Neidpath Castle

Coordinates: 55°39′5.5″N 3°12′53.2″W / 55.651528°N 3.214778°W / 55.651528; -3.214778
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Neidpath Castle
Near
Earl of Wemyss and March
Open to
the public		No
ConditionRuined
Site history
Builtc.1263–1266
Built bySimon Fraser
MaterialsRubble and sandstone

Neidpath Castle is an

L-plan rubble-built tower house, overlooking the River Tweed about 1 mile (1.6 km) west of Peebles in the Borders
of Scotland. The castle is both a wedding venue and filming location and can be viewed by appointment.

History

An early castle was probably built here by Simon Fraser of

James VI in 1587.[1]

In 1645, Neidpath was garrisoned against the Royalist forces of

bankrupt, and sold Neidpath to William Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry in 1686.[2]

In 1693, Queensberry gave the castle to his second son William Douglas, later the 1st

Earl of March. His son William, the 2nd Earl, made alterations to the castle in the 18th century. The 3rd Earl inherited the title and estates of the Duke of Queensberry in 1778, and subsequently let Neidpath to tenants.[2] These included the philosopher and historian Adam Ferguson.[1] The castle suffered neglect, however, and by 1790 the upper storeys of the wing had collapsed.[2] William Wordsworth and Walter Scott both visited the castle in 1803.[1] On the death of the Duke in 1810, the castle, along with the earldom of March, was inherited by the Earl of Wemyss, although the dukedom went to the Scotts of Buccleuch.[2] Neidpath still belongs to Earl of Wemyss; the Earl's heir takes his courtesy title
, Lord Neidpath, from it.

Description

Entrance to Neidpath Castle

Neidpath Castle is a tall

balustraded balcony. There are few windows, and two still have their iron bar protection. Inside, the basement and the first-floor hall are vaulted, and the hall is further divided by a wooden floor into two storeys. Other features include a pit dungeon, and some small exhibitions of artifacts found in the locale. There are remains of a partly walled garden. The archway is decorated with both the goats head emblem of the Hays and the strawberries of the Frasers.[5][6]

Traditions

The castle is said to be haunted by the ghost of Jean Douglas, referred to by Walter Scott in his poem as "the Maid of Neidpath", the youngest daughter of William Douglas, Earl of March. Forbidden to marry the son of the laird of Tushielaw, who was considered below her station, she dwined while her lover was sent away. When he returned she was so wasted that he did not recognise her, causing her to die of a broken heart.[7] She is reputed to appear clad in a full-length brown dress with a large white collar.[8][7]

Recent history

Neidpath has been used as a location for many films and television series, including Merlin: The Quest Begins starring Jason Connery and directed by David Winning, which was filmed in September and October 1997. It also was used for the series of Sam and Colby in 2019.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 0-09-473430-5
    .
  2. ^
    ISBN 1-871731-20-8
    .
  3. ^ a b c Taylor, James (1887). "The Hays of Tweeddale". The Great Historic Families of Scotland. Electric Scotland. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
  4. ^ "Neidpath Castle | Canmore". canmore.org.uk. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  5. ^ a b Historic Environment Scotland. "Neidpath Castle including Courtyard Buildings, Gateway, former Walled Garden and Boundary Wall (Category A Listed Building) (LB13857)". Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  6. ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Neidpath Castle (51539)". Canmore. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  7. ^ a b Scott, Walter. "The Maid of Neidpath". Passions in Poetry. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
  8. ^ "Scotland's Castle Ghosts". Scottish Ghosts. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
  9. Amazon.com
    . Retrieved 28 January 2011.

Further reading

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Neidpath Castle.
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