Loch Leven Castle

Infobox Military Structure
name=Loch Leven Castle
location=Castle Island, Loch Leven, near Kinross, Scotland
UK gbmapping|NO137017
coordinates=


caption=Keep and west wall of the castle
map_type= Scotland
latitude= 56.20
longitude= -3.39
map_size=150
type=Tower house and courtyard
built=c.1300
builder=
controlledby=Douglas of Lochleven
materials=Stone
height=
used=Until 17th century
condition=Ruined
ownership=Historic Scotland
open_to_public= Yes

Loch Leven Castle is a ruined castle on an island in Loch Leven, in the Perth and Kinross region of Scotland. Possibly built around 1300, the castle saw military action during the Wars of Scottish Independence (1296-1357). In the later 14th century the castle was granted to William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas, and remained in Douglas hands for the next 300 years. Mary, Queen of Scots was imprisoned here in 1567-68, and forced to abdicate, before escaping with the help of her gaoler's family. In 1588, the Queen's gaoler inherited the title Earl of Morton, and moved away from the castle. It was bought, in 1675, by Sir William Bruce, who used the castle as a focal point in his garden, although it was never again used as a residence.

History

Early history

A castle may have been constructed on the Castle Island by 1257, when the sixteen-year-old King Alexander III was forcibly brought here by his regents.Lindsay, p.342-344] During the First War of Scottish Independence (1296-1328), the invading English army held Loch Leven Castle, which lies at a strategically important position between the towns of Edinburgh, Stirling and Perth. Parts of the present curtain wall may date from rebuilding at this time.fact|date=July 2008 It was captured by the Scots before the end of the 13th century, possibly by the forces of William Wallace.Coventry, p.301] English forces laid siege to Loch Leven in 1301, but the castle was saved in the same year when the siege was broken by Sir John Comyn. King Robert the Bruce (reigned 1306-29) is known to have visited the castle in 1313 and again in 1323.fact|date=July 2008 Following Bruce's death, the English invaded again, and laid siege to Loch Leven Castle in 1335 in support of the pretender Edward Balliol (d. 1364). According to the 14th-century chronicle of John of Fordun, the English attempted to flood the castle by building a dam across the outflow of the loch. The water level rose for a month, until the captain of the English force, Sir John de Stirling, left to attend the festival of Saint Margaret of Scotland. The defenders, under Alan de Vipont, took the opportunity to come out of the castle at night, and damaged the dam, causing it to collapse and flood the English camp. The story has, however, been doubted by later historians. [Grose, pp.225-227]

Loch Leven Castle was strengthened in the early- to mid-14th century, either by Robert the Bruce, or by his son David II (reigned 1329-1371), by the addition of the five-storey tower house or keep.fact|date=July 2008 The 14th century date makes it one of the oldest in Scotland which still substantially survives.cite web |url=http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/propertyresults/propertyabout.htm?PropID=PL_202&PropName=Lochleven%20Castle |title=Lochleven Castle: About the Property |publisher=Historic Scotland |accessdate=2008-07-31] In 1390 the castle was granted, by King Robert II (reigned 1371-1390), to Sir Henry Douglas, husband of his niece Marjory. From the 14th century, the castle served as a state prison. Prior to becoming king, Robert II was held here in 1369, as was Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas (d. 1439) in the first half of the 15th century. In 1478, Patrick Graham, Archbishop of St Andrews, died in captivity at the castle.

The 16th century

Mary, Queen of Scots (reigned 1542-1567) first visited Loch Leven in 1565 as a guest of Sir William Douglas of Lochleven (d. 1606). She held an interview here with the Calvinist preacher John Knox.

Mary returned to Loch Leven as a prisoner, from 17 June 1567 until her escape on 2 May 1568. At the "battle" of Carberry Hill on 15 June, Mary surrendered to her noblemen, who opposed her marriage to the Earl of Bothwell. She was taken to Loch Leven and given into the custody of Sir William Douglas of Lochleven, spending most of her captivity living in the early 16th century Glassin Tower, at the south-east corner of the castle. Aside from Sir William, the household included his mother Lady Margaret Douglas, mother of Mary's half brother the Earl of Moray, and his brother George Douglas, as well as Willie Douglas, a young orphaned relative. [Fraser, pp.401, 423] Mary fell ill on arrival, and sometime before 24 July she miscarried twins that she had conceived with Bothwell. [Fraser, p.409] Only a few days later she was forced to abdicate as Queen of Scots, in favour of her infant son James. [Fraser, p.412] Mary recovered during the autumn and winter, and gradually won over George Douglas to her own cause. [Fraser, p.418] On the night of the escape, Willie stole the keys and let Mary, dressed as a servant, out of the castle. She was rowed across the lake to where George Douglas and others awaited her, and they fled to Niddry Castle in Lothian. [Fraser, p.427-428]

The English Earl of Northumberland was also held here, after fleeing to Scotland following the failure of the Catholic Rising of the North in 1570. He was captured by the Earl of Morton, and confined at Loch Leven before being sent back to England for execution.

In 1588, Sir William Douglas of Lochleven succeeded to the earldom of Morton, as the 6th earl. With the title he inherited other properties, including Aberdour Castle in Fife, and Loch Leven Castle became less frequently used.

ir William Bruce

In 1675 the Loch Leven estate was bought from the Douglases by Sir William Bruce (c.1630-1710), royal architect in Scotland. Bruce built nearby Kinross House on the lake shore from 1686, aligning the principal axis of house and garden on the distant castle. Kinross was one of the first buildings in the classical style erected in Scotland. Thereafter Loch Leven Castle was no longer used as a dwelling, but it was preserved by Bruce as a picturesque focus for his gardens. In the 18th century the estate passed to the Graham family, then in the 19th century to the Montgomerys, who still occupy Kinross House. [cite web |url=http://www.kinrosshouse.com/history_subsequent.html |title=Kinross House and Gardens: The History - Subsequent owners |accessdate=2008-08-01]

Loch Leven Castle was given in to state care in 1939, and is now managed by Historic Scotland. Today, the castle can be reached by a 12-person ferry operated from Kinross by Historic Scotland during the summer months. The remains of the castle are protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument, [cite web |url=http://hsewsf.sedsh.gov.uk/eschedule/show?ID=90204&OK=Y |title=The Monument known as Lochleven Castle |accessdate=2008-08-01] and as a category A listed building, the highest level of protection for a historic building in Scotland.cite web |url=http://hsewsf.sedsh.gov.uk/hslive/portal.hsstart?P_HBNUM=11199 |title=Lochleven Castle, Listed Building Report |accessdate=2008-08-01 |publisher=Historic Scotland]

Description

The castle (and an outer enclosure of which little trace remains) originally took up almost the entire area of the Castle Island. The present wooded and considerably larger island was formed in the early 19th century when the canalising of the outflow of the river Leven (which enters the Firth of Forth at the town of Leven) led to a substantial lowering of the water level.

The castle comprises a rectangular courtyard, with a tower house, or keep, at one corner, and the round Glassin Tower projecting from the opposite corner. The foundations of demolished ranges of buildings remain around two sides of the courtyard. Of the outer court, only a slope illustrates the position of the walls, with fragmentary remains of a bakehouse the only visible structures.

The tower house

The tower house, or keep, at the west corner of the enclosure, originally had five storeys, although the roof and timber floors are now gone. The lowest level is a vaulted basement, with a vaulted kitchen above. The hall was on the next floor, with chambers above, all linked by a spiral stair.

The Glassin Tower

The Glassin Tower is a round tower, added to the south-east corner of the ancient curtain wall in the 16th century. The tower has a vaulted basement, defended by a gun hole, and two small rooms above. The lower room has an oriel window.

Images

Notes

References

*Coventry, Martin. (2001) "The Castles of Scotland" 3rd Edition. Goblinshead
*Fraser, Antonia. (1970) "Mary Queen of Scots". Panther
*Grose, Francis. (1791) "The Antiquities of Scotland" Vol.II. S. Hooper
*Lindsay, Maurice. (1986) "The Castles of Scotland". Constable & Co.

External links

*historic-scotland-link|202
* [http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/features/featurefirst6393.html Loch Leven Castle in the Gazetteer for Scotland]