Keep of the wall

Loch Ness is a beautiful location and I have enjoyed all the sights on a number of occasions including visiting Urquhart Castle. The last time I was up was a few years ago and this most recent visit left me feeling sad and a little angry.

Scotland has some fabulous places to visit. Our history is exciting and our landscapes are dramatic. There are just so many positives...which makes it all the sadder when we sabotage our 'product' with a self destructive zeal.

I would love to feature a picture of stunning Urquhart Castle. Maybe you would see it and think that it would be a great place to visit. Maybe you would do just that and send the pictures to your friends and maybe they would visit.

Sadly you are not getting to see the castle. Instead this is the picture I am able to show you in the hope that you and all your friends come to Scotland. Perhaps there is a market for horrible green signs, who knows.

Of all the money grabbing things I have seen this is among the worst. Don't get me wrong. I am a huge supporter of preserving our past and happily pay the entrance fee for any property that I visit. What I am disgusted at is building a modern day fortification around a property complete with bushes that tear at you and walls that glare at you and tell you to bugger off. Is this really how we want to portray Scotland?

When I visited there was a bus load of Japanese tourists and, God love them, they don't half like to take pictures. Perhaps they never had time to actually visit the castle but during their stop they were keen to get a picture of one of Scotland's most iconic castles. Sadly most of them never managed. Happily, some of the younger ones treated the signs with the contempt they deserve and climbed onto the walls where I wasted no time in joining them.

So let me leave your with this. Respect the gifts from the past, respect the grounds and go and see these ancient ruins at least once to ensure they remain a gift for the next generation. But please, please climb on this wall.