Talk:Brodick Castle

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This page is reading more like a history of Arran than of Brodick Castle. It's drifting off topic a bit. For example:

"During Robert the Bruces's time in hiding, following his escape from the English after his coronation aand defeat at the Battle of Methven, he is said to have had his legendary encounter with a spider on Arran."

The story is that the spider was in a cave. That would make the likely location somewhere like Blackwaterfoot on the west of the island. Not at Brodick.

Also, some of the facts seem rather doubtfull. For example.

"After linking up with the fleets of Magnus and Dougal, and showing his might throughout the Hebrides, Hákon's force anchored off Arran, where they were approached by envoys from the Scots King. This could well have been Brodick, as it presents one of the best anchorages on Arran within sight of the mainland."

This is only speculation. There's no evidence for Brodick as the anchorage. Why would Hákon want to anchor in full view of the Scotish mainland. For a military stand point it doesn't make sense. There are other good anchorages on Arran such as Lamlash and Lochranza that are just as likely sites.

Speculation indeed! However, Hákon's fleet came to Scotland to 'Shock and Awe', to use a more contemporary expression. The Norse did not arrive as supplicants, Lamlash and Lochranza ARE hidden from the Scots mainland, where better to instil a sense of the scale and might of the Norse than at Brodick bay.

Arran's no that big! A history of Brodick reads like that of the island on which it stands as the largest settlement.Brendandh 21:03, 22 October 2006 (UTC)

I'll let you away with that if you can cite a referance for the 'Shock and Awe' theory. However, that is still speculation. Hákon's fleet came to the clyde and to Arran. That we know and can prove. But further detail needs to be backed up with a source otherwise it's just POV.

This article should be about "Brodick Castle". If you say it "reads like that of the island on which it stands" then lets just put in a # redirect to Isle of Arran and be done with it. The purpose of the detailed article on just the castle is to give further detail about the castle that is not on the general Isle of Arran page or Brodick page. You can mention other events, but only when they are relate directly to or give background to an event at, or feature of the Castle. The other details of Arran should go on the main Arran or Brodick pages and add a ({see also|XXX}) to this page. Rincewind42 04:04, 23 October 2006 (UTC)

Scotland: The Story of a Nation. By Magnus Magnusson - On page 98 states that "He [Hákon] anchored in Lamlash Bay, on Arran, in the lee of the Holy Island." So there it is, Lamlash, not Brodick.Rincewind42 09:14, 25 October 2006 (UTC)

Well done, that's what its all about. I haven't read Magnus' book but I'll have a perusal.Brendandh 11:32, 25 October 2006 (UTC)