Published in Scotland Magazine Issue 16 on 15/9/2004.

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Shrouded in mystery and farce...

The Gowrie Conspiracy is one of the stranger incidents in Scottish history. James Irvine Robertson tries to make sense of the event, which happened more than 400 years ago

On August 6th 1600, 34 year old King James VI was staying at Falkland Palace some 14 miles from Perth. Up early in the morning, he and his retinue were going to hunt deer. They went to the stables to saddle up. The king had his foot in the stirrup when the Master of Ruthven, brother to the Earl of Gowrie, arrived and a conversation ensued.

The Ruthvens were a powerful, popular family, particularly round Perth which was their base. The Earl was 22, educated abroad and a man covered in golden opinions. His father, the first Earl, had been leader of the militant Protestant faction in government and, fearing the Catholic influence of the powerful Duke of Lennox, had kidnapped the king in August 1582.

James, under duress, had banished Lennox, taken over the reins of power at the age of 16 and, a year later, decapitated Gowrie for treason. But all had ostensibly been forgiven and the young Earl arrived back home in Perth in May 1600.

The royal hunt took up much of the morning; they killed their buck. Then James told his entourage they were off to Perth, to Gowrie House. On the way he told an attendant that the earl had captured a man with a pitcher stuffed with gold coins, was holding him at Perth and would like the king’s opinion on what to do.

The party arrived at Gowrie House. The Earl was at a wedding, seemed surprised to be told of the King’s arrival, and hurried home to greet his royal guest. His staff took an hour to produce a meagre lunch for their monarch which was ser.....

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By James Irvine Robertson

Section : Scottish History

Page number : 20