Recognize the castle above? I’ll give you a hint: “I fart in your general direction.” No? “Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries.” Still no? What is wrong with you? I even gave it away in the title to this post! Yes, it’s the castle from Monty Python and the Holy Grail…and one of the Pythons has returned to make your visit to it more enjoyable.
The location is known as Doune Castle, in the Stirling district of Scotland, and believe it or not, it actually has some history that pre-dates the filming of The Holy Grail by 500 years or so. Terry Jones will be delighted to tell you all about it. Jones, “who starred in and co-directed the 1975 film, is the voice of a new audio guide introduced this week by Historic Scotland, which owns the landmark,” according to the Edinburgh Scotsman.
“Jones, who has presented a number of documentaries on subjects including Roman and Medieval life, said: "I have very fond memories of Doune Castle, it's a fascinating place and the setting is absolutely spectacular. It's lovely to be involved with the castle again and to have the chance to introduce visitors to its history. The audio guide is designed to give people a real sense of the castle's social history – what it was actually like to live there in the Middle Ages.”
You’ll be able to visit the Great Hall, where the musical number that spawned Spamalot was filmed, as well as the kitchen that passes for Castle Anthrax, “where Sir Galahad the Chaste (Michael Palin) is chased by seductive women.” So what are you waiting for? Go away or I shall taunt you a second time!