Scottish Highland castles are given the fairytale treatment at Dunrobin Castle, which looks a lot more Disney than it does fortification.

Yet, in medieval times Dunrobin did serve defensive purposes. All traces of that structure are now buried beneath a mid-19th century, French-style rebuild by the Sutherland family, who still own and use the place.

Once the biggest landowner in Europe, the Sutherland’s were once notorious for evicting some 15,000 tenants to help pay for their lifestyle, and their popularity in these parts still remains understandably slender.

But fans of palaces will enjoy the tour of some of the sumptuous castle rooms (most are still in private use), perambulations in the fine landscaped gardens and perhaps even the museum packed with hunting trophies – mostly disembodied heads – from around the world. There’s also a steam-powered fire engine – an oxymoronic emergency service that’s not going to get anywhere in a hurry.