A photographer captured a magical moment when he looked up and snapped the snow-capped Stirling Castle shrouded in mist at sunset.

Brian Smith was leaving work on Tuesday at 4.30pm when he saw the historic Scottish castle frosted with snow.

Fog and clouds parted above the building which is on a steep hill, so the 55 year-old took a picture, using a long exposure.

"It looks like something out of Harry Potter," said the college lecturer, who said it had been quite foggy all day.

Stirling Castle is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland. The ancient complex located in Stirling sits atop Castle Hill, a massive volcanic rock surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs. With such a strong defensive position it became strategic for guarding what was, until the 1890s, the farthest downstream crossing of the River Forth, and marks the meeting point between the Lowlands and Highlands.

It became a royal residence and a powerful stronghold during the Wars of Independence—which were civil wars among the Scots—as well as a struggle between Scotland and England, during which the castle changed hands eight times in 50 years.

The new photograph is so mythical-looking that many people have told the father-of-two that his photo looks computer-generated. But Smith is still humble.

"It looks very festive."

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