Braemar Castle

Braemar Castle

Braemar Castle is a castle near Braemar in the Aberdeenshire region of Scotland.

From the Late Middle Ages the castle was a stronghold of the Earls of Mar. [Francis Hindes Groome, "Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland", 1882] The first tower of Braemar Castle was constructed in 1628 by John Erskine, the 7th Earl of Mar to replace the older Kindrochit Castle, which was sited in this location as early as the 11th century AD. The siting of the original Kindrochit Castle was based upon the strategic location of this site relative to historic crossings of the Grampian Mounth. [ [http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=18037 C. Michael Hogan, "Elsick Mounth", Megalithic Portal, editor: Andy Burnham] ]

An important garrison during the Jacobite uprising, Braemar Castle was attacked and burned by John Farquharson, the "Black Colonel" of Inverey in 1689, killing John Erskine. In 1715 the castle was burned by royal troops and subsequently the estate was forfeit by the Earls of Mar. [Alex Inkson McConnochie, Alexander Inkson McConnochie, J G Murray, "The Royal Dee: A Description of the River from the Wells to the Sea", 1898, Jolly Publishers, Scotland, 161 pages] The castle was left in ruins until 1748 when it was leased to the government by Clan Farquharson of Invercauld, now to serve as a garrison for Hanoverian troops. In some rooms, extant graffiti left by the English soldiers can be seen.

In 1800 Braemar Castle was documented to have its moat intact. [John Leyden and James Sinton, "Journal of a Tour in the Highlands and Western Islands of Scotland in 1800", published 1903, W. Blackwood and sons, 318 pages]

In 1797 the castle was returned to the Farquharson clan and its restoration for use as clan seat begun. The 12th Laird of Invercauld entertained Queen Victoria there while she attended the Braemar Gathering.

It is an L-plan castle with a star-shaped curtain wall and three storey angle turrets. The main entrance to the castle retains an original iron yett.

Among the antiques on display within the castle are a Bronze Age sword, the world's largest cairngorm crystal, a rare specimen of blue topaz and a piece of tartan plaid once worn by Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Today, the castle is regarded as the ancestral home of the Farquharson clan, and is still owned and occupied by them. Areas of the main building including its dungeons are open to tourists all year round, and the castle chapel and dining room may be rented for weddings and small functions. Substantial restoration has been carried out as recently as 2007. [ [http://www.braemarcastle.co.uk/ The Braemar Castle web site] ]

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Braemar Castle — liegt im Hochtal des schottischen Flusses Dee auf dem Gebiet Braemars. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Geschichte …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Braemar — infobox UK place country = Scotland official name= Braemar gaelic name= Bràigh Mhàrr population= under 500 [cite web| url=http://www.gro scotland.gov.uk/statistics/publications and data/settlements and localities/mid 2004 population estimates for …   Wikipedia

  • Braemar — ▪ Scotland, United Kingdom in full  Castleton of Braemar        village, on the Clunie Water (stream) at its confluence with the River Dee, that is the centre of the picturesque mountainous region of Braemar in the council area and historic… …   Universalium

  • Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway — [v · d · …   Wikipedia

  • Balmoral Castle — South front of Balmoral Castle Location: Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland Coord …   Wikipedia

  • Corgarff Castle — Location of Corgarff Castle within Aberdeenshire, Scotland Corga …   Wikipedia

  • Château de Braemar — Nom local Braemar Castle Début construction 1628 Propriétaire initial John Erskine Propriétaire actuel Clan Farquharson Protection …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Crathes Castle — Part of Aberdeenshire Near Banchory, Aberdeenshire, Scotland …   Wikipedia

  • Craigievar Castle — Location of Craigievar Castle within Aberdeenshire. Craigievar Castle is a pinkish …   Wikipedia

  • Union-Castle Line — Die Union Castle Line (UC) war eine britische Reederei mit Hauptsitz in London. Das Unternehmen betrieb bis 1982 einen erfolgreichen Liniendienst zum Transport von Passagieren, Fracht und Post zwischen Großbritannien und Südafrika.… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”