Crichton Castle
Encyclopedia
Crichton Castle is a ruined castle
situated at the head of the River Tyne
, near the village of Crichton
, Midlothian
, Scotland
. The castle lies two miles south of the village of Pathhead
, and the same distance east of Gorebridge
, at 55.8411°N 2.9895°W. A mile to the south-west is Borthwick Castle
.
here as his family residence. John's son, William
(d. c. 1453), served as Lord Chancellor of Scotland
, and was made Lord Crichton
in c. 1443. In 1440 he had been partly responsible for organising the "Black Dinner", where the young Earl of Douglas
was murdered. As a result, he obtained the Douglas property of Bothwell Castle
in Lanarkshire for himself. John Forrester of Corstorphine, a Douglas adherent, stormed and slighted the castle in 1445 in retaliation. William, however, reconstructed and extended the castle, and also built the nearby collegiate church
. The 3rd Lord Crichton was a supporter of Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany, and his lands and titles were forfeit in 1483, when Albany was sentenced for treason. Crichton Castle, along with Bothwell Castle, was briefly granted to Sir John Ramsey, who forfeited it in 1488.
That year, James IV
granted Crichton to Patrick Hepburn
, Lord Hailes, who was later made Earl of Bothwell
. His son, the second Earl
, died at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. Adam was succeeded by his son Patrick
, who intrigued with the English against the Scottish crown, but eventually made peace with the regent
, Mary of Guise
. James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell
sided with Mary of Guise during the Scottish Reformation
, and when he took English money sent to the Lords of the Congregation
, Regent Arran
ordered an assault on Borthwick and Crichton, and the castle was besieged and captured by the Earl of Arran
on 3 November 1560.
The castle was the scene of the marriage and wedding festivities, on 4 January 1562, of Patrick's daughter Jean
(d. before July 1599) and her first husband, John Stewart, Lord Darnley, Prior of Coldingham
, and illegitimate son of King James V
. John Stewart's half-sister Mary, Queen of Scots, spent a few nights at the castle while attending this wedding.
The Earl of Bothwell was implicated in Feburuary 1567 in the murder of Queen Mary's husband Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley
, and became Mary's third husband in May of that year. In December, all Bothwell's titles and estates, including Crichton, were forfeited.
In 1568, Crichton, along with Bothwell's other estates, was granted to Francis Stewart
, son of John Stewart, Lord Darnley, and Jean Hepburn, and thus bastard grandson of James V. Francis travelled in Europe, and he designed the very modern Italianate north range in the 1580s. He was created Earl Bothwell in 1577, but conspired against the young James VI, and was accused of witchcraft. He forfeited his estates in turn in 1592, and was forced to flee to Naples. His son Francis was reinstated, but laboured under his father's debts, and sold Crichton to the Hepburns of Humbie.
In 1956, the castle was given into state care by its owner, Major Henry Callander of Preston Hall
. J. M. W. Turner
painted the castle, and it features in Sir Walter Scott
's Marmion. Crichton was also used as a location in the 1995 film Rob Roy
. It is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument
administered by Historic Scotland
.
Crichton Castle comprises four contiguous buildings arranged around an inner courtyard. The 14th century tower lies at the east of the castle, and has a vaulted basement with timber entresol, and a vaulted hall above, although the south-west corner of the tower has collapsed. To the west of this tower was a barmkin
. William Crichton extended the castle in the early 15th century, building a second tower to the south, forming a strong L-plan, with the gate between the two towers. The south tower was entered by a door in the centre, with vaulted cellars either side. Two halls occupied the first and second floors. In the later 15th century a west block was added, with a six-storey tower at the south-west, containing several bedrroms with garderobes. A stair in the south block gave access to these rooms. The north range was added at this time, closing the courtyard, but this section was heavily rebuilt in the following century.
The castle's most distinctive feature is its Italian-influenced courtyard façade, which forms part of the north range. Francis Stewart, the designer, had travelled to Italy, and was inspired by new styles and technology in buildings there, particularly the Palazzo dei Diamanti
in Ferrara
(c. 1582). This was the source of the diamond rustication on the courtyard wall. The initials of Francis and his wife Margaret Douglas appear on the walls, together with an anchor representing Stewart's position of Lord High Admiral of Scotland
. Inside are further innovations; Scotland's first scale-and-platt
stair, i.e. a modern-style staircase with landings, and a drawing room
to the north of the old tower.
To the south of the castle is a building which may have been used as a stable block, slaughter house or chapel. This building is said to be haunted by the ghost of William Crichton.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
situated at the head of the River Tyne
River Tyne, Scotland
The River Tyne is a river in Scotland, UK. It rises in the Moorfoot Hills in Midlothian near Tynehead to the south of Edinburgh, at the junction of the B6458 and the B6367. It continues for approx...
, near the village of Crichton
Crichton, Midlothian
Crichton is a small village in Midlothian, Scotland, around 2 miles south of Pathhead and the same east of Gorebridge. The name is derived from the Gaelic word crioch, which means border, and the Old English word tune which means farm or settlement....
, Midlothian
Midlothian
Midlothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy area. It borders the Scottish Borders, East Lothian and the City of Edinburgh council areas....
, 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 lies two miles south of the village of Pathhead
Pathhead, Midlothian
Pathhead is a conservation village in Midlothian, Scotland.-Location:Pathhead is located around south east of Dalkeith and south of Scotland's capital city, Edinburgh. It lies above the east bank of the River Tyne. The name of the village is due to its position. It stands above sea level and is...
, and the same distance east of Gorebridge
Gorebridge
Gorebridge is a former mining village in Midlothian, Scotland. The village gets its name from the bridge across the River Gore, a tributary of the South Esk. It was once the home of Scotland's first gunpowder mill, at the Gore Water, commencing operation in 1794.Gorebridge has an annual gala day....
, at 55.8411°N 2.9895°W. A mile to the south-west is Borthwick Castle
Borthwick Castle
Borthwick Castle is one of the largest and best-preserved surviving medieval Scottish fortifications. It is located twelve miles south-east of Edinburgh, to the east of the village of Borthwick, on a site protected on three sides by a steep fall in the ground...
.
History
In the late 14th century John de Crichton (d.1406) built a tower houseTower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...
here as his family residence. John's son, William
William Crichton, 1st Lord Crichton
William Crichton, 1st Lord Crichton of Sanquhar was an important political figure in Scotland.He held various positions within the court of James I. At the death of James I, William Crichton was Sheriff of Edinburgh, Keeper of Edinburgh Castle, and Master of the King’s household...
(d. c. 1453), served as Lord Chancellor of Scotland
Lord Chancellor of Scotland
The Lord Chancellor of Scotland was a Great Officer of State in pre-Union Scotland.Holders of the office are known from 1123 onwards, but its duties were occasionally performed by an official of lower status with the title of Keeper of the Great Seal...
, and was made Lord Crichton
Lord Crichton
The Lordship of Parliament of Crichton was created in the Peerage of Scotland around 1443 for William Crichton, who was Chancellor of Scotland . The third lord made the lordship become forfeited in 1484....
in c. 1443. In 1440 he had been partly responsible for organising the "Black Dinner", where the young Earl of Douglas
William Douglas, 6th Earl of Douglas
William Douglas was a short-lived Scottish Nobleman. He was Earl of Douglas and Wigtown, Lord of Galloway, Lord of Bothwell, Selkirk and Ettrick Forest, Eskdale, Lauderdale, and Annandale in Scotland, and de jure Duke of Touraine, Count of Longueville, and Sire of Dun-le-roi in France...
was murdered. As a result, he obtained the Douglas property of Bothwell Castle
Bothwell Castle
Bothwell Castle is a large medieval castle sited on a high, steep bank, above a bend in the River Clyde, in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located between Uddingston and Bothwell, about south-east of Glasgow. Construction of the castle was begun in the 13th century by the ancestors of Clan...
in Lanarkshire for himself. John Forrester of Corstorphine, a Douglas adherent, stormed and slighted the castle in 1445 in retaliation. William, however, reconstructed and extended the castle, and also built the nearby collegiate church
Collegiate church
In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons; a non-monastic, or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a dean or provost...
. The 3rd Lord Crichton was a supporter of Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany, and his lands and titles were forfeit in 1483, when Albany was sentenced for treason. Crichton Castle, along with Bothwell Castle, was briefly granted to Sir John Ramsey, who forfeited it in 1488.
That year, James IV
James IV of Scotland
James IV was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all...
granted Crichton to Patrick Hepburn
Patrick Hepburn, 1st Earl of Bothwell
Patrick Hepburn, 1st Earl of Bothwell was Lord High Admiral of Scotland. Under his territorial designation of Sir Patrick Hepburne of Dunsyre, Knt., he was Sheriff of Berwickshire, 15 June 1480...
, Lord Hailes, who was later made Earl of Bothwell
Earl of Bothwell
The title Earl of Bothwell has been created twice in the Peerage of Scotland. It was first created for Patrick Hepburn in 1488, and was forfeited in 1567. It was then created for Francis Stewart in 1587...
. His son, the second Earl
Adam Hepburn, 2nd Earl of Bothwell
Adam Hepburn, 2nd Earl of Bothwell was a Scottish nobleman, who succeeded his father Patrick Hepburn, 1st Earl of Bothwell in 1508...
, died at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. Adam was succeeded by his son Patrick
Patrick Hepburn, 3rd Earl of Bothwell
Patrick Hepburn, 3rd Earl of Bothwell , was the son of Adam Hepburn, Lord Hailes, who died at the Battle of Flodden the year after Patrick's birth.Hepburn was known as the Fair Earl...
, who intrigued with the English against the Scottish crown, but eventually made peace with the regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
, Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise was a queen consort of Scotland as the second spouse of King James V. She was the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots, and served as regent of Scotland in her daughter's name from 1554 to 1560...
. James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell
James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell
James Hepburn, 1st Duke of Orkney , better known by his inherited title as 4th Earl of Bothwell, was hereditary Lord High Admiral of Scotland. He is best known for his association with and subsequent marriage to Mary, Queen of Scots, as her third husband...
sided with Mary of Guise during the Scottish Reformation
Scottish Reformation
The Scottish Reformation was Scotland's formal break with the Papacy in 1560, and the events surrounding this. It was part of the wider European Protestant Reformation; and in Scotland's case culminated ecclesiastically in the re-establishment of the church along Reformed lines, and politically in...
, and when he took English money sent to the Lords of the Congregation
Lords of the Congregation
The Lords of the Congregation were a group of Protestant Scottish nobles who in the mid-16th century favoured reformation of the church along Protestant principles and a Scottish-English alliance.- Historical events :...
, Regent Arran
James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran
James Hamilton, Duke of Châtellerault and 2nd Earl of Arran was a Scottish nobleman.-Biography:He was the eldest legitimate son of James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran....
ordered an assault on Borthwick and Crichton, and the castle was besieged and captured by the Earl of Arran
James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran
James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran was a Scottish nobleman and soldier who fought against French troops during the Scottish Reformation....
on 3 November 1560.
The castle was the scene of the marriage and wedding festivities, on 4 January 1562, of Patrick's daughter Jean
Jean Hepburn
Jean Hepburn, Lady Darnley, Mistress of Caithness, Lady Morham was a Scottish noblewoman and a member of the Border clan of Hepburn. Her brother was James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, the third husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. Jean's first husband was John Stewart, 1st Lord Darnley, an illegitimate...
(d. before July 1599) and her first husband, John Stewart, Lord Darnley, Prior of Coldingham
Coldingham
Coldingham is a historic village in Berwickshire, Scottish Borders, on Scotland's southeast coastline, north of Eyemouth.As early as AD 660, Coldingham was the site of a religious establishment of high order, when it is recorded that Etheldreda, the queen of Egfrid, became a nun at the Abbey of...
, and illegitimate son of King James V
James V of Scotland
James V was King of Scots from 9 September 1513 until his death, which followed the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss...
. John Stewart's half-sister Mary, Queen of Scots, spent a few nights at the castle while attending this wedding.
The Earl of Bothwell was implicated in Feburuary 1567 in the murder of Queen Mary's husband Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley
Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley
Henry Stewart or Stuart, 1st Duke of Albany , styled Lord Darnley before 1565, was king consort of Scotland and murdered at Kirk o'Field...
, and became Mary's third husband in May of that year. In December, all Bothwell's titles and estates, including Crichton, were forfeited.
In 1568, Crichton, along with Bothwell's other estates, was granted to Francis Stewart
Francis Stewart, 5th Earl of Bothwell
Francis Stewart, Earl Bothwell , was Commendator of Kelso Abbey and Coldingham Priory, a Privy Counsellor and Lord High Admiral of Scotland. Like his stepfather, Archibald Douglas, Parson of Douglas, he was a notorious conspirator, who died in disgrace...
, son of John Stewart, Lord Darnley, and Jean Hepburn, and thus bastard grandson of James V. Francis travelled in Europe, and he designed the very modern Italianate north range in the 1580s. He was created Earl Bothwell in 1577, but conspired against the young James VI, and was accused of witchcraft. He forfeited his estates in turn in 1592, and was forced to flee to Naples. His son Francis was reinstated, but laboured under his father's debts, and sold Crichton to the Hepburns of Humbie.
In 1956, the castle was given into state care by its owner, Major Henry Callander of Preston Hall
Preston Hall, Midlothian
Preston Hall, or Prestonhall, is a late-18th-century mansion in Midlothian, to the south of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located north of Pathhead on the east side of the Tyne Water, opposite Oxenfoord Castle on the west side. The house, together with several estate buildings, are the work of...
. J. M. W. Turner
J. M. W. Turner
Joseph Mallord William Turner RA was an English Romantic landscape painter, watercolourist and printmaker. Turner was considered a controversial figure in his day, but is now regarded as the artist who elevated landscape painting to an eminence rivalling history painting...
painted the castle, and it features in Sir Walter Scott
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
's Marmion. Crichton was also used as a location in the 1995 film Rob Roy
Rob Roy (film)
Rob Roy is a 1995 historical drama film directed by Michael Caton-Jones. Liam Neeson stars as Robert Roy MacGregor, an 18th century Scottish historical figure who battles with feudal landowners in the Scottish Highlands. Jessica Lange, John Hurt, Tim Roth, Eric Stoltz, and Jason Flemyng also star...
. It is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
administered by Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for historic monuments in Scotland.-Role:As its website states:...
.
Architecture
Barmkin
Barmkin, also spelled barmekin or barnekin, is a Scots word which refers to a form of medieval and later defensive enclosure, typically found around smaller castles, tower houses, pele towers, and bastle houses in Scotland, and the north of England. It has been suggested that etymologically the...
. William Crichton extended the castle in the early 15th century, building a second tower to the south, forming a strong L-plan, with the gate between the two towers. The south tower was entered by a door in the centre, with vaulted cellars either side. Two halls occupied the first and second floors. In the later 15th century a west block was added, with a six-storey tower at the south-west, containing several bedrroms with garderobes. A stair in the south block gave access to these rooms. The north range was added at this time, closing the courtyard, but this section was heavily rebuilt in the following century.
The castle's most distinctive feature is its Italian-influenced courtyard façade, which forms part of the north range. Francis Stewart, the designer, had travelled to Italy, and was inspired by new styles and technology in buildings there, particularly the Palazzo dei Diamanti
Palazzo dei Diamanti
Palazzo dei Diamanti is a palace located on Corso Ercole I d'Este 21 in Ferrara, northern Italy. It is one of the most famous palaces in Italy, as well one of the most influential examples of European Renaissance architecture.-History:...
in Ferrara
Ferrara
Ferrara is a city and comune in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara. It is situated 50 km north-northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream of the Po River, located 5 km north...
(c. 1582). This was the source of the diamond rustication on the courtyard wall. The initials of Francis and his wife Margaret Douglas appear on the walls, together with an anchor representing Stewart's position of Lord High Admiral of Scotland
Lord High Admiral of Scotland
The Lord High Admiral of Scotland was one of the Great Offices of State of the Kingdom of Scotland before the Union with England in 1707.The office was one of considerable power, also known as Royal Scottish Admiralty, including command of the King's ships and sailors and inspection of all sea...
. Inside are further innovations; Scotland's first scale-and-platt
Scale-and-platt
A scale-and-platt staircase is a modern style straight staircase as opposed to traditional spiral staircases. One of the first of this type was built at Crichton Castle....
stair, i.e. a modern-style staircase with landings, and a drawing room
Drawing room
A drawing room is a room in a house where visitors may be entertained. The name is derived from the sixteenth-century terms "withdrawing room" and "withdrawing chamber", which remained in use through the seventeenth century, and made its first written appearance in 1642...
to the north of the old tower.
To the south of the castle is a building which may have been used as a stable block, slaughter house or chapel. This building is said to be haunted by the ghost of William Crichton.
External links
- Historic ScotlandHistoric ScotlandHistoric Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for historic monuments in Scotland.-Role:As its website states:...
Listed Building Report http://hsewsf.sedsh.gov.uk/hslive/portal.hsstart?P_HBNUM=754 - National Monuments Record of ScotlandNational Monuments Record of ScotlandThe National Monuments Record of Scotland was the term used for the archive of the sites, monuments and buildings of Scotland's past maintained by Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. The separate name for the archive is no longer given prominence in RCAHMS...
Site Reference NT36SE 7.00 http://lmid1.rcahms.gov.uk/pls/portal/newcanmore.details_gis?inumlink=53601 - RCAHMS Images on-line, including aerial photos and plans.