Tulloch Castle

Tulloch Castle is located in the town of Dingwall in the Highlands of Scotland. It dates from the 12th century, when it is thought to have been built by Norsemen. Over the years, it has served as a family home for members of the Bayne and Davidson clans, as a hospital after the evacuation of Dunkirk, and as a hostel for the local education authority. It is currently used as a hotel and conference centre.

History

Tulloch Castle is believed to have been built by Norsemen in the 12th century. Its first documented owners were the Bayne clan whose residence in the castle can be traced back to the 16th century.

In the 18th century however, ownership of the castle changed hands. Kenneth Bayne, 8th Laird of Tulloch, sold the estate to his cousin, Henry Davidson, on the 13 January 1762. Tulloch Castle remained the property of the Davidson family until the 20th century. It became known as the seat of the Clan Davidson.

The castle passed out of Davidson ownership in 1917 when the last direct descendant of this family, Duncan Davidson, died and left the castle to his daughter and her son, Colonel Angus Vickers, of the Vickers aircraft company.

After serving as the Vickers' family home for several years, and as a hospital for casualties of Dunkirk in 1940, Tulloch Castle was purchased by the local education authority in 1957. It was used as a hostel for students from the west coast of Scotland who were studying at Dingwall Academy until 1976.

After this, the castle fell into disrepair until it was renovated and converted into a hotel by local family, the MacAulays, in 1996. Now part of the Oxford Hotels and Inns chain, Tulloch Castle is used as a hotel and conference centre. It played host to the official Clan Davidson Gathering in October 2007.

Supernatural reports

There have been several claims that Tulloch Castle is haunted. Visitors and hotel staff have reported witnessing apparitions in the form of a young girl and a middle aged lady. These supernatural claims were explored in the Grampian Television series "Beyond Explanation" in 2005, although no conclusive evidence exists to validate such reports. On May 28,2008 it was reported by the Sun News that a 14 year old boy named Connor Bond apparently took a photograph (with a digital camera) of a "hand" holding on to the stair railing with an apparition floating behind it. As of May 28, 2008 the images he took of the ghost are currently being examined by film and paranormal experts to prove their validity.

Changes to the castle

Tulloch Castle has been subject to several structural changes throughout its existence. There are two records of fires, in 1838 and 1845, when areas of the castle were destroyed. There are also records of renovations and extensions to the castle in 1513, 1665, 1675, 1747 and in the early 1920s when the roof was replaced, stonework around the windows was repaired and electric lighting was installed.

Interesting features

Tulloch Castle has many interesting features. A tunnel runs from the basement of the castle under the town of Dingwall to the old site of Dingwall Castle. The tunnel has now collapsed, but it is possible to view this passageway through an air vent on the front lawn of the castle’s grounds.

There is a Davidson cemetery in the grounds of the castle for family members and pets. The graveyard is surrounded by a metal fence and has become overgrown, though some of its headstones are still visible.

Originally, there were two walled gardens on either side of the castle. These are now overgrown and parts of them have become woods or have had houses built on them.

The castle had two gatehouses and entrance paths. The west gatehouse no longer exists but the other gatehouse still exists as a privately owned house. This gatehouse was built in 1876 and the path which connects it to the castle has become a public road. This road is still used as the main entrance to the castle today.

References

*"Tulloch and The Lands" brochure

External links

* [http://www.tullochcastle.co.uk Tulloch Castle Hotel, Dingwall]