Friday, September 18, 2009

Castles RR - Group 18

For the second time i've joined Ninocas' Castle RR. These are the 3 cards i've received which have been sent by Hanna "hanjah", Sylwia "sylwiail" and Silvia "dottisilvia".

Eilean Donan is a small island in Loch Duich in the western Highlands of Scotland. It is connected to the mainland by a footbridge and lies about half a mile from the village of Dornie. The island is dominated by a picturesque medieval castle.
The original castle was built in the early 13th century as a defence against the Vikings. In April 1719 the castle was occupied by Spanish troops attempting to start another Jacobite Rising. The castle was recaptured, and then demolished, by three Royal Navy frigates on 10–13 May 1719. The Spanish troops were defeated a month later at the Battle of Glen Shiel.
The castle was restored in the years between 1919 and 1932 by Lt. Col. John MacRae-Gilstrap. The restoration included the construction of an arched bridge to give easier access to the castle. In 1983 The Conchra Charitable Trust was formed by the Macrae family to care for the Castle. A curious distinction is that it has one of only two left-handed spiral staircases in a castle in Great Britain, as the reigning king at the time of building held a sword with his left hand. One strange feature of the castle today is the grey field gun from the Great War, positioned outside the building by a war memorial and fountain dedicated to the men of the Macrae clan who died in the war. Eilean Donan is the home of the Clan Macrae. In 2001, the island had a population of just one person.

The castle is one of the most photographed monuments in Scotland and a popular venue for weddings and film locations. It has appeared in such films as Highlander (1985), Loch Ness (1996), The World Is Not Enough (1999), Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), Made of Honor (2007).

Szymbark is a village in the Iława district, situated on Lake Szymbarskim. There are ruins of a Gothic castle Pomezanian chapter from the second half of XIV century. In 1945 the castle was burned by the Red Army. In recent years was partly reconstructed. There are walls of the 10 towers. Szymbarski Castle is located in a picturesque area and has impressive size.

A few days ago i've received an official card from Italy showing this same fort but in a different perspective.

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