh Abbey, Scottish Borders

Jedburgh had been an important religious site for 300 years when the Augustinians arrived in 1138 and built the abbey. David I wanted his new abbey to show his power and authority over the border region – a ‘debatable land’. The abbey still impresses today, almost 900 years later, despite war and weather. The cloister is mostly reduced to stone foundations, but the great abbey church of St Mary the Virgin stands almost complete.

It took more than 70 years to largely complete the building – during which time its status changed from priory to abbey. Architectural fashions changed too – from Romanesque to Gothic.

Set so close to the border, and with its royal castle and wealthy abbey, Jedburgh was a tempting target. It was frequently fought over during the Wars of Independence (1296–1356) and again in the 1400s and 1500s. The end of monastery life came with the Protestant Reformation in 1560.

05/07/2026

Caerlaverock Castle near Dumfries.

Caerlaverock’s triangular shape is unique among British castles. A walk around the castle gives a sense of its strength, economy of form and pleasing geometry.

Three lengths of defensive curtain wall are linked at their three angles by high corner towers. On the north side is an impressive twin-towered gatehouse, where the Maxwells had their private rooms.

The Maxwells repaired and upgraded Caerlaverock over the years. The impressive machicolations (slotted defences) at the top of each tower date from the late 1300s or early 1400s – by which time the Wars of Independence with England had taken their toll.

Inside the castle walls is the remarkable Nithsdale Lodging, built in the 1630s by Robert Maxwell, 1st Earl of Nithsdale. Its attractive façade, with its ornate Renaissance stone carvings, is a sharp contrast to the severe castle walls.

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