Hill walkers established Munro bagging as a popular outdoor pursuit. Now, the conquest of Scotland's 284 mountains over 3,000ft, named after the mountaineer Sir Hugh Munro who listed them, faces a challenge from people bagging castles instead.
Historic Scotland, which is responsible for 63 castles in Scotland, has noticed a sharp increase in the number of people who say they are on a quest to visit as many as possible. Many visitors want to bag as many as they can in a day or weekend.
Historic Scotland said one family managed to visit 20 castles in one day, a party of German took in 35 sites in 10 days, while a Spanish couple managed 37 in 14 days. The agency is offering a reward for the family who can bag the most castles in a weekend. The winners will be reimbursed their entry fees.
Of course many of Scotland's castles are not part of Historic Scotland. Here in the east, I can think of 25 castles within an hour's drive and one of my favourites is pictured above - Dunnottar Castle just outside Stonehaven. It reeks of Scottish history and the setting adds to the extraordinary atmosphere.
