Places that Inspire – Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle

When I started creating my story Beast in a Kilt (in Secrets Volume 29), the place I imagined the hero living was similar to where Urquhart Castle is on the shore of Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. The hero, Torr, is cursed. At night he shapeshifts into the form of a kelpie water demon, so he needed to live by a loch where he could swim. And though I named the loch in my story something different (not Loch Ness), this is still the place I envision. Spiral stone steps leading down. I love including these kinds of steps in my stories. It was neat actually being able to climb them. They are very narrow and tight. Basically it's almost impossible for two people to pass.

Torr lives in a castle ruin where only one tower is left standing. An old physician, who is secretly a wizard, lives there with him, constantly trying to concoct a formula which will break his curse.

The day I visited Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle, rain was falling and the mist hung low over the loch. It looked exactly like a place legendary creatures might inhabit.



Of course the Urquhart Castle ruin is not a habitable place like the one in my story. I visualize it looking similar but more ancient since my story takes place 400 years ago. For instance, the stone rubble from where the castle was knocked down still covers the ground (instead of lovely green grass).

Above, you can see how much ground the castle covered in it's day because the base of some of the walls still exist. The middle picture shows a view from a tower window, down toward the loch with its peaty brownish tinged water. Then we see the castle wall interior including windows and a fireplace, without the wooden floors that would've divided the space.

To learn more about Urquhart’s long and complicated history visit this page at Electric Scotland.


Beast in a Kilt will be in Secrets Volume 29 Indulge Your Fantasies, release date: July 1 2010.

Beast in a Kilt: Scottish lady Catriona MacCain has loved Torr Blackburn, a fierce Highland warrior, since she was a young lass, but Torr only sees Catriona as his best friend’s little sister. When Catriona’s family promises her in marriage to a detestable chieftain, she desperately needs Torr to save her from a fate worse than death. But Torr is under the spell of a witch of the dark arts and is cursed to spend his nights as a kelpie water demon. He doesn’t believe himself worthy of the virginal Lady Catriona. However, she is determined to seduce Torr and claim him… body, heart and soul, if only they can banish the curse and defeat the enemies who have vowed to possess and enslave them both.

Have you visited Urquhart or any other Scottish castles you enjoyed? What was your favorite thing about them and did they inspire you?

Thanks!

Nicole

www.nicolenorth.com