Counting down the top 5 ruins to see in Scotland

Ruuuuuins. RuuuUUUUuuuUUiins. There’s little I love more when traveling than standing in the midst of some tumbledown ruins. The older the better. I don’t know what it is but it’s a borderline spiritual experience to touch stone that was carved and placed there by another human centuries, even millennia ago. Isn’t it just mind boggling that with such primitive tools and technology, humankind was able to make things that have weathered almost our entire existence in this universe? What were these people like, what did they think? It’s both comforting and unsettling that the answer is something probably fairly similar to what we are like and think today (evidence for that in #2 below!).

Maybe I’m just a giant anthropology nerd.

In this post we’re counting down our five favourite ruins from our Scotland trip this past April. If it’s a bit lengthy, it’s only because I can’t help but share all the really cool info I learned on this trip and yes yes ok I am a giant nerd sorry but at least there are lots of pictures,  learning is fun!?

# 5 Jedburgh Abbey

Let’s kick this countdown off with a tangent-rant (thanks for stifling that groan). I love abbey and cathedral ruins. They were designed to be such intricate and imposing architectural masterpieces. The ruined aspect just lends more mystery and gravity to the ambiance. I love the feeling of standing in the middle of ruined walls and being awestruck by the sheer scale of the building and the work that went into every detail. One thing that always bothers me, though, is the fact that many abbey ruins do not have intact pillars for the nave. They often have massive footprints and it’s fine to imagine them towering up to the roof but I really just wanted to see them whole intact.

Pillar remains at Elgin Cathedral

Enter Jedburgh Abbey.

Booyah pillars. 

It’s a lovely piece of architecture. You can even climb a bit to the middle section of the wall behind what used to be the altar. Added features of this abbey are the living quarters of the ecclesiastical community. There is also a cool, quiet tomb housing the remains of William Schomberg Robert, 8th Marquis of Lothian. Lastly, there’s a small museum which may or may not contain a wax figure of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

I wasn’t joking.

#4 Caerlaverock Castle

Caerlaverock Castle is one of the more unusual ruins. This, not because of something particular and stark, just the combination of small subtle differences sort of throw your brain for a loop.

First thing you notice is the pretty red stone. A lot of the ruins in the lowlands are made of this red-tinted stone. The castle sits sort of squat and almost bulbous? It’s actually got a trapezoidal footprint: the front end is narrower than the back end. It’s not a massive build either, but it’s got a moat!

It was originally built as a fortress with the normal purpose and functioning of a stronghold. Eventually, it was no longer needed for defense and was inhabited by a rich family that just had to renovate, darling, can you imagine living in a dusty castle that doesn’t follow the latest trends, what would the neighbours say?

Probably nothing given that they’re presumably starving peasants.

What was essentially just outer walls were added on to form modern stylish apartments. There are a lot of details to admire if you seek them out and floors to climb to.

#3 Elgin Cathedral

One word: Gor. geous.

Elgin Cathedral is one of the most sprawling and detailed ruins we visited.

Aside from the beautiful architecture, Elgin Cathedral has a few added bonuses that make it really awesome.

First, it’s possible to climb the two towers, one of which you can ascend right to the top. The aerial view of Elgin Cathedral in the cover photo for this post was taken from the roof of this tower!

Climb the rightmost tower to the top! Both have a few floors of exhibits.

Not only can you climb the towers, but all the floors in each tower are packed with exhibits on the cathedral masonry and architecture. It’s very interesting to see the details up close.

The mason’s mark on this section of masonry can be see in the exhibits set up in the two cathedral towers.

Third, the cathedral has an intact octogonal chapterhouse with pretty interesting acoustics. How the canon bishops had the patience to meet in there every morning and read aloud some texts I’ll never know.

Fourth and final, there is a beautifully ornate pictish stone on the grounds. One side has a celtic cross and the other depicts a hunting scene.

Reverse side of the pictish stone depicting a hunting scene.

#2 Maeshowe

Maeshowe might not look like much from the outside, but the inside tells a completely different story.

The Neolithic chambered cairn has vague origins around 3000 BC and a purpose that is still unknown. Every winter solstice, the setting sun dips below the far-off Hills of Hoy, and re-emerges again between two peaks. The light then beams through the 11 m long, 0.9 m high passage into the tomb and illuminates a niche in the opposite wall. Some people think it was related to burial rituals and gateways to the afterlife. Perhaps it was built as a giant outdoor calendar/observatory given it’s flawless alignment with astronomical phenomena. Others speculate it was simply built, as the kids say these days, for the aesthetic.

There exist many of this type of cairn all over the world, namely Newgrange in Ireland (which features lovely pictish symbols, absent from Maeshowe). Maeshowe’s condition, age, and history are what set it apart.

Unlike most of these ritualistic tombs that eventually fall into disrepair and abandon, Maeshowe was actively sealed up once it was “decommissioned,” thus helping to keep it in great condition for 5000 years. It was broken into in the 12th century by some freezing (and famous) vikings seeking shelter, and they left a bunch of graffiti. It may sound lame, until you realize the graffiti is, of course, in super cool viking letters (not to mention what the graffiti actually says is generally hilarious, think along the lines of “I wrote this”). The a big draw to Maeshowe is a small intricate dragon-like creature that was drawn by a viking presumably trying to kill time waiting out the snowstorm raging outside.

Photo by Destination Orkney https://www.visitorkney.com/listings/history/maeshowe-chambered-cairn / cropped from original

I’m fighting my intense desire to share all the cool things I learned like how it started off as a stone circle, or some 3-ton stone slabs were likely transported from a quarry far away, or how it lines up with a bunch of other neolithic sites sitting several hundred meters away**, or… I don’t want to spoil too much of the tour by telling all of Maeshowe’s story. It’s so informative, well done, and run by some truly kind and memorable people. Highly, highly recommend, even if history is not your strong suit, you can’t help but get wrapped up in the mystery of the place.

** Kyla is sitting on one of two stones that form a vertical gap which lines up perfectly with Maeshowe to the East and the setting midwinter sun.

#1 Dunnottar Castle

Ok, let’s get this straight -- Dunnottar Castle is the absolute best castle ruin we’ve yet to encounter in the UK and Ireland.

Nothing compares to it in terms of size, expanse, location/coastal views, number of chambers to explore, creepiness, amount of covered spaces, you name it. It’s massive and surprisingly well preserved, considering it’s right on the edge of the ocean. Kyla and I parted ways shortly after entering to go about exploring on our own, and we didn’t run into each other again for the next half hour.

I don’t even know what to talk about, you just need to go see for yourself! You need to walk up to the castle, built on a high peninsula that juts out to sea, and just feel so very small. Tiptoe through the silent kitchens: dark square caves hollowed out from the rock that face the ocean. It’s said that they are haunted by a singing woman. Climb the stairs from the ground floor to the royal chambers and get a twelve spectacular views of the ocean. Listen to waves crashing below in the sundial room as you ponder the weight of existence (or your bladder?). Cartwheel across the courtyard from the latrines to the stables.

The eerie Whig’s Vault, where 167 men and women were imprisoned in atrocious conditions for refusing to pledge allegiance to the crown. Stepping out of the window at the far end would result in a seaward plummet ending on the cliffside - how some of the prisoners who managed to escape met their doom.

The sundial room has intricate carvings and is furthest out to sea. It sits right on the cliffside, atop the Whig’s Vault.

One final tip: if you’re waiting on a sunny day to go visit -- DON’T! Seriously, slip on your waterproof gear and go when it’s gross out and an hour before closing time, you’ll have the place mostly to yourself.

Ruins. Love ‘em... In case that wasn’t clear from the article. Hope this post gets you to seek them out when you travel too!

Gen