Travel diary Scotland day 4, 2016: Castle Leoch or Winterfell?

 **Disclaimer: I write and upload the same day, often after a long and exhausting day. I often don't have the focus to re read and take out the typos, grammatical and vocabulary errors. Beware!**

Hallooooo!

**picture heavy post**

Unlike yesterday, I did get out of bed in time. Wanted to get to Doune Castle as early as possible and then get breakfast in town. I managed both ^^

Had the most delicious pancakes at the Buttercup Cafe just in town Doune.

Castle Leoch or Winterfell?
By 10am I had bought my ticket and had my audio guide at the ready.

I really really really recommend to visit this place! Audio guide is included and is sooo funny. Monty Python and the Holy Grail was shot here in 1975 and the tour is narrated by Terry Jones, one of the directors, actors, producers of the movie. They let you hear fragments of the movie and it's so funny. I must have looked like an idiot, standing in the courtyard, laughing at apparently nothing. Sam Heughan (Jamie Fraser) narrates the little side tour about Outlander which was also shot here. The castle also featured in the pilot for Game of Thrones as Winterfell, House of Stark.

Did you know that the kitchen in Castle Leoch isn't actually filmed at Doune Castle? The art departement made a replica in the studios near Glasgow as the crew could damage the stone walls by hanging up lights or sounds equipment. Interesting hein?

It took me a bit over an hour to get around the castle. I listened to the entire audio guide and walked around the castle just to get a better picture of the area. Unfortunately the battlements were closed due to the bad weather. It was drizzling on and off all morning...

Prison or residence?
...And by the time I arrived at Loch Leven to visit that castle, it was proper raining. However, the moment we stepped onto the little boat that would bring us to the island, the sun came out and it stayed like that for the rest of the afternoon.

Lochleven Castle had various functions throughout history. Robert the Bruce used it as a residence, Mary, queen of Scots' first visit was as a guest, her last as a prisoner. She stayed on the second floor of the tower house for a year before dramatically escaping the island.

I'm really happy I got to visit it this year. Last year I arrived just after closing time... It is also nearly on the day that I returned a year later. 19/06/2015 and 20/06/2016 Travel diary Scotland day 7, 2015: Mrs Rowling, are you home?

No ghost of a Highlander to be seen
After my visit to Lochleven Castle it was time to check in at my next hotel. And that is in Falkland. Does the picture below look familiar? It might be, as it features as the little town near Inverness where Claire and Frank stay on their second honeymoon. I'm actually staying in the Covenanter, which is the little hotel that also featured in the series!

Outlander is quite the presence at the hotel. The series probably has increase the tourisme in town. I'm a prime example for that.

After taking my pictures around the square I also visited Falkland Palace, because, you know, I'm a member of the National Trust so it was free for me. Why not pop in and see if it's interesting? Turned out, ANOTHER link with Mary, queen of Scots and her father, James V. It just keep coming and coming. She used to stay there for hunting parties and tennis matches. Who knew?

The palace closes at 5pm and as it was a bit too early for dinner, I decided to work a bit and enjoy the sun whilst I was at it. This was my 'office' for today. Bliss.

This is the little hotel I'm staying on the Square if anyone is interested: the Covenanter, Falkland.

And that is it for today!

I'll see you tomorrow!
xo - Sara