Inverness Castle, Scotland

The Inverness Castle is a medieval castle located on a cliff overlooking the River Ness, in Inverness, Scotland. The first castle on this site was built by Máel Coluim III of Scotland in 1057. This castle was party destroyed by King Robert I of Scotland in the first half of 14th century, while the replacement castle was sacked in the 15th century. In 1548 another castle was built by George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly who stayed in the Iverness Castle until 1562 when it was taken by the Clan Munro and Clan Fraser for Mary, Queen of Scots. The Inverness Castle played an active role during the English Civil War (from 1642 to 1651). It was held by the Parliamentary forces until 1649 when it was seized by the Royalists. After the Jacobite rising was the castle by General George Wade in 1725 extended and reinforced but after the second Jacobite rising in 1745 was the castle destroyed by the Jacobite Army.



In 1836 architect William Burn constructed the present red sandstone structure to serve as the County Hall of Inverness- shire. In 1848 was completed the second sandstone building known as the North Block which served as Inverness prison but today it houses the Sheriff's Court. Besides its magnificent structure and rich history the Iverness Castle is famous also for supposedly being the base for the Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth and site of Duncan's murder.