‘Entitled Instagram vandals’ tear down 500-year-old monument simply to allow them to take selfies
A charity that looks after a historic Scottish castle has blasted Instagram users, savaging them for tearing down an ancient structure in search of the perfect selfie
“Entitled Instagram vandals” are in the crosshairs of a Scottish charity after a 500-year-old castle wall was knocked over, reports the Daily Mail.
Historic Assynt, which protects historic sites from vandals, said visitors to Ardvreck Castle at Lairg in Scotland had “ripped down” part of the historic structure. Tourists, it said, don’t want to get “their little tootsies wet” so tore down part of the wall to get to the site without having to walk across the beach.
But the charity says this damage is just the latest of many incidents of vandalism as visitors “clamber” all over walls in the search of the perfect shot for their social media.
Ardvreck Castle sits on the banks of Loch Assynt and is on the path of NC500, a famous scenic route through the Scottish Highlands.
The castle is thought to have been built by the Macleod Clan around 1500 but has been abandoned since 1726. Its ruins are now a popular spot for tourists to explore. But many have caused extensive damage to the historic structures and the problem is only getting worse.
A representative from Historic Assynt told the Daily Mail: “We had some vandalism at Ardvreck again this year. Not just the usual theft from the collection boxes and clambering all over the walls like entitled monkeys.
“This year, some special individuals decided when the water was over the beach area, rather than get their little tootsies wet, they would rip down a 500-year-old wall to make a path for themselves. Truly unbelievable, but it happened.”
Historic Assynt issued a “huge thank you” to Historic Environment Scotland, who provided funding for the repairs – and added additional signage to the area, urging visitors to respect the site’s history. It also added a QR code at the collection box, as a way to fund future repairs and to avoid further thefts.
Historic Assynt added: “If you are planning a holiday and want to clamber over an ancient monument for that Instagram pic, please don’t! This is our history and every time someone clambers all over it, a little more of it crumbles away.
“Individually it might be small amounts but collectively Assynt’s history is disappearing. Take photographs – without climbing on things – leave only footprints, and when you leave, leave the past for future generations to enjoy.”
The castle’s 500-year history includes a key incident in April 1650 during the Civil War. The Marquis of Montrose, fighting for the Royalist cause, lost the battle of Carbisdale to a much smaller Covenanter army.
He sought sanctuary in Ardvreck Castle with Neil Macleod of Assynt. But Macleod’s wife tricked him and called government forces, who took him to Edinburgh where he was executed.
The ruins are reportedly haunted by two ghosts – a tall man dressed in grey and a young girl – both linked to the Clan Macleod.
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