Neidpath Castle
| Neidpath Castle | ||
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 Neidpath Castle |
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| Creation time : | 1263-1266 | |
| Castle type : | Niederungsburg (Tower House) | |
| Conservation status: | ruin | |
| Standing position : | Scottish nobility | |
| Construction: | Sandstone - quarry stone | |
| Place: | Peebles | |
| Geographical location | 55 ° 38 '25.1 " N , 3 ° 14' 14.8" W | |
| Height: | 182 m ASLTemplate: height / unknown reference | |
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Neidpath Castle is the ruins of a tower house about 1.6 kilometers west of Peebles in the Scottish administration unit Scottish Borders . The L-shaped castle sits above the Tweed and is not open to the public.
history
An early castle at this point was probably built by Simon Fraser from Oliver Castle between 1263 and 1266. At the time he was High Sheriff of the Tweed Valley. Early 14th century who acquired Clan Hay , the barony Neidpath by marrying the heiress Fraser. Sir William de Haye († approx. 1390) probably had today's castle built at the end of the 14th century. It remained in the family until the 17th century, even if Sir William's grandson, Sir William Hay, married the daughter and heiress of Sir Hugh Gifford of Yester and so also Yester Castle came into his possession, which became the seat of the family; Neidpath Castle remained in use. Maria Stuart visited the castle in 1563 and her son, King James VI. , 1587.
In 1645, Neidpath Castle was again garrisoned against the royalist troops under the leadership of James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose , although John Hay of Yester joined the royal troops the following year and was served by King Charles II of England for 1 . Earl of Tweeddale was appointed. In the wake of Oliver Cromwell's invasion of Scotland in 1650, Neidpath Castle was also attacked. Mike Salter reports that the castle was surrendered without a fight, although other sources state that it took the longest battle of any fortress south of the Forth to force a surrender of the castle. James Taylor wrote in 1887 that the 13th century tower was destroyed in artillery attacks during the siege. In the 1660s, the 2nd Earl of Tweeddale had the castle rebuilt and outbuildings added. He was an “agricultural reformer” who planted an avenue of yew trees, one side of which has been preserved to this day. But he was declared bankrupt and in 1686 sold Neidpath Castle to William Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry .
In 1693 Lord Queensbury gave the castle to his second son, William Douglas , who was later promoted to 1st Earl of March . His son '' William '', the 2nd Earl, had changes made to the castle in the 18th century. The 3rd Earl inherited the estate and the title of Duke of Queensberry in 1778 and then leased Neidpath Castle. One of the tenants was the historian Adam Ferguson . The castle was then neglected and in 1790 the top floor of the wing collapsed. William Wordsworth and Walter Scott both visited Neidpath Castle in 1803. After the Earl's death in 1810, the Earl of Wemyss inherited the castle and the Earldom of March; but the title of Duke of Queensberry fell to the Scotts of Buccleuch . Neidpath Castle still belongs to the Earl of Wemyss; the earl's heirs bear the courtesy title "Lord Neidpath".
description
Neidpath Castle is a tall tower house with an L-shaped floor plan, with the wing of the L being very short. It has rounded corners. The battlements are roofed and the guard corridor is a balcony with a balustrade . There are only a few windows, two of which still have their iron bars. The ground floor and knight's hall on the first floor have vaulted ceilings and the knight's hall is divided into two floors by a wooden ceiling. There is a dungeon hole in the basement and some artefacts from the area are on display in the Tower House. There are remains of a partially fenced garden. The gate passage is decorated with both the goose head emblem of the Hays and the strawberry emblem of the Frasers .
Historic Scotland has listed Neidpath Castle as a Category A Historic Structure and it is considered a Scheduled Monument .
Ghosts
The castle is said to be haunted by the spirit of Jean Douglas , referred to by Walter Scott in his poem as The Maid of Neidpath , the youngest daughter of William Douglas, Earl of March. She was forbidden to marry the son of the laird of Tushielaw , who was considered below her estate. She fell into disrepair when her lover was sent away. When he returned, she was so deteriorated that he no longer recognized her, so that she died of a broken heart. She is said to appear dressed in a long, brown dress with a large, white collar.
In film and television
Neidpath Castle has been used as a location for many films and television series, for example Merlin from 1998 with Jason Connery in the lead role and directed by David Winning , which was filmed in September / October 1997.
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c d e Maurice Lindsay: The Castles of Scotland . Constable & Robinson, 1994. ISBN 0-09-473430-5 . Pp. 373-375.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Mike Salter: The Castles of Lothian and the Borders . Folly Publications, 1994. ISBN 1-871731-20-8 . Pp. 111-113.
- ↑ a b c James Taylor: The Hays of Tweeddale . In: The Great Historic Families of Scotland . Electric Scotland. 1887. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
- ↑ Listed Building - Entry . In: Historic Scotland .
- ↑ Scheduled Monument - Entry . In: Historic Scotland .
- ^ A b Walter Scott: The Maid of Neidpath . Passions in Poetry. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
- ↑ Scotland's Castle Ghosts . Scottish Ghosts. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
- ↑ Merlin: The Quest Begins . In: Internet Movie Database . Amazon.com. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
literature
- Martin Coventry: The Castles of Scotland . Goblinshead, 2001.
- Maurice Lindsay: The Castles of Scotland . Constable, 1994. ISBN 0-09-473430-5 .
- Hubert Fenwick: Scotland's Castles . Robert Hale, 1976.
- Mike Salter: The Castles of Lothian and the Borders . Folly Publications, 1994. ISBN 1-871731-20-8 .
