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CHAS & SUSAN’S EXCELLENT UK ADVENTURE

Day Eight … DRUM CASTLE!

A Pic From the BOOK

Of course, they had to
print this pic across TWO pages!
Even so, this pic still provides
the best demonstration of how there
are several different-aged sections
of this incredible castle.

Drum Castle “is special because
it combines a Medieval Keep

(the Tall Square portion),
a Jacobean Mansion house,
and a Victorian extension
in a uniquely pure form.”

Since this was our
LAST CASTLE

(Huge POUT!),

I finally broke out the TRIPOD
to get pix o’ Suz & I together
in front of at least ONE Castle!
(Timers are wonderful!)

So, there’s this pic,
and the close-up below.

DRUM CASTLE
Exterior Mini-Vid

Short & Sweet!
It was also taken
while my camera was
mounted on the tripod.

Just a couple pix of one corner of the Courtyard.


A Great Panoramic
COURTYARD
of Drum Castle
Mini-Vid

See The
INTERIOR

of Drum Castle!

THE MEDIEVAL KEEP
“This is one of the three oldest
tower houses in Scotland,
a superb, solid structure
probably dating from

before 1290.”

“It is a massive structure with smooth, rounded corners on its immensely
thick walls which made it almost
impregnable in the days before gunpowder. Yet these walls …
slope in gently as they soar to
their full height of 70ft …

The one large window in the keep is a
19th century alteration …
originally this tough tower
had only tiny windows or slits.”

Much of the Keep must be entered from the OUTSIDE! “The Keep was deliberately built with no entrance of any kind at ground level … a relatively modern stone stair leads to the first-floor entrance.” (Seen above.) Originally, only a wooden ladder would have led to the Keep’s entrance,
and could be easily removed in times of trouble! The Library (seen on the interior pix page) is where
the old “Common Hall” of the Keep used to be, and is the only area of the keep
that can be accessed from within (part of the main Jacobean house).

Something I have NO pix of! But, was INCREDIBLY FUN!: Two rooms of the Keep remain exactly as they were, in the 1200’s!!! You get to see them – and walk around in them! – when you enter the Keep from the exterior door, enroute to the Battlement of the Keep.


ABOVE: The Keep’s Battlement (Top)

LEFT: A view of the Courtyard from
the TOP o’ Drum Castle Keep.

THREE Mini-Vidz taken from the TOP o’ Drum Castle Keep

THE CHAPEL
Hidden away in a copse of yews and hollies
behind Drum Castle, this Episcopal Chapel
was restored in 1856.
“…the alter is of sandstone, and of
particular note is the Augsburg silver figure
of the Virgin brought here in 1897.”

The Graveyard

Behind the Drum Chapel is the
Irvine Family Graveyard.

Next to that,
is the Graveyard
of the Family’s PETS!


Duffy’s(!) gravestone is accompanied by those of “Fu-Fu,” and “Tortie” (who died at the ripe ole’ age of 148 years old!), and others.
After visiting the Graveyards, we wandered down a dark lane, and fussed about
on the Grounds of Drum Castle for a while!

Come with US
down the lane to
DRUM CASTLE
Grounds!!!

Return to CHAS & SUSAN’S UK PIX Directory

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(the one with other Main-Directory Page Links)

If you have suggestions for The Miller Fandamily Web Site,
OR contributions to the photo gallery!
please Email WebMistress Chas!
c-d-miller@neb.rr.com
That’s: c-d-miller@neb.rr.com
those are hyphens/dashes (-) between the “c” and “d” and “miller”

This COUNTER was started on September 26th, 2002.