The Galloping Gardener

Castles are synonymous with Scotland, but few have gardens like Cawdor (above), within a stone's throw of Inverness. This is less imposing than Dunrobin, considerably smaller and has a colourful, well-kept garden and a well-publicised association with Shakespeare's 'Macbeth', in which the principle character is made 'Thane of Cawdor'. It is also the main tourist attraction in this area, so make sure to arrive early to get ahead of the crowds.  The castle is closely connected with the Thanes of Cawdor. 'Thane' is an ancient Scottish title, equivalent to Baron, and was once common across Scotland. It is thought that the third Thane of Cawdor started building the castle here as early as 1370, and it was later added to by successive generations. Records of the gardens date back to the 17th century, when the walled garden is first documented and much of the castle there today was already built. 
The castle has certainly made headlines in the past, thanks to va…