Eilean Donan Castle - a new Harris Tweed picture

Eilean Donan is THE iconic Scottish castle and it's rightly famous worldwide. Situated on a tiny tidal island (eilean is Scottish gaelic for island) where 3 lochs meet Loch Duich, Loch Long and Loch Alsh, it is the ultimate romantic, beautiful highland setting.

As such it's a scene that I've been meaning to create a picture of for a long time. In the winter (I'd like to say last winter, but as it's snowing outside as I type this, I fear it isn't over yet!) anyway ..., a few months ago the castle contacted me and asked if they could stock my greetings cards and prints in their gift shop. They also asked if I could do a picture of the castle and so here it is.
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I wanted to get a real sense of the dramatic brooding beauty of the location and I also just had to have purple heather clad hills. As a result I picked a rather unusual coloured tweed for the sky. As ever with a Harris Tweed that's made from a blended yarn with lots of different colours in it, it's really hard to describe the colour. But overall it's a sort of pale purpley, bluey, brown colour, which is the best I can do! I've included a close up photo to give you some idea, but unfortunately technology also has a a hard job of accurately representing blended Harris Tweeds, so the photo also only gives a rough idea of how it really looks. 

As you might expect Eilean Donan Castle has a long and interesting history dating back to the 13th century. The present version of the castle was opened to the public in 1932 after 20 long years of restoration by Lt Colonel John Macrae-Gilstrap, who bought the island in 1911., and it has remained in the hands of the same family ever since.

Eilean Donan Castle has also featured in many films, including:-

• ​Bonnie Prince Charlie starring David Niven (1948)
• The Master of Ballantreee starring Errol Flynn (1953)
• The New Avengers (1976)
• Highlander (1986)
• Loch Ness (1996)
• James Bond – The World is Not Enough (1999)
• BBC One Television Idendity (1997 – 2002)

The castle is open to the public throughout most of the year and has its own visitor centre which includes a coffee shop and gift shop.  If you can't make it up to Scotland to visit Eilean Donan Castle you can buy this new image from my online shop as a greetings card and a giclee print in two sizes.  

​Eilean Donan Castle
Dorrie
By Kylse of Lochalsh
IV40 8DX
Scotland