- Thirlestane Castle
Thirlestane Castle is a
castle set in extensive parklands nearLauder in the Borders ofScotland , aptly named Castlehill, as it stood upon raised ground. However the raised land 'hill' is inside of a valley, the valley of theLeader Water . It is the ancient seat of the Earls andDuke of Lauderdale , and has been in the ownership of the Maitland family since 1587, the first construction commencing two years later.Family
The Maitlands came to Britain from
Normandy with William the Conqueror in 1066, originally settling inNorthumberland . They gained power and influence as a result of military service but largely due to their contributions tolaw and the arts in the 16th century.William Maitland of Lethington , was Secretary to Mary Queen of Scots, his younger brotherJohn Maitland, 1st Lord Maitland of Thirlestane was appointedLord Chancellor of Scotland in 1590 and his son was created the 1stEarl of Lauderdale .History of the castle
The history of the castle dates back to before the 13th century, when a large fort or castle was built on Castle Hill near the Leader Water defending the approach through
Lauderdale toEdinburgh from the south. Upon its redundancy in the early 16th century it passed to Robert Lauder of that Ilk who gave it in dowry to his daughter, as in "The Great Seal of Scotland" (number 1186) dated at Edinburgh 1 July 1532, The King confirmed upon George Wedderhede and Alison Lauder his spouse the lands of Castle hill in the parish of Lauder in the Lordship of Lauderdale,Berwickshire , to be held of them and their legitimate heirs male procreated of their bodies. This couple, and their son, were all murdered in feuds, she in 1547. Records are wanting but presumably the lands reverted to her parents, her mother being Alison Cranstoun. They both died in the second half of 1567 leaving only small grandchildren as heirs. The next entry in "The Great Seal" shows the Cranstouns selling Castle hill on 27 January 1587 ("The Great Seal") to Sir John Maitland (d.1595).It was Sir John Maitland who built first a large square keep or
tower house upon the foundations and walls of the original fort in 1590. This building was to replace the Maitland's original but now decaying Thirlestane Castle, aPeel tower situated a mile to the south. Its ruins are still extant, and are shown on theOrdnance Survey map of the area.Further alterations and extensions were to follow. John Maitland, Duke of Lauderdale was one of the most important Scottish figures of the late 17th century, being appointed
Secretary of State for Scotland in 1660, a position carrying unrivalled power and influence. He employed Sir William Bruce to transform the castle into a residence suitable for conducting the affairs of state. Between 1670 and 1676 the substantial alterations included the addition of the two front towers and the grand staircase, in addition to extensive internal modifications creating lavish staterooms with magnificent plasterwork ceilings.By the 19th century, in more peaceful times, the castle took on the role of a Scottish country mansion for the Earls of Lauderdale. In 1840 the Edinburgh
architect s,David Bryce andWilliam Burn were engaged to design extensions to the castle. Their additions consist of two large wings flanking the centralkeep and a south wing, constructed around a central courtyard, housing new kitchens, pantries, laundries and servants' quarters.The castle today
Captain
Gerald Maitland-Carew inherited the Castle in 1972 from his maternal grandmother, theCountess of Lauderdale . At this time, the castle was in a serious state of disrepair, requiring extensive renovation. In 1984 the castle was gifted to acharitable trust established to ensure its preservation, and major repairs were carried out, assisted by financial grants awarded by theHistoric Buildings Council andNational Heritage Memorial Fund .In addition to the grounds, the castle itself and the magnificent interiors, Thirlestane is noted for fine collections of
painting s,furniture ,porcelain and an historictoy collection. The castle is open to visitors from April until September .At the castle there is rumoured to be a secret corridor and that people who walk down never return.External links
* [http://www.thirlestanecastle.co.uk Official website]
* [http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/features/featurefirst1016.html Thirlestane Castle on the Gazeteer for Scotland]ee also
*
List of places in the Scottish Borders
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