Dunrobin Castle
Encyclopedia
Dunrobin Castle is a stately home in Sutherland
, in the Highland
area of Scotland
. It is the seat of the Countess of Sutherland and the Clan Sutherland
. It is located 1 miles (1.6 km) north of Golspie
, and approximately 5 miles (8 km) south of Brora
, on the Dornoch Firth
close to the A9 road. Nearby Dunrobin Castle railway station
, on the Far North Line
was originally a private station for the castle. Dunrobin's origins lie in the Middle Ages, but most of the present building is the work of Sir Charles Barry
, the architect
of the Palace of Westminster
in London, who greatly extended the building in 1845. The resulting house has a "French Renaissance
meets Scots Baronial
" style. Some of the original building is visible in the interior courtyard.
were acquired before 1211, by Hugh, Lord of Duffus, grandson of the Flemish nobleman, Freskin
. The Earldom of Sutherland
was created around 1230 for Hugh's son, William, and the first record of a castle on this site dates to 1401. It may have been built on the site of an early medieval fort (hence, the dun
in the place-name). The earliest castle was a square keep
with few, and small, windows looking out from a cliff top position, probably surrounded by a defensive curtain wall
. Each floor of the keep was vaulted
. The Earldom passed to the Gordon
family in the 16th century. In the 17th century, the keep was extended with the addition of a large house, built around a courtyard to the south-west.
During the Jacobite Rising
of 1745, the Jacobites
under Charles Edward Stuart
stormed Dunrobin Castle without warning, because the Clan Sutherland supported the British government. The 17th Earl of Sutherland, who had changed his surname from Gordon to Sutherland, narrowly escaped them, exiting through a back door. He sailed for Aberdeen
where he joined the Duke of Cumberland's army. On the death of the 18th Earl in 1766, the house passed to his daughter, Elizabeth, who married the politician George Leveson-Gower
, later created 1st Duke of Sutherland. In 1785, the house was altered and extended again.
Sir Charles Barry
was retained in 1845 by the 2nd Duke of Sutherland
to re-model the castle completely, and to change it from a castle into a house in the "Scottish Baronial" style, which had become popular among the aristocracy. Barry had been the architect for the Palace of Westminster, home to the House of Commons
, and was much in demand. The 14th-century tower, and the 17th-century and 18th-century extensions, were retained, and survive within Barry's 19th-century work.
In 1915 the building was in use as a naval hospital when fire damaged much of the interior. Scottish architect Sir Robert Lorimer
was engaged to renovate the house following the First World War. When the 5th Duke
died in 1963, the Earldom and the house went to his niece, the current Countess of Sutherland
, while the Dukedom
had to pass to a male heir and went to John Egerton, Earl of Ellesmere
. Between 1965 and 1972, the house became a boarding school for boys. Since 1973 the house and grounds have been open to the public, with private accommodation retained for the use of the Sutherland family.
. Much of Barry's interior was destroyed by the fire in 1915. The present interiors are mainly the work of the Scottish architect Sir Robert Lorimer
, although he incorporated surviving 17th-century and 18th-century work, including wood carvings attributed to Grinling Gibbons
. Externally, the castle has elements inspired by the work of the French architect Viollet-le-Duc
, such as the pyramidal roof over the main entrance. The French influence extends into the gardens. These were completed in 1850, with Barry taking inspiration for the formal parterres from the French formal style
of the Gardens of Versailles
.
displays are held in the castle's gardens. There also is a museum displaying the trophy heads of numerous animals shot by family members on safari; ethnographic items collected from around the world (particularly Africa); and an important collection of archaeological artifacts, collected from the enormous Sutherland
estates. Notable among these are the collection of Pictish symbol stone
s and cross-slabs, including a majority of those discovered in Sutherland. The museum retains its Victorian-Edwardian arrangement, housed in an 18th-century summer-house adjoining the formal gardens. An exhibition includes the colours of the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders
, the famous "thin red line" at Balaclava
. Historically, the castle is a category A listed building, and the gardens are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland.
The castle is featured in the 1975 Stanley Kubrick
film Barry Lyndon
. It is also rumoured to be haunted.
Sutherland
Sutherland is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic administrative county of Scotland. It is now within the Highland local government area. In Gaelic the area is referred to according to its traditional areas: Dùthaich 'IcAoidh , Asainte , and Cataibh...
, in the Highland
Highland (council area)
Highland is a council area in the Scottish Highlands and is the largest local government area in both Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole. It shares borders with the council areas of Moray, Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross, and Argyll and Bute. Their councils, and those of Angus and...
area of 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...
. It is the seat of the Countess of Sutherland and the Clan Sutherland
Clan Sutherland
Clan Sutherland is a Highland Scottish clan whose traditional territory is located in the region of Sutherland in northern highlands of Scotland and was one of the most powerful Scottish clans. The clan seat is at Dunrobin Castle, Sutherland...
. It is located 1 miles (1.6 km) north of Golspie
Golspie
Golspie is a coastal village in Sutherland, Highland, Scotland. It has a population of around 1,650 people. It is located picturesquely on the shores of the North Sea in the shadow of Ben Bhraggie ....
, and approximately 5 miles (8 km) south of Brora
Brora
Brora is a village in the east of Sutherland, in the Highland area of Scotland. The village is situated where the A9 road and the Far North Line bridge the River Brora...
, on the Dornoch Firth
Dornoch Firth
The Dornoch Firth is a firth on the east coast of Highland, in northern Scotland. It forms part of the boundary between Ross and Cromarty, to the south, and Sutherland, to the north....
close to the A9 road. Nearby Dunrobin Castle railway station
Dunrobin Castle railway station
Dunrobin Castle railway station is a railway station serving Dunrobin Castle in the Highland council area of Scotland. The station is on the Far North Line. Many timetables list it as being a "summer only" station, closing in late September....
, on the Far North Line
Far North Line
The Far North Line is a rural railway line entirely within the Highland area of Scotland, extending from Inverness to Thurso and Wick.- Route :...
was originally a private station for the castle. Dunrobin's origins lie in the Middle Ages, but most of the present building is the work of Sir Charles Barry
Charles Barry
Sir Charles Barry FRS was an English architect, best known for his role in the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster in London during the mid-19th century, but also responsible for numerous other buildings and gardens.- Background and training :Born on 23 May 1795 in Bridge Street, Westminster...
, the architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
of the Palace of Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
in London, who greatly extended the building in 1845. The resulting house has a "French Renaissance
French Renaissance architecture
French Renaissance architecture is the style of architecture which was imported to France from Italy during the early 16th century and developed in the light of local architectural traditions....
meets Scots Baronial
Scottish baronial style
The Scottish Baronial style is part of the Gothic Revival architecture style, using stylistic elements and forms from castles, tower houses and mansions of the Gothic architecture period in Scotland, such as Craigievar Castle and Newark Castle, Port Glasgow. The revival style was popular from the...
" style. Some of the original building is visible in the interior courtyard.
History
The lands of SutherlandSutherland
Sutherland is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic administrative county of Scotland. It is now within the Highland local government area. In Gaelic the area is referred to according to its traditional areas: Dùthaich 'IcAoidh , Asainte , and Cataibh...
were acquired before 1211, by Hugh, Lord of Duffus, grandson of the Flemish nobleman, Freskin
Freskin
Freskin was a minor nobleman active in the reign of King David I of Scotland. His name appears only in a charter by King William to Freskin's son, William, granting Strathbrock in West Lothian and Duffus, Kintrae, and other lands in Moray, "which his father held in the time of King David"...
. The Earldom of Sutherland
Earl of Sutherland
Earl of Sutherland is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created circa 1230 for William de Moravia. The Earl of Sutherland is also the Chief of Clan Sutherland...
was created around 1230 for Hugh's son, William, and the first record of a castle on this site dates to 1401. It may have been built on the site of an early medieval fort (hence, the dun
Dun
Dun is now used both as a generic term for a fort and also for a specific variety of Atlantic roundhouse...
in the place-name). The earliest castle was a square keep
Keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
with few, and small, windows looking out from a cliff top position, probably surrounded by a defensive curtain wall
Curtain wall
A curtain wall is an outer covering of a building in which the outer walls are non-structural, but merely keep out the weather. As the curtain wall is non-structural it can be made of a lightweight material reducing construction costs. When glass is used as the curtain wall, a great advantage is...
. Each floor of the keep was vaulted
Vault (architecture)
A Vault is an architectural term for an arched form used to provide a space with a ceiling or roof. The parts of a vault exert lateral thrust that require a counter resistance. When vaults are built underground, the ground gives all the resistance required...
. The Earldom passed to the Gordon
Clan Gordon
Clan Gordon, also known as the House of Gordon, is a Scottish clan. The chief of the clan was the powerful Earl of Huntly, now also Marquess of Huntly.-Origins:...
family in the 16th century. In the 17th century, the keep was extended with the addition of a large house, built around a courtyard to the south-west.
During 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 1745, the 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...
under Charles Edward Stuart
Charles Edward Stuart
Prince Charles Edward Louis John Casimir Sylvester Severino Maria Stuart commonly known as Bonnie Prince Charlie or The Young Pretender was the second Jacobite pretender to the thrones of Great Britain , and Ireland...
stormed Dunrobin Castle without warning, because the Clan Sutherland supported the British government. The 17th Earl of Sutherland, who had changed his surname from Gordon to Sutherland, narrowly escaped them, exiting through a back door. He sailed for Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
where he joined the Duke of Cumberland's army. On the death of the 18th Earl in 1766, the house passed to his daughter, Elizabeth, who married the politician George Leveson-Gower
George Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland
George Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland KG, PC , known as Viscount Trentham from 1758 to 1786, as Earl Gower from 1786 to 1803 and as The Marquess of Stafford from 1803 to 1833, was a British politician, diplomat, landowner and patron of the arts. He is estimated to have been the...
, later created 1st Duke of Sutherland. In 1785, the house was altered and extended again.
Charles Barry
Sir Charles Barry FRS was an English architect, best known for his role in the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster in London during the mid-19th century, but also responsible for numerous other buildings and gardens.- Background and training :Born on 23 May 1795 in Bridge Street, Westminster...
was retained in 1845 by the 2nd Duke of Sutherland
George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland
George Granville Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland KG , styled Viscount Trentham until 1803, Earl Gower between 1803 and 1833 and Marquess of Stafford in 1833, was a British peer....
to re-model the castle completely, and to change it from a castle into a house in the "Scottish Baronial" style, which had become popular among the aristocracy. Barry had been the architect for the Palace of Westminster, home to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
, and was much in demand. The 14th-century tower, and the 17th-century and 18th-century extensions, were retained, and survive within Barry's 19th-century work.
In 1915 the building was in use as a naval hospital when fire damaged much of the interior. Scottish architect Sir Robert Lorimer
Robert Lorimer
Sir Robert Stodart Lorimer was a prolific Scottish architect noted for his restoration work on historic houses and castles, and for promotion of the Arts and Crafts style.-Early life:...
was engaged to renovate the house following the First World War. When the 5th Duke
George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 5th Duke of Sutherland
George Granville Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 5th Duke of Sutherland PC, KT , styled Earl Gower until 1892 and Marquess of Stafford between 1892 and 1913, was a British courtier, patron of the film industry and Conservative politician...
died in 1963, the Earldom and the house went to his niece, the current Countess of Sutherland
Elizabeth Sutherland, 24th Countess of Sutherland
Elizabeth Millicent Sutherland, 24th Countess of Sutherland is a British peeress.-Early life:She was born Elizabeth Millicent Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, the only child of Major Lord Alastair Sutherland-Leveson-Gower , a son of the 4th Duke of Sutherland, and his wife, the former Elizabeth Demarest...
, while the Dukedom
Duke of Sutherland
Duke of Sutherland, derived from Sutherland in Scotland, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom held by the head of the Leveson-Gower family. It was created by William IV in 1833 for George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Marquess of Stafford...
had to pass to a male heir and went to John Egerton, Earl of Ellesmere
John Egerton, 6th Duke of Sutherland
thumb|right|200px|Portrait by [[Allan Warren]]John Sutherland Egerton, 6th Duke of Sutherland , styled Viscount Brackley until 1944 and known as The Earl of Ellesmere between 1944 and 1963, was a British peer.-Background and education:the son of John Egerton, 4th Earl of Ellesmere and Lady Violet...
. Between 1965 and 1972, the house became a boarding school for boys. Since 1973 the house and grounds have been open to the public, with private accommodation retained for the use of the Sutherland family.
Architecture
There are 189 rooms within the house, making it the largest house in the northern HighlandsScottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
. Much of Barry's interior was destroyed by the fire in 1915. The present interiors are mainly the work of the Scottish architect Sir Robert Lorimer
Robert Lorimer
Sir Robert Stodart Lorimer was a prolific Scottish architect noted for his restoration work on historic houses and castles, and for promotion of the Arts and Crafts style.-Early life:...
, although he incorporated surviving 17th-century and 18th-century work, including wood carvings attributed to Grinling Gibbons
Grinling Gibbons
Grinling Gibbons was an English sculptor and wood carver known for his work in England, including St Paul's Cathedral, Blenheim Palace and Hampton Court Palace. He was born and educated in Holland where his father was a merchant...
. Externally, the castle has elements inspired by the work of the French architect Viollet-le-Duc
Eugène Viollet-le-Duc
Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc was a French architect and theorist, famous for his interpretive "restorations" of medieval buildings. Born in Paris, he was a major Gothic Revival architect.-Early years:...
, such as the pyramidal roof over the main entrance. The French influence extends into the gardens. These were completed in 1850, with Barry taking inspiration for the formal parterres from the French formal style
Garden à la française
The French formal garden, also called jardin à la française, is a style of garden based on symmetry and the principle of imposing order over nature. It reached its apogee in the 17th century with the creation of the Gardens of Versailles, designed for Louis XIV by the landscape architect André Le...
of the Gardens of Versailles
Gardens of Versailles
The Gardens of Versailles occupy part of what was once the Domaine royal de Versailles, the royal demesne of the château of Versailles. Situated to the west of the palace, the gardens cover some 800 hectares of land, much of which is landscaped in the classic French Garden style perfected here by...
.
Present use
FalconryFalconry
Falconry is "the taking of wild quarry in its natural state and habitat by means of a trained raptor". There are two traditional terms used to describe a person involved in falconry: a falconer flies a falcon; an austringer flies a hawk or an eagle...
displays are held in the castle's gardens. There also is a museum displaying the trophy heads of numerous animals shot by family members on safari; ethnographic items collected from around the world (particularly Africa); and an important collection of archaeological artifacts, collected from the enormous Sutherland
Sutherland
Sutherland is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic administrative county of Scotland. It is now within the Highland local government area. In Gaelic the area is referred to according to its traditional areas: Dùthaich 'IcAoidh , Asainte , and Cataibh...
estates. Notable among these are the collection of Pictish symbol stone
Pictish stones
Pictish stones are monumental stelae found in Scotland, mostly north of the Clyde-Forth line. These stones are the most visible remaining evidence of the Picts and are thought to date from the 6th to 9th centuries, a period during which the Picts became Christianized...
s and cross-slabs, including a majority of those discovered in Sutherland. The museum retains its Victorian-Edwardian arrangement, housed in an 18th-century summer-house adjoining the formal gardens. An exhibition includes the colours of the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders
93rd Regiment of Foot
The 93rd Regiment of Foot was a Line Infantry Regiment of the British Army . In 1881 during the Childers Reforms it was united with the 91st Regiment of Foot to form the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders .- The 93rd Regiment :The 93rd Regiment was raised three times before it became the...
, the famous "thin red line" at Balaclava
Battle of Balaclava
The Battle of Balaclava, fought on 25 October 1854 during the Crimean War, was part of the Anglo-French-Turkish campaign to capture the port and fortress of Sevastopol, Russia's principal naval base on the Black Sea...
. Historically, the castle is a category A listed building, and the gardens are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland.
The castle is featured in the 1975 Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
film Barry Lyndon
Barry Lyndon
Barry Lyndon is a 1975 British-American period romantic war film produced, written, and directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the 1844 novel The Luck of Barry Lyndon by William Makepeace Thackeray which recounts the exploits of an 18th century Irish adventurer...
. It is also rumoured to be haunted.