Staying at the 15th century Eilean Donan Castle may lead to a sword fighting competition.
How are you all? I waved and greeted the characters in the oil painting on the wall. They all had hooked noses, slanted eyes, and slightly raised chins. Thank you, please don't come visit me at night, I silently pray in my heart.
The parking spaces near the castle were too few, so I had to walk about a mile and park my car downhill. Just as I brought my own luggage into the house, I suddenly realized that I had forgotten a few things. So I hurriedly walked back to the parking lot. With this back and forth, the sky gradually darkened. The evening breeze blew, and the leaves in the woods swayed. The last ray of sunlight struggled and reluctantly gave a little light. The sky darkened so quickly, and I went from walking fast to subconsciously jogging. This road is all uphill. After passing the already dried up moat, I walked into the first gate and entered the courtyard. The yard was quiet, and following the light, I knocked on the door. The thin female host who opened the door had a pale face, almost without any blood color, but the color of her lipstick was bright red.
I couldn't help telling her that it was getting dark and I was a little scared to walk outside. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly as she coldly laughed, "Yes, this is a castle from the 15th century. Who knows what's outside? It's better to come inside!"
The room I booked is a Double bed room. Although the room is small, the walls are covered with tapestries, making it feel like a museum exhibition room rather than a hotel. Only the large bed in the room reminds me that this is a hotel. The room is dimly lit, small, but has three doors. Only one is for entering and exiting. Dinner is a pure candlelit dinner. The black cutlery is almost invisible, but the food is definitely Michelin 3-star standard. The pianist in the restaurant plays world-famous songs smoothly. After a satisfying meal, I found my way back to my room. In the hallway, a group of drunk young men were having a stag party, making a lot of noise. For them, the darkness of this place is even more interesting. They probably enjoy the thrill of the unknown.
On the second day, I joined the castle tour provided by the hotel and learned that this castle was built by Ranulf le Meschin in the early 12th century. It was built around 1170 on the foundation of a square stone castle called Caesar's Tower. When the Scottish king, William the Lion, invaded the Eden Valley in 1174, the castle fell into the hands of the royal family. The castle guards surrendered without a fight. The Clifford family owned Appleby Castle for nearly 400 years and was responsible for most of the castle's restoration work. In 1998, the castle was finally bought by Christopher Maling. In 2009, Lady Sally Maling became the sole owner of Appleby Castle. This is the "White Powder Beauty" that I saw.
The castle has an underground storage room, which is very hidden, and the iron door is thick. The corridor on the first floor underground is dark and narrow, with passages only wide enough for one person to pass through, and you can't be fat. There are mirrors on both sides of the corridor. There are many dark rooms, spiral staircases, and secret passages for escape in the castle.
During the day, I walked into the garden of the castle and happened to meet the hostess walking her dogs. Her two "divine beasts" - "hunting dogs" - were truly ferocious. They were so big that they didn't look like dogs at all, and were about the same size as a small horse. This time I finally saw her face clearly, with a thick layer of powder. No wonder she looked scary at night, but chatting with her during the day, she seemed quite gentle.
This journey has come to an end, bidding farewell to the 15th century castle. In my dreams, I wish to be your faithful guardian.