Taymouth Castle

On a recent trip to Scotland over new years, I visited Taymouth Castle near Loch Tay in Kenmore. We stayed at the Kenmore Hotel right next to the entrance to the castle grounds on the west side and overlooking Loch Tay. We thought we could catch a sunrise but we quickly found out that you can't see the sunrise in Scotland. The sky just gets gradually less gray.
 We took the shorter walk to get to the castle from the east gate off the A827. Its a nice walk along the river and over two stone bridges. The castle appears through the trees on a large green in front of a sloping mountain ridge. The castle is closed to the public currently but there were some other people jogging and biking around. There's a golf course in front on the castle which makes for a nice green foreground. The castle is currently being renovated but plans for it to become a luxury hotel seemed to have stalled. Its an amazing structure and I'd love to see it open to the public in some form.

It was very dark but I was able to sneak up for a peek in the window. I wasn't expecting such a rich interior. 

Sands Point

The Mansion at Sands Point in Long Island. I'm not sure it this was east egg or west egg from the Great Gatsby. Either way its a big damn house. 

Highclere Castle/Downton Abbey

On the way to Bath we stopped off at Highclere Castle which is the filming location for Downton Abbey. Its about an hour outside london by car off the M4 followed by some tiny winding roads. The castle grounds are rolling green hills crowded with sheep. As you come up one of the hills and around a bend the estate pops up in all its glory. It was a lot smaller looking in person than from the show but still very impressive. No photos were allowed inside the castle but it looked exactly like it does on screen. The family opened Highclere to the public in 1988 as a way to pay for its upkeep.

Weeds and flowers on the green behind the estate.

Mausoleum near the entrance/exit gate.