Brahan Castle
Encyclopedia
Brahan Castle was situated 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south-west of Dingwall
, in Easter Ross
, Scotland
. The castle belonged to the Earls of Seaforth
, chiefs of the Clan Mackenzie
, who dominated the area.
in 1611. Kenneth Mackenzie, a labourer on the estate, was a reputed seer who made a number of prophecies
in the later 17th century. He is remembered as the Brahan Seer
.
The Mackenzies were prominent Jacobites
, and took part in the Jacobite rising
of 1715. The Siege of Brahan
took place in November 1715. William Mackenzie, 5th Earl of Seaforth
, was attainted, forfeiting the estate, which in 1725 became the headquarters of General Wade during his "pacification" of the Highlands. After the second Jacobite rising of 1745, the Mackenzies were the first clan to surrender, being forced to swear allegiance to the British Crown on the steps of the castle.
The estate was later sold back to the Mackenzie family, although the direct line of descent died out in 1781. The estate passed to Francis Mackenzie, 1st Baron Seaforth
who carried out tree planting in the grounds. On his death without heir in 1815 Brahan passed to the Stewart-Mackenzies. During the first half of the 19th century, the castle was rebuilt and extended as a large country house.
James Stewart-Mackenzie
was created Baron Seaforth in 1921, but on his death without heir in 1923, he left the estate to a trust. Brahan Castle was briefly requisitioned during World War II
, and after the war its condition deteriorated. In the early 1950s the building was demolished, leaving only the north wall of the 19th century building, which served as a garden ornament. The stable block survives, and is now known as Brahan House. Several heraldic panels and other decorative stones are preserved in the house.
A monument on the estate, around 1 miles (1.6 km) west of the site of the castle, commemorates the death in 1823 of Caroline Mackenzie, daughter of the last earl, who died after being thrown from a pony carriage near the same location.
Dingwall
Dingwall is a town and former royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,026. It was formerly an east-coast harbor but now lies inland. Dingwall Castle was once the biggest castle north of Stirling. On the town's present-day outskirts lies Tulloch Castle, parts...
, in Easter Ross
Easter Ross
Easter Ross is a loosely defined area in the east of Ross, Highland, Scotland.The name is used in the constituency name Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, which is the name of both a British House of Commons constituency and a Scottish Parliament constituency...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The castle belonged to the Earls of Seaforth
Earl of Seaforth
Earl of Seaforth was a title in the Peerage of Scotland and Peerage of Great Britain. It was held by the family of Mackenzie from 1623 to 1716, and again from 1771 to 1781....
, chiefs of the Clan Mackenzie
Clan MacKenzie
Clan Mackenzie is a Highland Scottish clan, traditionally associated with Kintail and lands in Ross-shire.-Origins:The Mackenzies, a powerful clan of Celtic stock, were not among the clans that originated from Norman ancestry. Descendants of the long defunct royal Cenél Loairn of Dál Riata, they...
, who dominated the area.
History
Brahan Castle was built by Colin Mackenzie, 1st Earl of SeaforthColin Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Seaforth
Colin Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Seaforth , was a Highland clan chief and Scottish nobleman, possessed of vast estates and wealth.-Origins:...
in 1611. Kenneth Mackenzie, a labourer on the estate, was a reputed seer who made a number of prophecies
Prophecy
Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
in the later 17th century. He is remembered as the Brahan Seer
Brahan Seer
The Brahan Seer, known in his native Scottish Gaelic as Coinneach Odhar. Some have questioned whether he really existed at all. He is thought to have come from Uig on lands owned by the Seaforths, and to have been a Mackenzie, although both these details are in themselves questioned...
.
The Mackenzies were prominent Jacobites
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
, and took part in the Jacobite rising
Jacobite rising
The Jacobite Risings were a series of uprisings, rebellions, and wars in Great Britain and Ireland occurring between 1688 and 1746. The uprisings were aimed at returning James VII of Scotland and II of England, and later his descendants of the House of Stuart, to the throne after he was deposed by...
of 1715. The Siege of Brahan
Siege of Brahan
The Siege of Brahan took place in November 1715 and was part of the Jacobite rising of 1715. Highlanders loyal to the British-Hanoverian government of George I of Great Britain laid siege to Brahan Castle, seat of William Mackenzie, 5th Earl of Seaforth, who was a staunch Jacobite, loyal to the...
took place in November 1715. William Mackenzie, 5th Earl of Seaforth
William Mackenzie, 5th Earl of Seaforth
William Mackenzie, 5th Earl of Seaforth was a Scottish nobleman.He who joined the Jacobite standard at Braemar, during the rising of 1715, and then, having raised 3000 men, was present at the battle of Sheriffmuir and was appointed lieutenant-general of the northern counties...
, was attainted, forfeiting the estate, which in 1725 became the headquarters of General Wade during his "pacification" of the Highlands. After the second Jacobite rising of 1745, the Mackenzies were the first clan to surrender, being forced to swear allegiance to the British Crown on the steps of the castle.
The estate was later sold back to the Mackenzie family, although the direct line of descent died out in 1781. The estate passed to Francis Mackenzie, 1st Baron Seaforth
Francis Mackenzie, 1st Baron Seaforth
Francis Humberston Mackenzie, 1st Baron Seaforth FRS was a British politician and general and Chief of the Highland Clan Mackenzie....
who carried out tree planting in the grounds. On his death without heir in 1815 Brahan passed to the Stewart-Mackenzies. During the first half of the 19th century, the castle was rebuilt and extended as a large country house.
James Stewart-Mackenzie
James Stewart-Mackenzie, 1st Baron Seaforth
Colonel James Alexander Francis Humberston Stewart-Mackenzie, 1st Baron Seaforth was a Scottish soldier, who was regarded by many as Chief of Clan Mackenzie....
was created Baron Seaforth in 1921, but on his death without heir in 1923, he left the estate to a trust. Brahan Castle was briefly requisitioned during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and after the war its condition deteriorated. In the early 1950s the building was demolished, leaving only the north wall of the 19th century building, which served as a garden ornament. The stable block survives, and is now known as Brahan House. Several heraldic panels and other decorative stones are preserved in the house.
A monument on the estate, around 1 miles (1.6 km) west of the site of the castle, commemorates the death in 1823 of Caroline Mackenzie, daughter of the last earl, who died after being thrown from a pony carriage near the same location.