The single barrel vault which spans the Billeting Room is some 760 mm
(2' 6") deep and the walls are up to 4.26 m (14') thick. It is
thought that in earlier times this would have been the billet for off-duty
soldiers. Today it contains a fascinating collection of castle, MacRae family and
local history artifacts.
Known as either the Great Hall or Banqueting Hall, this finely
proportioned room owes some of its characteristics to the Halls found in medieval
castles and others to the relative comfort demanded by a more modern age.
The recreated kitchen enables visitors to experience the sights, sounds
and smells as Mrs. MacRae-Gilstrap, the butler and the kitchen staff
prepare for one of the first banquets to be held in the newly rebuilt Castle in
1932.
Today the Great Hall contains fine furniture, family portraits and
Jacobite memorabilia including a lock of Bonnie Prince Charlie's hair. The
massive walls and vast fireplace are familiar features of Scotland's
fortified buildings. The gothic, leaded windows owe more to Victorian
romanticism. The substantial timber beams are of Douglas Fir and were shipped from
British Columbia during the restoration of the Castle as a gift from the
Macraes of Canada.
The
third floor of the Castle was only opened to the public in 1995 after the bedrooms
were renovated. The tartan fabric carpets are a MacRae sett woven by the
company of a great grandson of the family.
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