The Eilean Donan Castle in Scotland

There is a very rich romantic history that goes with the Eilean Donan Castle. The castle was built during the reign of King Alexander II. He built Eilean Donan Castle to give himself a defense against the Viking raids of the 13th century.

The Eilean Donan castle has a very strong keep, and no one was able to take it during the violent early yeas in Scotland’s history. In 1719, the Government warships attacked the castle. After the warships attack the castle's ruins stayed abandoned for many years. In the 1900s restoration was started on the astle.

The Eilean Donan castle is now used as the seat of the Clan MacRae family. The Eilean Donan castle gained fame when it was used in the original "Highlander” movie.

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Sources and credits: http:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eilean-donan-castle Picture courtesy of: Pixabay

The Bodiam Castle in England

Bodiam Castle is what you might call a perfect medieval castle. Its shape is quadrangular. There is a tower at each end of the wall. It is surrounded by a moat. Bodiam castle appears like you can not access it. It was built to deter attacks and not withstand a siege. The walls are not very thick. An attack would have destroyed the castle.

There are two gatehouses at the castle. There is a gatehouse at the north end and one at the south end of the castle. Both gates have complicated drawbridges that are raised at night and during the time of unrest.

During the Hundred Years War between England and France is when Bodiam Castle was built. The English were expecting to get invaded from the south coast, so they built the Bodiam Castle. The castle was never attacked.

After the Middle Ages Bodiam Castle fell into ruins. Local builders took some of the stones for other projects.

Lord Curzon obtained the castle, and he restored it. Today Bodiam Castle is a beautiful place. Visitors can walk on top of most of the walls and to into all of the towers.

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Sources and credits: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodiam-castle Picture courtesy of Pixabay.

The Bernese Mountain Dog

In Switzerland, they were originally used as farm dogs. They were protection and guard dogs. They were also used work as herd dogs for the Alpine herders and to pull milk carts.

Their body color is always black, rust and white. Their markings will vary from dog to dog. They are large and strong.

The male will be 64 to 70cm at the shoulder, and the female will be 58 to 66cm at the shoulder.

They are big dogs, so they need to be socialized and trained. They need gentle but firm handling.

Their coat is medium long and soft. It will be wavy or straight. They need regular brushing.

They are confident, good nurtured and alert. They are friendly and good around adults, children and animals. They are extremely loyal and affectionate to their owners.

Sadly they are not a long lived breed. Their average lifespan is 7.5 to 9 years and sometimes not that long. They are prone to getting gastric torsion.

If they do not get regular exercise, they may get destructive. They are good with children.

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Sources and credits: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernese-mountain-dog www.terrificpets.com Picture courtesy of: Pixabay.

The Irish Setter Dog

The Irish Setter dog is a very boisterous and loving dog. They love to be with their family. They are happy outdoors or indoors.

The Irish Setter dog will weight 50 to 75 pounds and be 24 to 28 inches tall. They are red in color and will go from chestnut to mahogany in color. They will sometimes have patches that are white.

The Irish Setter was developed by crossing the Irish Terrier, English Setter, Irish Water Spaniel and other breeds. They are great bird dogs. The Irish Setter is a very popular hunting and family dog.

Irish Setters get very attached to their family. They are good with strangers and other pets. They have a strong bark but are not food watchdogs.

The Irish Setter was bred for hunting. They love to go on long walks.

They do not like being left alone and will become very destructive. They need exercise and attention in large quantities.

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Sources and credits: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish-Setter-dog www.dogster.com Picture courtesy of: Pixabay

Edinburgh Castle of Scotland

You will find Scotland's most important castle sitting on a massive rocky foundation of volcanic rock. The castles location is connected to the country’s rich history. Scotland’s Kings and Queens have made this Royal Castle their home. Everyone that has lived there has made changes to the original castle.

The Edinburgh Castle has many functions. It is a palace, chapel barracks, fortress and war memorial. Scottish kings are sworn in at the Stone of Destiny. The Scottish crown jewels are kept in the Edinburgh Castle. The Crown Room is where the Crown Scepter and Sword of State are kept.

The Great Hall has a collection of weapons and armor on display. At exactly 1p.m every day, a cannon is fired from the castle. You will also get beautiful views of the city from Edinburgh Castle. You can learn a lot from a visit to this medieval fortress.

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Sources and credits: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edinburgh-castle Picture courtesy of Pixabay.

Australian Magpie

The Australian magpie's scientific name is Cracticus tibican.

The Australian magpie is very common and one of the easiest birds to recognize. They will live in groups of up to 25 birds. They like to live in open areas with nearby trees. They also like parks and ball fields.

The Australian magpies body is black and white. They have a white nape, upper tail and shoulders.

They look for insects and insect larvae on the ground. They are happy to take food from humans. They are known to go through an open door into a house looking for food.

They are usually very tame but during breeding season they can become very aggressive protecting their nest. Their nest is a platform built using sticks and twigs. They will line it with grass and hair. They build their nest 15m off the ground in the outer tree branches.

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Sources and credits: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian-magpie Picture courtesy of: Pixabay

The Haunted Corfe Castle in England

In 978AD King Edward's stepmother murdered him at Corfe Castle because she wanted to put her son in power. He was called Etheired “the Unready.”

It is said that while King Edward was hunting in Purbeck forest he went to Corfe where Elfryda, his stepmother, lived. They say she gave Edward a goblet of wine. While Edward was drinking the wine Elfryda had someone stab him in the back.

William the Conqueror started building the Corfe Castle. It was King John that made it into a royal residence. There was a Chapel, new Hall and out buildings added. One of King John's favorite castles was the Corfe Castle. From 1190AD to 1216AD King John added a lot to the castles defenses. When John was King, the castle was used as a prison and may prisoners died at Corfe Castle.

In 1572AD Elizabeth I sold Corfe Castle to Sir Christopher Hatton, her dance master. Sir John Banes the Lord Chief Justice became the owner of the Corfe Castle in 1572.

The Castle was defended by Lady Bankes during the English Civil War until February 1646AD when one of her men betrayed her to Cromwell. When Cromwell’s army took over the castle, they destroyed it. It took them very little time to turn the castle into a pile of ruins.

After this happened stories started being told about a headless “White Lady” who would appear and cause shivers to go down most people's spines.

Corfe Castle is now a tourist attraction even though it is in ruins.

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Sources and credits: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corfe-castle Photo from Pixabay