Tower Houses, Scotland's Family Castles

Scots tower house, Highlands, Scotland

The original tower houses were just square towers.










Tower houses were imposing, highly fitted for defense. 



Tower House, Scotland, near Inverness (as I recall)














Compare Norman and Scots tower houses.  Scots tower houses are different from the Norman tower houses seen in Ireland, from an earlier era. This tower house ruin is from Ireland, between Rosslare and Waterford.

Norman Tower House, Ireland (between Rosslare and Waterford)