by  Sheryl Arredondo Jurries,  guest blogger

I’d love to share a  once-in-a-lifetime chance to stay at a lovely castle in the Eastern Highlands of Scotland.

I have been utterly infatuated with Scotland since the late 1990s. I had discovered a series of books in 1998 set in Scotland while I worked for the Postal Service in Kalamazoo MI.

 The job was great  — we could listen to anything we wanted with our headphones, and we freely shared books and music on tape. Someone brought in an abridged cassette of a book that utterly captivated me. It was called “Outlander” by Diana Gabaldon. Even though it wasn’t an unabridged version (which I only like to read as I hate to wonder what the abridged leaves out), I was eager for something to entertain me. 

Well, I was mesmerized. I immediately looked for the unabridged book and bought it. So began the passion of all things Scottish for me.  What a treat to have a weekend in an authentic castle.  

This one was one of the most exceptional places I’ve ever seen. It was built and owned by that great Scottish industrialist and philanthropist of the 19th century, Andrew Carnegie. He was born in the Scotish Highlands 1835 and came to America where he expanded the steel industry. He became one of the richest men in history. His wealth is calculated at $400 billion in today’s money.

Carnegie gave away his wealth and said, “If a man dies rich, he dies disgraced.” He was married later in life — age 51 — to an American named Louise Whitfield, 30. They had their only child, Margaret, when he was 62 and she was 41. Andrew Carnegie’s edict is this: spend the first third of your life getting all the education you can; spend the next third making all the money you can; spend the last third giving it all away for worthy causes. 

He was known for building libraries and other important buildings in cities and towns across the US and the world. He even built a gym in Holland MI for Hope College. 

This castle is about one hour north of Inverness, and it’s made up of 8000 acres, much of it moors and woodlands. You can’t see it from the main roads, and many people do not even know it exists. 

Carnegie purchased it in the late 19th century and completely renovated it into a beautiful, stately home. He also designed the castle’s golf course on the banks of the Dornoch Firth. 

We had so much fun and lots of opportunities to try new and exciting things here. I hope the photos  give you a sample of this magical place.

Sheryl Arredondo Jurries is a former magazine editor and newspaper reporter. She has 2 children, 2 stepchildren, and a grand daughter. She had her husband Jim reside in Holland, Michigan.