Scottish Tour Guide's Blog

Kylemore Abbey, Kylemore Lough, West of Ireland

This evening, the focus of my post is Kylemore Abbey, on the shores of Kylemore Lough, Connemara in the West of Ireland.

This Gothic Revival fantasy mansion was built by a wealthy Manchester (England) business tycoon, Mitchell Henry (1826-1911) as a present for his wife. In association with the building project, the Henrys undertook considerable work on the local landscape entailing draining boggy hillsides and planting thousands of trees as windbreaks.

Upon the sudden death of both Mrs Henry and his daughter, Mitchell Henry lost interest in the property and sold it. Later, it became a refuge for nuns fleeing Ypres in Belgium during WW1 and subsequently an abbey. The building is now home to a girls boarding and day school run by nuns.

Visitors have partial access comprising:

• Grounds
• Restaurant
• Craft Shop which features earthenware pottery with a distinctive fuschia motif.
• Victorian Walled Garden which includes double herbaceous borders, a nuttery and stream-side walk.

This site is worthy of inclusion in a tour of Ireland.

Archway at Armadale Castle, Isle of Skye

This evening, I am focusing on Armadale on the Isle of Skye, Scotland.

Many times each year I pass through Armadale either arriving or departing Skye via the ferry crossing.

This part of Skye is called Sleat and is traditionally home to Clan Donald. In fact, in times past, this was the location for mansion house residence of the MacDonalds of Sleat. As is evident from images immediately above and below is now a romantic ruin. However, on the same site there is the Clan Donald Visitor Centre with extensive library, archives and a museum which combine to provide a good quality visitor experience and an excellent facilty for researching local ancestry. There are also immaculately kept gardens in the grounds of the ruined castle which are particularly colourful in Springtime as a function of a well endowed population of azaleas and rhododendrons.

Ruins of Armadale Castle, Isle of Skye, Scotland

At the ferry terminal at the harbour there is small collection of art, craft  and textile shops which are of interest to ferry passengers whilst waiting for departures.

Armadale Harbour, Skye, Scotland

The ferry crossing to/from Armadale offers wonderful scenic views of Knoydart  and sometimes dolphins  can be spotted.

Blarney Castle, Home of Blarney Stone, Ireland

This afternoon, my focus is on Blarney Castle  which lies very close to the pretty village of Blarney in the south of Ireland, just 8km from the city of Cork. This site attracts high volumes of visitors each year whose prime objective is to visit and kiss the famous Blarney Stone which is located at roof level with access entailing a climb up some 127 steps.

Today, the castle remains extend to just the keep which essentially comprises a 15th century tower house inside which the vaulted first floor was once the Great Hall. 

Key aspects of the facility:

• Kissing the Blarney Stone entails being suspended backwards under the parapet as per image no four in this post. This act is believed to confer a magical eloquence on the participant.
• In addition to the castle, there are 60 acres of parkland, gardens, avenues and arboretums.
• Rock Close, a supposed mustical place on the site of an ancient druidic settlement.
• 19th century Blarney House (open in Spring only) which is accessed via a walk through flower and fern gardens and a herbaceous boder.

View of castle.

Blarney Castle, Home of Blarney Stone, Ireland

Looking up at the Blarney Stone.

Ground View of Blarney Stone, Ireland

Kissing the Blarney Stone

Kissing the Blarney Stone, Blarney Castle, Ireland

This is usually a ‘must see’ site in course of an Ireland tour  but be wary of crowds in the peak summer time.