Hermitage Castle - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Hermitage Castle is a semi-ruined castle

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...

in the border region

Scottish Borders

The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...

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 under the care of 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:...

. The Castle has a reputation, both from its history and its appearance, as one of the most sinister and atmospheric in Scotland

Scotland

Origins of the name

It is thought that the name derives from Old French: l'armitage – guardhouse. It was known as the guardhouse of the bloodiest valley in Britain, and the "Strength of Liddesdale

Liddesdale

Liddesdale, the valley of the Liddel Water, in the County of Roxburgh, southern Scotland, extends in a south-westerly direction from the vicinity of Peel Fell to the River Esk, a distance of...

".

Supposedly built by one Nicholas de Soulis around 1240, in a typical Norman Motte and Bailey pattern. It stayed in his family until approximately 1320 when his descendant, William de Soulis

William de Soulis

William II de Soules , Lord of Liddesdale and Butler of Scotland, was a Scottish Border noble during the Wars of Scottish Independence. William was the elder son of Nicholas II de Soules, Lord of Liddesdale and Butler of Scotland, and a daughter of Alexander Comyn, Earl of Buchan...

was forfeited on account of witchcraft and the attempted regicide

Regicide

The broad definition of regicide is the deliberate killing of a monarch, or the person responsible for the killing of a monarch. In a narrower sense, in the British tradition, it refers to the judicial execution of a king after a trial...

of King Robert I of Scotland

Robert I of Scotland

Robert I , popularly known as Robert the Bruce , was King of Scots from March 25, 1306, until his death in 1329.His paternal ancestors were of Scoto-Norman heritage , and...

. Legend has it that Soulis' tenantry, having suffered unbearable depredations, arrested him and at the nearby Ninestane Rig (a megalithic circle), had him boiled to death in molten lead. In actuality, he died, a prisoner, in Dumbarton Castle.

Under the Douglases

In 1338 the latest incumbent of many, Englishman Sir Ralph de Neville

Ralph Neville, 2nd Baron Neville de Raby

Ralph Neville, 2nd Baron Neville de Raby was an English aristocrat, son of Ralph Neville, 1st Baron Neville de Raby and Euphemia de Clavering....

was besieged by Sir William Douglas, The Knight of Liddesdale

William Douglas, Lord of Liddesdale

Sir William Douglas, Lord of Liddesdale was also known as the Knight of Liddesdale and the Flower of Chivalry. He was a Scottish nobleman and soldier active during the Second War of Scottish Independence.-Family:...

, known as the "Flower of Chivalry", which sobriquet had to do with his abilities as a knight although it is often misinterpreted by people with a rather romantic view of history.
Upon his death, brought about by near kinsman and namesake, William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas

William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas

William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas was a Scottish magnate.-Early Life:William Douglas was the son of Sir Archibald Douglas and Beatrice Lindsay, and nephew of "Sir James the Good", Robert the Bruce's trusted deputy...

it fell into the hands of the Dacre family for a time, it soon fell back into the hands of Earl William, through inheritance and it was he that enabled the construction of most of the present building, possibly with the help of John Lewin, master mason

Stonemasonry

The craft of stonemasonry has existed since the dawn of civilization - creating buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone from the earth. These materials have been used to construct many of the long-lasting, ancient monuments, artifacts, cathedrals, and cities in a wide variety of cultures...

at Durham Cathedral

Durham Cathedral

The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham is a cathedral in the city of Durham, England, the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Durham. The Bishopric dates from 995, with the present cathedral being founded in AD 1093...

. The Earl's sons provided the seed of the two famous branches of the house – the 'Black' (for Earls of Douglas) and 'Red' (for the Earls of Angus). By 1455 the Black line had so incensed the King that James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas

James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas

James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas, 3rd Earl of Avondale KG was a Scottish nobleman, last of the 'Black' earls of Douglas. He was a twin, the older by a few minutes, the younger was Archibald Douglas, Earl of Moray....

was forfeited never to return, and the beneficences that they had enjoyed, passed to the 'Red' line of Angus, including Hermitage Castle.

Under the Hepburns

King 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...

was suspicious of the then Earl of Angus, Archibald, Bell the Cat and his relationship with Henry VII of England

Henry VII of England

Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....

, and ordered him to resign The Hermitage to the Crown. On March 6, 1492, Patrick Hepburn, 1st Earl of Bothwell

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...

had a charter of the lands and lordship of Liddesdale

Liddesdale

Liddesdale, the valley of the Liddel Water, in the County of Roxburgh, southern Scotland, extends in a south-westerly direction from the vicinity of Peel Fell to the River Esk, a distance of...

, including The Hermitage Castle, etc., upon the resignation of the same by Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus, the latter getting the lordship of Bothwell (but not the Earldom) which Patrick in turn had resigned for the exchange. The Hepburns of Bothwell, then rising in favour with the king, became keepers and lords of The Hermitage.

In time, 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...

held the castle. Mary, Queen of Scots, made a famous marathon journey on horseback to visit the wounded Bothwell there, only a few weeks after the birth of her son. They were to marry shortly after the murder of her 2nd 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...

, regardless of the fact that Bothwell was implicated amongst the conspirators. After Mary's forced abdication following the confrontation at Carberry Hill

Battle of Carberry Hill

The Battle of Carberry Hill took place on the 15th June 1567, near Musselburgh, East Lothian, a few miles east of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. It was part of the ongoing civil war that surrounded Mary, Queen of Scots and the ever changing sides that opposed her and supported her.-The conflict:In May of...

, Bothwell, facing charges of treason

Treason

In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...

, fled to Norway and his titles and estates were forfeited by Act of Parliament. Whilst attempting to raise an army, to restore Mary to the throne, he was arrested by King Frederik's men for breach of marriage contract with Anna Throndsen

Anna Throndsen

Anna Tronds , known in English as Anna Throndsen and posthumously as Anna Rustung, was a Dano-Norwegian noblewoman. In English and Scots history, Anna Throndsen is most known for her marriage with James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell , a man who later married Mary, Queen of Scots...

, and imprisoned at Dragsholm Castle

Dragsholm Castle

Dragsholm Castle is a historic building in Hørve, Denmark‎.For about 800 years there has been a building on the islet by the “drag”. From the original palace over the medieval castle to the current baroque style, Dragsholm Castle has had an influence on and been influenced by changing times and...

in Denmark, where he died insane and in appalling conditions. His mummified body can still be seen at nearby Fårevejle Church.

Bothwell's nephew, Francis Stewart, 1st Earl of Bothwell received a new creation as Earl of Bothwell, and Keeper of the castle. A grandson of James V, albeit through an illegitimate line, he was viewed by some as a potential replacement for James VI. In 1591, Bothwell was arrested, tried, gaoled and forfeited for his supposed involvement with the infamous North Berwick Witches. He obtained a pardon in 1593 but again became involved in intrigue and he was again attainted, by Act of Parliament, on July 21, 1593. The Hermitage once again reverted to the Crown.

Under the Scotts

The following year, James granted the castle to Sir Walter Scott of Buccleuch,("the bold Buccleuch") a notorious Border reiver, Warden of the western marches, Keeper of Liddesdale, and leader of the daring and infamous attack on Carlisle Castle

Carlisle Castle

Carlisle Castle is situated in Carlisle, in the English county of Cumbria, near the ruins of Hadrian's Wall. The castle is over 900 years old and has been the scene of many historical episodes in British history. Given the proximity of Carlisle to the border between England and Scotland, it...

to rescue Willie Armstrong of Kinmont.

Decline

The castle became obsolete after the Union of the Crowns

Union of the Crowns

The Union of the Crowns was the accession of James VI, King of Scots, to the throne of England, and the consequential unification of Scotland and England under one monarch. The Union of Crowns followed the death of James' unmarried and childless first cousin twice removed, Queen Elizabeth I of...

, in 1603 and fell into disrepair, by the turn of the eighteenth century it was a ruin. Hermitage gave its name to the Viscount of Hermitage, conferred in 1706 on Henry

Henry Scott, 1st Earl of Deloraine

Major-General Henry Scott, 1st Earl of Deloraine KB was a Scottish peer and army officer.Scott was the second surviving son of James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth and his wife, Anne. In 1693, he married Anne Duncombe , the daughter of William Duncombe of Batthesden, Lord Chief Justice of Ireland...

, third son of the first Duke of Buccleuch

James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth

James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, 1st Duke of Buccleuch, KG, PC , was an English nobleman. Originally called James Crofts or James Fitzroy, he was born in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II and his mistress, Lucy Walter...

as a subsidiary title of the Earldom of Deloraine

Earl of Deloraine

Earl of Deloraine was a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1706 for Lord Henry Scott, second surviving son of James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth by Anne Scott, 1st Duchess of Buccleuch...

. This title became extinct in 1807. Some repairs to the castle were carried out in 1820 by the fifth Duke of Buccleuch

Walter Montagu-Douglas-Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch

Walter Francis Montagu Douglas Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch, 7th Duke of Queensberry KG, PC , styled Earl of Dalkeith between 1812 and 1819, was a British politician and nobleman.-Background and education:...

. It is interesting to note that the Scotts are descended matrilinearly from the Douglases of Dalkeith, a cadet branch, and sometimes use the surname Montagu-Douglas-Scott, thus maintaining a continuity with earlier times.

Today

The Castle stayed with the Scotts until 1930, when it was handed over to the care of the Nation. It is now cared for 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:...

, an executive agency

Executive agency

An executive agency, also known as a next-step agency, is a part of a government department that is treated as managerially and budgetarily separate in order to carry out some part of the executive functions of the United Kingdom government, Scottish Government, Welsh Assembly or Northern Ireland...

of the Scottish Government, and is open to visitors from 1 April - 30 September each year. It is closed during the winter season.
The Castle is said to be haunted by Mary Queen of Scots . Certainly, she was said to have lost a timepiece when she fell from her horse in bad weather after her tryst with Bothwell. The location of the find was named the Queen's Mire and is situated near Windy Edge, a beautiful, unspoiled bog area which was the old drove road to Jedburgh. The Queen became ill due to her ordeal and recovered in a house in Jedburgh. The wild hills surrounding the castle are now threatened with a wind farm development, Windy Edge. The proposers are Infinis plc.

External links

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