Published in Scotland Magazine Issue 10 on 5/9/2003.

This article is 64 months old and some information provided may be time sensitive. Please check all details of events, tours, opening times and other information before travelling or making arrangements.

Mary Queen of Scots was here

A GUIDE TO THE HISTORIC HOMES OF THE GREAT MONARCH. WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOHN HANNAVY

The history of some of Scotland’s most spectacular castles is inexorably linked with that of Scotland’s most famous queen – Mary Queen of Scots.

The romantic ruins and the tragic queen are what makes exploring Scotland’s history special, and what keeps drawing us back again and again to the remote outposts of the country’s mediaeval power-brokers.

This is the first of three visits we will make in this series to the castles and palaces made famous – or more famous – by virtue of their associations with Mary Queen of Scots. Legally, Mary was Queen of Scotland for most of her life – becoming Queen of Scots at the age of only one week, on the death of her father, King James V.

She was born at Linlithgow Palace in December 1542, betrothed to the infant Edward, heir to Henry VIII of England, at the age of six months and, when that fell through, whisked off to France in 1548 and betrothed to the Dauphin Francis.

By 1561, aged 19 and widowed, she returned to Scotland to reclaim her throne and to impress upon her earls and barons that she was in charge.

She undertook several Royal Progresses over the ensuing six years – as was normal practice for the monarch at the time, travelling extensively throughout Scotland and staying at many of the great castles, palaces and stately homes – and a few abbeys – along the way.

She obviously had closer relationships with the owners of some of the great castles than others, and visited them more often. One such was the bleak 14th century Dunn.....

To read the rest of this article you can buy this issue or subscribe to Scotland Magazine to have every issue delivered direct to your door.

By John Hannavy

Section : Scottish Castles

Page number : 18