Dunrobin Castle

 The Dukes of Sutherland were mighty powerful. Fighting for the British side, they kept it all, 1.5 million acres. Notoriously they did some powerfully cruel evictions of tenants in favour of sheep after the Battle of Culloden and the next 100 years. 

Apparently this financial decision allowed them to extend their modest castle by 200%. They did a very nice job of decorating it. It is a magnificent medieval keep cum French chateau. Firstly, the keep side:

Now the chateau side, which faces the North Sea:

We watched a falconry display, and visited their natural history museum. More taxidermified creatures than atoms in the universe, and some great Pictish stones. Dukes and their relatives had been all over the world practicing their hunting. Just some images:

And of course the gardens:

The giant rhubarb Gunnera Manicata

Personally, I prefer things on a smaller scale.

The gardens are no doubt tended by an army of workers. Some volunteers. 

Yesterday at Cawdor Castle, the ?Countess did a lot of the flower arranging work herself. Another castle only employed one gardener and a few helpers.

I can only say, it shows, and this was the grandest castle and gardens of them all so far.

I think my favorite though is Cawdor because of the close involvement of the dowager.