Castle of Doune

The castle of Doune (in English Doune Castle ) is a medieval castle in the middle of the Scotland. It is located on a confluence of the river Teith and one of its affluents, not far from the village of Doune to 13 km in the North-West of Stirling. This castle is also known to have been one of the places of turning of Monty Python: Crowned Graal!

Description

The site is defended by the river on three sides. The only way of possible approach is by North. The entry in the castle is done by a narrow door giving on long corridor a 14 m leading to a large central court. This one leave the staircases towards the big room (in English Great hall ) on which give several rooms of servants as well as the kitchen. A stair-well also leaves the central court towards the room of the lord (in English Lord' S hall ) as well as the seigneuriaux apartments.

History

The castle was built in its major part at the 14th century by Robert Stewart, duke of Albany. His/her brother Robert III of Scotland became inapt to reign so that it did it in his place starting from 1388. Young person sons of the king, under his supervision, died mysteriously in 1402. To died from Robert Stewart, the capacity passed to his/her Murdoch son in 1420. However, when the successor of Robert III, the king Jacques Ier of Scotland, returned from captivity in 1424, it made show Murdoch of treason which was imprisoned and decapitated.

The castle of Doune became a royal retirement and a residence of hunting for the monarchs of which Marie Ire of Scotland.

During the rising of the Jacobites in 1745, the castle became a prison for the partisans of the government captured by Jacobites. Among the famous prisoners appear John Home, a Scottish writer who flee by the window of the kitchen by tying his cloths, and a Scottish Minister for the name of John Witherspoon which left later for the colony S American where it became one of the signatories of the Déclaration of independence of the United States of America.

The castle is currently the property of the Scottish agency for the historic buildings: Historic Scotland .

Monty Python: Crowned Graal!

When Monty Python: Crowned Graal! was turned in 1974, the producers did not manage to have the authorization to film in other castles of Scotland except for the castle of Doune and castle-Stalker. In cause of despair, he filmed the castle of Doune under various angles very tallied in order to give the impression of several different castles in film.

The castle of Doune became a place of pilgrimage for the fans of Monty Python who survey the castle while trying to remind the passages of film, sometimes on bottom of Coconuts entrechoquées thanks to the complicity of the guards.

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