Rothesay Castle
Next castle on the list involved catching a boat from Wemyss Bay to Rothesay on the Isle of Bute. I had visited Wemyss Bay earlier this year and had noted in part 153 of this blog that I had this trip on my list of things to do. The crossing took around thirty-five minutes and once docked at Rothesay, you are no more than a minutes walk from there to the town.
Rothesay Castle is only minutes away so that was the first stop. Unfortunately, it was closed, but was nevertheless well worth seeing. Dating from the early 13th century, it has a large stone circular curtain wall, which I believe is unique among the castles in Scotland. It is also surrounded by a moat. Robert the Bruce spent time here during the Wars of Scottish Independence in 1311, and much later was used as a base for Oliver Cromwell’s troops in the late 17th century.
The castle also has the earliest documented account of an attack on a Scottish castle in 1230. This was waged by a Norwegian fleet, backed by King Haakon IV of Norway who spent three days attempting to take the castle. From what I’ve read this led to further fortification with four round towers to strengthen the castle wall. There was another attack in 1263, at the time of the Battle of Largs. Although there was no clear winner, a storm dispersed the Norwegian fleet to Orkney where King Hakon Hakonsson died. This led to the Treaty of Perth in 1266, which ceded the Hebrides and Isle of Man to the Scottish crown and ending the Norse Viking influence in Scotland.
A more unusual tourist attraction is the West Pier Public Convenience, or Victorian Toilets. Situated a minutes walk from the harbour, these were originally commissioned in 1899, and were restored in 1994, maintaining the look and feel of the late Victorian era. These are decked out with highly ornate ceramics, marble and brass fittings and there is a sense of stepping back in time on entering. There is no comparison with modern fittings, and it is quite a sight to take in.
After a quick bite to eat overlooking the sea – the weather at this point was glorious – it was back on the boat to the mainland as there was one more castle to visit, making a total of four castles in twenty-four hours.
The Fiction Factory 