Thurso Castle

[mstphoto]

Thurso Castle is a ruined 19th-century castle, located in Thurso, Caithness, in the Scottish Highlands.

a6300 + SZ 16-70

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Thurso Castle by Mike Stephen, on Flickr

 

[bdbits]

I am curious - are these ruined castles somebody's property? Are they basically abandoned? Can you (legally) explore the interiors of these places?

Here in the USA, people go into empty or abandoned buildings and other locations, and take photographs (e.g. Urban Exploration). In most cases it is probably not legal, but they do it anyway.

 

[mstphoto]

I am curious - are these ruined castles somebody's property? Are they basically abandoned? Can you (legally) explore the interiors of these places?

Here in the USA, people go into empty or abandoned buildings and other locations, and take photographs (e.g. Urban Exploration). In most cases it is probably not legal, but they do it anyway.

Some ruined castles are there for exploring free of charge, such as this one.
I dare say someone owns them or at least the land they stand on, but here in Scotland we have a "Right (or freedom) to Roam" policy which gives everyone rights of access over land subject to specific exclusions such as driving motorised vehicles and field sports.
Others are owned by conservation organizations such as The National Trust for Scotland and Historic Scotland.
These charge an entrance fee which goes to preserve the properties and to prevent further damage etc.
Hope this helps answer your question

 

[bdbits]

It does indeed, thanks Mike.

Laws vary somewhat from state-to-state here, as far as I know. Where I live (North Dakota USA) you can roam the countryside unless the owner has posted signs along the border of his property that say otherwise - which quite a few do, actually. The laws stem in part from hunting being a big part of the regional culture, since obviously you need access to the land to hunt. Some landowners find it onerous and have made efforts to reverse the laws, unsuccessfully thus far.

Thanks for the info.

 

[GoldMark]

I like such castles. Thx for sharing

 

[slothead]

Thurso Castle is a ruined 19th-century castle, located in Thurso, Caithness, in the Scottish Highlands.

a6300 + SZ 16-70

View attachment 91331 Thurso Castle by Mike Stephen, on Flickr

I like your image of Thurso Castle. Since you are from the area I would hazard to guess you know of tiny little hamlet of Bower, Caithness where it is said that my GGG grandfather was born in 1768. Personally, I have my doubts of the claim's accuracy, but since it is noted in Scotland's People, I will accept it until I can prove otherwise. I would love to see other images of the area.

 

[mstphoto]

I like your image of Thurso Castle. Since you are from the area I would hazard to guess you know of tiny little hamlet of Bower, Caithness where it is said that my GGG grandfather was born in 1768. Personally, I have my doubts of the claim's accuracy, but since it is noted in Scotland's People, I will accept it until I can prove otherwise. I would love to see other images of the area.

Thanks slothead
I'm actually from Aberdeen in NE Scotland.
I spent a couple of days a few years ago exploring the area surrounding Bower.
I went back to Thurso last year where we had some great sunsets.
Its a lovely part of our country and hope to get back again soon for more exploring/photography.
In the meantime, here is a link to my Flickr album containing a few shots from around the Caithness area.

Caithness & Sutherland

 

[Deleted member 7067]

Its a lovely part of our country and hope to get back again soon for more exploring/photography.
In the meantime, here is a link to my Flickr album containing a few shots from around the Caithness area.

Caithness & Sutherland

Lovely pictures, Mike. Always enjoy looking at your landscape shots.

 

[mstphoto]

Thanks Brian
Much appreciated