Friday, March 04, 2011

Argyll, Scotland, United Kingdom

Postcard sent by Kirstie (Postcrossing forum - **Choose a country** tag).

Castle Stalker, Appin, Argyll
Photograph : Colin Baxter

Castle Stalker is a four-storey tower house or keep picturesquely set on a tidal islet on Loch Laich, an inlet off Loch Linnhe. It is located about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north east of Port Appin, Argyll, Scotland. The islet is accessible (with difficulty) from the shore at low tide. The name "Stalker" comes from the Gaelic Stalcaire, meaning "hunter" or "falconer", and should therefore be pronounced stal-ker, with the l sounded, not as in the pronunciation of the English word stalker. 
In recent times the castle was brought to fame by the Monty Python team, appearing in their film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It also appeared in the film Highlander: Endgame. The Castle's implausibly picturesque appearance, with its bewitching island setting against a dramatic backdrop of mountains, has made it a favourite subject for postcards and calendars, and something of a cliché image of Scottish Highland scenery. Castle Stalker is entirely authentic; it is one of the best-preserved medieval tower-houses surviving in western Scotland

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