This
week's castle is Dunrobin Castle in the Highlands of Scotland, and happens to
be the major setting for my latest release,
The
Highlander's Reward (the first in a series of novels, centering around
the Sutherland clan). Dunrobin is located in Sutherland (the name of my hero—Laird
Magnus Sutherland), on the east coast of Scotland.
The castle as it sits now was
completely rebuilt in the mid 1800's by the same architect who worked on the
Palace of Westminster. They did retain the 14th century tower as well as the
17th and 18th century extensions. You'll see the castle now looks very palatial
and reminds me of fairy tales with its tall spires and circular towers.
Originally it was a stronghold--a fortified square keep with walls that were 6-feet
thick, with vaulted ceilings and thin windows. The keep is surrounded by a
curtain wall and within the bailey are several outbuildings. The name Dunrobin
mean’s Robin’s Hill (or fort) which is what it was built for, and possibly named
after the first earl to hold the stronghold. (The earldom was created in 1235.
For creative purposes, I have tweaked this date in my family saga…)
When my
story begins in the late 13th century, I chose to have the castle
under construction. They are rebuilding towers and soon will have a stone keep
as it does appear there was most likely a wooden keep on location prior to the
stone keep being built. My Sutherlands are a growing clan, recently having
become powerful and wealthy, they continue their upward climb.
Dunrobin sits
on a cliff top overlooking the Moray Firth which leads into the North Sea. Truly a beautiful place. Modeled after
the gardens at the Palace of Versailles, Dunrobin has a magical garden of its
own. Although the current garden was designed 150 years ago, I chose to have a
garden in my book as well, however my garden is filled with vegetables, herbs
and fruit. In fact, my heroine, Lady Arbella is keen on seeing this garden grow
and adds a list of new plants.
Dunrobin
Castle is an extremely popular tourist site and recently was awarded with a tourism
Oscar. If you visit the castle, not only can you explore the castles and its
gorgeous grounds, but there is a museum there as well with an amazing private
collection. The castle also is well known for its Falconry displays.
I look
forward to further explorations of the Sutherland lands and surrounding areas with
subsequent books in my Stolen Bride series.
Here are
some pics of the current castle (the castle on my book cover is what I imagine
my setting to be) as well as some pictures to give you a feel for the setting in my novel.
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| Dunrobin Castle |
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| Image of the castle before the renovations. |
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| The gardens overlooking the sea at Dunrobin. |
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| One of many beautiful beaches in Sutherland. |
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| Ben Hope is a mountain in the Western lands of Sutherland (my story takes place in the eastern lands) |
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| Scottish heather moorlands. |
ABOUT THE
BOOK:
She belonged to
another… But was destined to be his…
Lady Arbella de Mowbray
abhors the idea of marrying an English noble occupying Scotland. When she
arrives in Stirling, she is thrown into the midst of a full battle between the
Scots and the English. Besieged by rebels, she is whisked from her horse by a
Highland warrior who promises her safety. But when he kisses her she fears
she's more in danger of losing herself.
The last thing Magnus
Sutherland wants is to marry the beautiful English lass he saved. As the laird
of his clan, he has a responsibility to his clan and allies. But when Arbella
is attacked by one of his own men, he determines the only way to keep her safe
is to make her his. A decision that promises to be extremely satisfying.
Magnus
brings Arbella to his home of Dunrobin Castle in the Highlands. And that’s
where the trouble begins… Their countries are at war and they should be
each other’s enemy. Neither one considered their mock marriage would grow
into a deeply passionate love. What’s more, they were both unhappily betrothed
and those who've been scorned are out for revenge. Can their new
found love keep them together or will their enemies tear them apart?
“Eliza Knight has crafted a wonderfully entertaining, emotional and
sensual read. I loved the sizzling romance and the exciting adventures. Magnus,
the hot Highland hero, stole my heart just as he did Arbella’s.” Vonda
Sinclair, Award-Winning author of Scottish romance
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Eliza
Knight is the multi-published author of sizzling historical romance and erotic
romance. While not reading, writing or researching for her latest book, she
chases after her three children. In her spare time (if there is such a thing…)
she likes daydreaming, wine-tasting, traveling, hiking, staring at the stars,
watching movies, shopping and visiting with family and friends. She lives atop
a small mountain, and enjoys cold winter nights when she can curl up in front
of a roaring fire with her own knight in shining armor. Visit Eliza at
www.elizaknight.com or her historical blog History Undressed: www.historyundressed.com
Twitter:@ElizaKnight and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizaknightauthor
Check out my Stolen Bride series!
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