Zamek Urquhart, Scottish guides, Historic Investigations
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Situated in one of
Scotland’s most dramatic
locations, the ruins of
Urquhart Castle
relect the
castle’s turbulent past.
INVESTIGATING
URQUHART CASTLE
Information for Teachers
INVESTIGATING
HISTORIC SITES
URQUHART CASTLE
2
Timeline
580
Pictish fort at site
Situated in one of Scotland’s most
dramatic locations, the ruins of
Urquhart Castle relect the castle’s
turbulent past. A lively visitor
centre sheds further light on
everyday life at the castle.
From the end of the 14th century, the
focus of conlict shifted to the west.
The new enemies were the MacDonald
clan, the Lords of the Isles. In 1395
the MacDonalds seized the lands and
castle of Urquhart and for the next
hundred years the castle and glen
were tussled over. In 1470 Sir Duncan
Grant was appointed to try and control
the situation. His grandson gradually
restored order and as a reward was
given the title to the estate and castle
by James IV in 1509. The Grants built
themselves new living accommodation
at the north of the promontory.
1230s
Castle built at
south end by Sir Alan
Durward
1296 –1308
Edward I
invades Scotland and
takes Urquhart; castle
changes hands several
times
1342
David II visits
Historical background
According to records, St Columba
visited Loch Ness around 580. He
travelled through Glen Urquhart,
pausing to banish a marauding ’water
beast’ and to baptise a Pictish nobleman
as he lay dying in his fort. Although
there is no concrete evidence to link
this fort with the site at Urquhart,
archaeological remains conirm that
the highest part of the castle was a well-
fortiied site at this time.
1395
Lord of the Isles
attacks and takes castle
1411
Crown retakes
castle
1400s
Buildings
constructed to north of
early castle
The castle inmates could not yet relax,
however. In 1545 the MacDonalds
cleared out the castle in their inal
‘Great Raid’ and in 1644 the castle was
gutted once again and the Grants driven
out, this time by a posse of Covenanters
who objected to the Grants’ support for
Charles I. The inal attack came in 1690
when after resisting a siege by Jacobites,
soldiers garrisoned at the castle blew up
some of the buildings as they left. The
damage was never repaired and you can
still see parts of the shattered walls in
place where they fell.
1437 –76
Further attacks
by Lords of Isles
The castle surfaces from obscurity
more than ive hundred years later,
around 1230, when Alexander II granted
the Urquhart estate to Sir Thomas le
Durward. His son, Alan, constructed
the irst castle on the south of the
promontory at Urquhart.
1509
Urquhart gifted to
Grant family by James IV;
Grant Tower built after
this
1545
Castle looted by
Lords of the Isles
1644
Attack by
Covenanters; castle
robbed and Grants driven
out
Holding a key strategic position in the
glen, the castle suffered during the
Wars of Independence. Captured by
Edward I of England in 1296, it was
surrendered to the Scots in 1298. The
castle soon changed hands again when
in 1308 Robert the Bruce took control
of Urquhart for the Scottish Crown.
1690
Besieged by
Jacobites; defendants
blow up castle on
departure
1715
South wall of Grant
Tower collapses in storm
1912
Castle taken into
state care
HISTORIC SCOTLAND
EDUCATION
URQUHART CASTLE
3
Supporting learning
and teaching
A visit to
Urquhart Castle
is
particularly appropriate for
teachers working on class study
topics such as:
• The Middle Ages
• Castles
• The Wars of Independence
The
Curriculum for Excellence
aspires to motivate and
challenge pupils through a
wide range of varied learning
experiences. Site visits have a
particular role to play in joining
up learning outcomes across
the curriculum. A visit, and use
of the supporting materials, will
help to:
• develop successful learners
by challenging pupils
to consider how life has
changed for people. It will
help them to think critically
about evidence and arrive at
their own conclusions.
• develop conident
individual
s.
Pupils wilI
learn about aspects of their
community’s past, develop
an understanding of social
changes, establish some
of their own values and
communicate their views on
different historical and social
issues.
• develop responsible
citizens
.
It will help to
increase pupils’ social
and historical knowledge
and understanding and
encourage greater respect for
their own historic and built
environment.
• develop effective
contributors
by broadening
pupils’ knowledge and
understanding through
investigative, creative and
critical thinking.
Before the visit
Working on site
• Help pupils gain a clearer grasp of
the time scale by making a time
line with them, counting back the
centuries and then marking on key
events. This could be added to after
the visit.
When exploring the castle, pupils
should be encouraged to look critically
at what they see, and to make and test
theories based on physical evidence.
Useful starting points are:
• Why do you think the castle was built
here? What are its natural defences?
• Discuss the organisation of life in
a castle. Pupils could investigate
the roles of these key ‘managers’:
steward
(in charge of the
household),
constable
(in charge of
castle security),
marshal
(in charge
of travel and communications). This
is a key theme of the displays of the
visitor centre and is an excellent
route into discussing everyday castle
life.
• What materials were used to build
the castle? Where did the materials
come from? Are there any materials
which might have rotted or been
stolen since then?
• What evidence is there for everyday
life ( eg eating, heating, toilets and
washing)?
• What evidence is there to tell us
about the owners of the castle?
• Discuss with pupils all the different
activities which would have gone
on in a castle. Pupils could research
different topics (e.g. food, travel,
entertainment, weapons) to prepare
them for the visit.
• How has the castle changed over the
years?
Pupils can record evidence by taking
notes, sketching, taking photographs,
recording impressions into a tape
recorder.
• Discuss the hierarchy of life in
Scotland in the middle ages and the
role taken by the lord of a castle on
behalf of the sovereign.
On the Historic Scotland website:www.
historic-scotland.gov.uk/education_
unit teachers can ind additional
resources to help with work on site.
These include compiling an
Evidence
Record
and a
My Impressions Record
.
• It is helpful if pupils have some of
the architectural terminology of
castles as this makes discussing
on site easier. Useful words might
include:
courtyard, chamber,
archway, gun loop, turnpike stair,
motte, privy, dovecot, drawbridge,
portcullis, beam
. Pupils could
produce a class illustrated dictionary
to explain these terms
Suggestions for follow-up work
Following the visit pupils can pool their
indings. This could form the basis for
a range of presentation activities, for
example:
• A guide book or promotional lealet
for future visitors or another class.
• Some children ind it hard to
imagine that a castle was ever
anything other than a ruin. Discuss
how wind and weather can affect
the look of a building as well as the
deliberate changes that people
choose to make to buildings.
• A slide show with commentary of
their visit.
• Imaginative writing or role play
based on the lives of the inhabitants
of the castle.
HISTORIC SCOTLAND
EDUCATION
URQUHART CASTLE
4
Plan of Urquhart Castle
On the trail of the
Urquhart castles
Our suggested tour
route guides you and
your pupils around the
complex site at Urquhart
and helps you to make
sense of the different
ruins remaining from
different ages.
After visiting the excellent
displays at the Visitors
Centre, we suggest you
visit eight key locations,
marked on the plan to
the right:
1. Outside Urquhart
Castle
2. The Trebuchet
3. The Drawbridge and
Gatehouse
4. The Guardroom and
Constable’s Lodgings
5. The Summit and
Dovecot
6. The Water gate and
Service Close
7. The Great Hall
8. Grant’s Tower
Background information
is given in the pack
for each location. It
is written in simple
language so that it can
be read aloud to pupils
if desired. Also included
are suggested
questions
for discussion
.The focus
is on encouraging pupils
to
interpret
the building
and deduce what they
can from clues they see
around them.
Allow about an hour for
the suggested tour.
8
7
4
3
2
1
6
5
HISTORIC SCOTLAND
EDUCATION
URQUHART CASTLE
5
Did you know...
Tour notes: On the trail of the
Urquhart Castles
The Visitors Centre was
opened in 2001 and was
designed to blend in with
the landscape and not
spoil any views. Do you
think it works?
The Visitors Centre
After registering with the Steward at reception, make your way down to the
Visitors Centre. As there are no toilets actually on the castle site, it is a good idea
to use the toilets here before you go to the castle. You can then proceed directly
down the path to the castle; however, it is well worth spending even a short time in
the Visitors Centre. Of particular interest are:
• Displays of original and replica objects found on the castle site.
• Displays about everyday life, organised around the key managerial jobs at the
castle (the steward, the constable, the marshall and the chaplain).
• A model showing how the castle might have looked in about 1600. Have a look
in particular at the drawbridge on the model.
• A video showing the replica
trebuchet
(giant catapult) in action, linging giant
stone balls at a target. You can also see original trebuchet balls.
Visitors Centre from the
castle
You may also like to watch the
8-minute video
about the castle in the small
auditorium. This gives a potted history of the castle, with atmospheric
reconstructions and re-enactments of key events. Although it is not particularly
aimed at children, it is dramatic and visual enough to hold their attention and does
convey some of the key historic moments of the site.
Stand in front of the Visitors Centre looking down at the castle and the loch.
HISTORIC SCOTLAND
EDUCATION
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