Historic Scotland Winter 2023 by Historic Scotland Members

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Eight wonderful winter walks INCLUDING:

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KILMARTIN GLEN CRAIGMILLAR CASTLE FORT GEORGE

WINTER 2023

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WINTER 2023 THE MAGAZINE FOR HISTORIC SCOTLAND MEMBERS

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Edinburgh Castle gets ready to cast its spell

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FairIslel(nitwear £162 Now £99 Or buy 2 for £85 each FREEUK DELIVERY& RETURNS Your new seasonal favourite, in a chunky, Fair Isle design. All colours are available in a crew neck or button neck.

Product Codes Crew Neck: MKNFIC Button Neck: MKNFIB • 65% extra fine merino, 30% recycled nylon and 5% alpaca • 3-gauge knit • Hand wash or dry clean only

To fit chest sizes (inches): S 36-38 M 39-41 L 42-44 XL 45-48 XXL 49-52

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HISTORIC SCOTLAND The wheel of the year has turned again but that’s no reason to put your heritage adventures on hold. In this issue, we share some winter walks for everyone at our properties, from riverside paths to prehistoric landscapes, and some great wildlife spotting too. Turn to page 18 for details. As the clock ticks down to the annual festivities, Rosemary Goring explores the extravagant revelry at Scotland’s royal courts in times past (page 26). And on page 34, Kitty Finstad visits one of our most enchanting strongholds, Caerlaverock Castle, to find out about its turbulent yet homely past. Speaking of enchantment, the spectacular Castle of Light is back at Edinburgh Castle, with all-new displays that promise magic and mystery for everyone. Find out how to book tickets on page 52. Of course, none of this would be possible

without work behind the scenes to ensure safety at our properties and their long-term survival. On page 42, Kelly Apter meets the experts who are scaling the heights to preserve our heritage. Looking for gifts for loved ones? Check out our festive treats on pages 48 and 53. We wish you a glorious winter.

CLAIRE BOWIE Head of Membership & CRM

CONTRIBUTORS ROSEMARY GORING Festivals and feast days (page 26) Rosemary is an author of historical novels and former literary editor of The Herald.

KITTY FINSTAD I’ve never been to… Caerlaverock Castle (page 34) Kitty is a writer and editor who specialises in travel and hospitality.

KELLY APTER Friends in high places (page 42) Kelly is an arts writer for The Scotsman and The List, and editor at Creative Lives.

CHRIS SCOTT

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A bird’s eye view of Caerlaverock Castle on the Solway Firth

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HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT SCOTLAND Longmore House, Salisbury Place, Edinburgh EH9 1SH 0131 668 8600 historicenvironment.scot Membership enquiries 0131 668 8999 members@hes.scot

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Editorial enquiries members@hes.scot Head of Membership & CRM Claire Bowie Membership Marketing Manager Julia Haase Editor Indira Mann indira.mann@thinkpublishing.co.uk

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News editor Ciaran Sneddon Design Juanita Adu Sub-editors Sian Campbell Kirsty Fortune Andrew Littlefield

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Advertising Sales Jamie Dawson jamie.dawson@thinkpublishing.co.uk 0203 771 7201 Executive Director, Think John Innes john.innes@thinkpublishing.co.uk

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Think 20 Mortimer Street London W1T 3JW 020 3771 7200 Photography All images provided by Historic Environment Scotland unless otherwise stated. For access to images of Scotland and our properties, call 0131 668 8647/8785 or email images@hes.scot Historic Scotland is published quarterly and printed on an FSC certified paper containing 100% recycled content. The views expressed in the magazine do not necessarily reflect those of Historic Environment Scotland. All information is correct at the time of going to press. © Historic Environment Scotland. All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or in whole is prohibited without prior agreement of the Membership and CRM Manager of Historic Environment Scotland. Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is a Non Departmental Public Body established by the Historic Environment Scotland Act 2014. HES has assumed the property, rights, liabilities and obligations of Historic Scotland and RCAHMS.

Feast for the eyes Sensational celebrations hosted at the royal courts

Visit historicenvironment.scot/about-us Scottish Charity No. SC045925.

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Paper from responsible sources

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Par~ of Historic Environment Scotland

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11 Caring for Scotland’s jewels

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Are you new to Historic Scotland? Start here

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Your membership unlocks Scotland’s past at captivating properties across the nation. Plan your wintertime trips here.

Doune Castle

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Our map shows some of the places featured in this issue, from formidable strongholds to prehistoric wonders.

DUNSTAFFNAGE CASTLE P22

KILMARTIN GLEN P24

HUNTINGTOWER CASTLE P23 ST ANDREWS CATHEDRAL P45

DOUNE CASTLE P23

EDINBURGH CASTLE P11

STIRLING CASTLE P29 LINLITHGOW PALACE P24

CRAIGMILLAR CASTLE P19 DRYBURGH ABBEY P44

CAERLAVEROCK CASTLE P34

Your handbook and our website historyawaits.scot provide all the details you need about the places you can visit for free. Craigmillar Castle

Then turn to our events pages (page 52) to find out about the festive treats and other not-tobe-missed events this winter.

ACCESSIBLE VERSION

Edinburgh Castle’s tours get a revamp

Historic Scotland magazine is also available as an accessible PDF. Please log in to our website at historicenvironment.scot/member to download your copy, or contact the membership team on 0131 668 8999 and they will be happy to help.

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Big Picture - Stirling Castle, 1 STIRLING CASTLE

Stirling in silver Stirling Castle was a key fortification and royal residence from at least the 1100s, when King David I (c.1085-1153) expanded Stirling as a royal base. Overlooking a strategic crossing over the River Forth, the castle featured often in the Wars of Independence of 1296– 1357, and long afterwards, and was besieged many times. King Robert I’s (1274-1329) victory at nearby Bannockburn in 1314 ended the castle’s occupation by English forces for the time being. On his orders, its defences were then dismantled to prevent future occupations. From the late 1400s, the Stewart monarchs developed Stirling as a prestigious residence. Today, the restored Great Hall and Palace provide an insight into the lifestyle of the royal court during the Scottish Renaissance. After James VI became James I of England in 1603, the castle was no longer a royal centre. Its military function expanded and it became the headquarters of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, whose regimental museum is now housed here. ● Stirling Castle is open daily throughout the winter. Visit historyawaits.com for details of opening times. HISTORICENVIRONMENT.SCOT 5

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Antiquarian delight

John Sinclair House’s latest exhibition showcases the Rosslyn Album 6 HISTORIC SCOTLAND

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Tessa Ewart, Archive Officer

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o celebrate the culmination of its significant conservation, cataloguing and digitisation, the Rosslyn Album is on public display for the first time as part of the free Rosslyn Chapel & Scottish Antiquaries exhibition, which is running on selected dates at John Sinclair House, Edinburgh, until 1 October 2024. The Rosslyn Album was created by antiquarian John Britton (1771–1857) and we acquired it in 2021 thanks to a grant from the Friends of the National Libraries and the support of the Rosslyn Chapel Trust. Featuring drawings, manuscripts, engravings and letters, the Rosslyn Album will help visitors uncover more secrets about this medieval place of worship renowned for its alleged connections to the Knights Templar and the Holy Grail. The exhibition showcases images from our archives that help reveal the chapel and the album’s connections to Scottish antiquarianism, from the founding of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland to the mass publication of souvenir guides for tourists. Visitors can enjoy sketches by James Drummond, RW Billings and James Skene; photographs by Lady Henrietta Gilmour and Erskine Beveridge; architectural records by Reverend John Sime; Sir Robert Rowand Anderson’s National Art Survey of Scotland; and 19th-century travel guides to Scotland. Images from the Rosslyn Album are also available to view on Canmore (via the link below right), our online catalogue of Scotland’s archaeology, buildings, and industrial and maritime heritage. So even if you can’t make it to the exhibition, you can still view this historic collection. By making these amazing artefacts more easily accessible, we hope even more people will learn all about this chapter in Rosslyn Chapel’s rich history.

AN ARCHITECTONIC TREASURE Fran Baseby, Deputy Head of Archives, on why the Rosslyn Album is so significant and what visitors can learn from the exhibition

What conservation work has been done to the album since being acquired in 2021?

What makes the Rosslyn Album so special? The album’s drawings, manuscripts and engravings reveal the views of architects at the time on the medieval chapel’s restoration, including those of George Meikle Kemp, the architect of Edinburgh’s Scott Monument. It also houses letters and drawings that have never before been accessible to the public.

What’s the album’s connection to Rosslyn Chapel? Rosslyn Chapel was the only Scottish location included in John Britton’s five-volume publication, Architectural Antiquities of Great Britain (1807–1827). Britton’s 1846 lecture on its architectural alterations at London’s Royal Institute of British Architects sparked controversy among his peers. The album contains letters sent after this lecture challenging Britton’s views, demonstrating the emotive power of Rosslyn Chapel’s architectonic (relating to architects and architecture) heritage.

As it was extremely fragile when acquired, Caroline Sharfenberg of Book and Archive Conservation Services and our Paper Conservator, Lynn Teggart, devised a strategy. After disbinding the book, they used a smoke sponge to remove dirt and secured loose letters with invisible Japanese paper hinges. They then fastened pages using Japanese paper and conservation adhesives before sewing loose pages into sections ahead of binding repairs.

What’s your favourite part of the album? 19th-century architectural illustrations involved balancing realistic renderings with romantic visions of a place. In one letter, artist Joseph Gandy writes that one of his drawings is a “poetical view” that creates a “highly picturesque” image of Rosslyn Chapel. In other words: Gandy adopted some artistic licence to make his image more attractive!

What can visitors expect from the exhibition? They’ll learn about the themes that link the Rosslyn Album to our wider archive collection, including Victorian views on renovations of historic buildings, such as Rosslyn Chapel and St Giles’ Cathedral. The exhibition also explores how photography, steam railways and other technologies have impacted how we record and visit our historic sites.

FOR EXHIBITION DETAILS VISIT HISTORICENVIRONMENT.SCOT/ROSSLYN-ALBUM HISTORICENVIRONMENT.SCOT 7

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HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT SCOTLAND

ARAINNEACHD EACHDRAIDHEIL ALBA

Gifts in wills, both large and small, have supported our work in many ways. To find out more about remembering us in your will, email legacies@hes.scotor call 0131 6688652. www.historicenvironment.scot/legacies

Historic Environment Scotland is a charity registered in Scotland SC045925

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Adaptable and intelligent, foxes have long featured in folklore

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Edinburgh Castle’s resident fox

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Fantastic foxes

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For most wildlife, winter is a time to rest and conserve energy, especially on cold, dark Scottish nights. Yet for our fantastic red foxes – whose scientific name is Vulpes vulpes – this time of year is abuzz with activity and commotion. Fox-mating season begins in December and lasts until February. Both vixens and dog foxes become incredibly vocal during this time as they attempt to woo potential partners.

in FAST Foxes Scotland FACT are larger than those found in the rest of the UK

Vixens emit a range of calls, perhaps the most unusual of which is a high-pitched shrieking that travels far and wide in the still night air. Dog foxes respond with barking and will roam large distances in search of a mate. Intelligent and adaptable, foxes live in many habitats, including the urban spaces of our towns and cities. Foxes are a familiar sight in Holyrood Park and can often be spotted patrolling the hills and crags, or exploring the THE surrounding city. WILD In fact, many of SIDE the other WITH properties in our Gordon Smith care across RANGER Scotland

welcome these curious visitors too. Just earlier this year Edinburgh Castle’s resident fox was photographed snoozing contentedly in front of the main entrance as staff arrived in the morning! Foxes were first reported moving into urban areas in southern England during the 1930s. Today, they’ve set up home across much of the UK’s cityscapes. However, our connection to foxes stretches even further back, with these charismatic creatures featuring prominently in folklore and mythology from around the globe. ‘Reynard the Fox’ was a popular character in European folklore and literature and, like many fictional foxes, is depicted as a trickster. ‘Tod’ is the Scots word for fox. This name features in work from Beatrix Potter and, later, in the Disney film The Fox and the Hound.

It should be no surprise that foxes are referenced in so many different cultures and stories. Found across Europe, America, Asia and parts of Northern Africa, the fox is one of the world’s most successful and widespread carnivores. Ever adaptable and assisted by a warming climate, foxes are now spreading further north into the Arctic Circle – bringing them into conflict with Arctic foxes. This is bad news for the smaller Arctic fox as it’s outcompeted and outmatched by its larger and stronger cousin. So, whether you live in an urban or rural area, think of our foxes as you take your evening wanders this winter. And don’t be scared if you hear any strange sounds on your travels!

Gordon Smith is a Ranger at Holyrood Park

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Ranger Gordon Smith on why these wily animals are so busy in the winter months

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TOWERS OF POWER

The stories of three power-generating giants that helped meet Scotland’s soaring electricity demands

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ur Archive’s Scottish Power photo collection charts the story of how power stations helped meet the country’s surging demand for electricity, from the 1920s’ Stonebyres hydroelectric station to Inverkip’s 1970s’ oilpowered station. Half of the collection focuses on Cockenzie, Longannet and Hunterston B power stations. Here, we examine the legacy of these three big hitters.

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LONGANNET POWER STATION When it opened in 1973 the Fifebased station became Europe’s largest, with its 183-metre chimney standing as Scotland’s tallest concrete structure. Longannet consumed 4.5 million tonnes of coal annually and powered more than 2.3 million homes before closing in 2016. Its last remaining chimney was demolished in 2021. HUNTERSTON B Construction began in 1968, with Reactors 3 and 4 opening in 1976 and 1977. Contemporary literature reveals an optimistic outlook for the UK’s second-generation nuclear power stations, which consumed 40 tonnes of uranium annually instead of the 3 million tonnes of coal burned by coal-powered stations. Hunterston B provided energy for 1.8 million homes. Reactors 3 and 4 shut down in November 2021 and January 2022.

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COCKENZIE POWER STATION Cockenzie was designed by Scottish architects Robert Matthew, JohnsonMarshall & Partners and opened in 1968. With its distinctive 149-metre twin chimneys, Cockenzie consumed 12,000 tonnes of coal daily. Generating more than 150 terawatt hours of electricity over its 45 years, it powered the electricity needs of more than one million homes before closing in 2013. SC 2142570

VIEW THESE HISTORIC IMAGES OF SCOTTISH POWER STATIONS AND MANY MORE AT CANMORE.ORG.UK

Photography competition Don’t forget to send in your snaps for our photography competition Remember that our photography competition closes at 5pm on 23 November 2023. Whether it’s your favourite properties or memories of amazing days out, don’t forget to submit your snaps to hesphotocomp@thinkpublishing. co.uk. The winning image and best shots will be revealed in our spring issue.

Conserving our Scottish jewels

Reed Hudson, Senior Metal Conservator, on the Honours Conservation Project

Merry and bright Grab your tickets for Castle of Light: Magic and Mystery

Edinburgh Castle will shine once again this winter as Castle of Light returns for a fourth year throughout November, December and January. Created by a talented team of video animators, composers and choreographers, Castle of Light: Magic and Mystery will fill every corner of the stronghold with amazing displays. Witness the portcullis’s inner workings through X-ray projections, enjoy immersive illuminations at St Margaret’s Chapel and Crown Square, hear stories of legendary creatures and tuck into tasty treats before snapping selfies in the Great Hall with Castle of Light’s mascot, Rex the Lion. Looking to add that extra touch of sparkle to your yuletide celebrations this year? Castle of Light: Magic and Mystery is just the ticket. Book in advance at castleoflight.scot, with a 10% discount for members

omprising the Sceptre, Sword of State and the Crown of Scotland, the conservation of Britain’s oldest Crown jewels is well underway. So far, the Sword and Sceptre – believed to have been papal gifts to King James IV in 1507 and 1494 respectively – have been conserved. From a faint line where the Sword’s blade was broken while being smuggled past Oliver Cromwell’s forces to the Sceptre’s gilding worn away by the many hands that have held it, traces on these objects illuminate their stories. Made of gilded silver, the Sword and Sceptre have tarnished over time, obscuring these features. Reed has been carefully cleaning them using a variety of conservation techniques, including applying denatured alcohol with soft brushes to help reveal these details again. With the project reaching its culmination, watch this space for future updates.

For more information visit historicenvironment.scot/ honours-conservation-project

Offer brings history to us all

Residents of Scotland can enjoy our sites on the first Sunday of the month at no cost History belongs to us all and we want to share it with as many people as possible. We’re offering residents of Scotland free visits to our properties on the first Sunday of each month until March 2024. This is a new offer intended to provide

access to our sites for those who may not otherwise have the opportunity due to different barriers. Some properties may be busier than usual on these Sundays, so plan in advance to make the most of your visit.

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BRICK BY BRICK LEGO® lovers recreate our popular properties

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Sweet treats With Christmas around the corner, we’ll soon be tucking into tasty snacks. In keeping with this foodie theme, we’re giving away a festive honey gift pack. The perfect present to satisfy the sweet tooth of someone special – or your own!

We’re building bonds with the next generation of creatives

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EGO® enthusiasts across Scotland have been busy building models of our properties. Sculptor and LEGO® specialist Alistair Jelks has been working with local libraries and museums to deliver sessions throughout the year to communities in different regions, with the events being organised and coordinated by our Learning and Inclusion Team. Technical plans and site drawings have been used as the foundations to establish scale – three LEGO® block studs

equate to one metre – before participants’ creativity is let loose. Around 170 people contributed to scale models of Aberdour Castle and Gardens and Dumbarton Castle, while a whopping 221 people recreated Linlithgow Palace. As well as giving people the building blocks to learn about their surrounding heritage, communities have reaped rewards from these sessions too. For example, Aberdour’s local library has seen a Bricktastic 61% rise in visitors.

A creative chronicle

Community-led artbook depicts Angus life under lockdown This past year, Kirriemuir and Forfar’s young people, families and adults living with dementia have been working with our Learning and Inclusion team to create Chronicles of Angus: Life Through a Lens – an artbook documenting life in Angus during COVID-19 restrictions. Rebecca Sharp, poet, and artists Kate Cunningham and Frances Law led sessions to help participants create stained-glass art, poetry and illuminated letters to express how COVID-19 changed their lives. And they referred to Arbroath Abbey’s ‘Round O’ window for inspiration. Since the artbook’s publication in March this year, it has been displayed at ANGUSalive Kirriemuir

ANSWER THIS QUESTION

Which of these properties does not sit atop an extinct volcano? A. Stirling Castle B. Dumbarton Castle C. Edinburgh Castle UP FOR GRABS

Four lucky winners will each receive one of Edinburgh Honey Co’s festive honey gift packs, which contain three jars of orange, cranberry and gingerbread spiceinfused honey to enjoy. HOW TO ENTER

Library for a month and toured Arbroath, Forfar and Brechin libraries. Our Learning and Inclusion team hopes to help even more communities create their own chronicles inspired by nearby ecclesiastical sites in the future. Read more about our community projects at historicenvironment.scot/communities

Submit your answer at hes.scot/member-comp by Friday 8 December. Terms and conditions can be found there too. This competition is open to UK residents only. Last issue’s answer: A carved stone pig at Melrose Abbey is playing the bagpipes.

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Extinctionlooming forAfricanelephants A

Your donation could enable more rangers to safeguard these majestic beings.

frican elephants are facing an extinction crisis unlike anything seen before. It has even reached the point of poachers firing machine guns out of helicopters into entire herds. These magnificent creatures, known for their remarkable intelligence, deep emotions, and strong family bonds, are hanging by a thread due to a devastating surge in poaching. Demand for ivory has exploded over the past decade, leading to the illegal killing of over 20,000 African elephants each year. Their magnificent tusks are carved into mere trinkets - symbols of greed for those who value them over the precious lives of these majestic beings. We stand at a critical crossroads. Without immediate action to curb ivory demand and enforce strict regulations, poaching could devastate elephant populations beyond recovery. That's why Fauna & Flora has put out an urgent call to the global community to help them put more protection in place for African elephants. The Zia ma Massif forest situated between Guinea and Liberia offers

one of the last viable habitats to support Critically Endangered African forest elephants in West Africa. Since 2009, Fauna & Flora has been training and equipping rangers there to conduct patrols that prevent elephant poaching. But much of the forest lacks any formal protection, allowing easy access for poachers to hunt and kill elephants. Fauna & Flora has developed an action plan alongside partners to put more protection in place for elephants. Donations are urgently needed to expand current operations, enabling more rangers to safeguard these beloved creatures. Your donation could provide essentials like uniforms, boots and protective gear, allowing them to patrol the forests and remove any threats that they encounter. Please go to www.fauna-flora.org/ elephant, call 01223 749019 or use the cut-out coupon below, sending it to: Freepost RTKS-ZCXS-HSBT, Fauna & Flora International, 126 Fairlie Road, Slough, SL14PY by November 30th. Fauna & Flora's century-long dedication has yielded effective conservation strategies that deliver real, impactful outcomes. Together, we can rescue these wondrous creatures from the brink of extinction. Please, don't let them vanish from our world.

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Even the simplest of equipment could save the life of an elephant

£21

could fully equip one scout with the uniform and equipment needed to conduct patrols including boots, waterproofs and a backpack.

£52

could operate a patrol aircraft for an hour, enabling our teams to monitor vast areas for signs of poaching.

£72

could buy a whole new GPS system, allowing patrol teams to map out and strategically plan their routes for patrolling across the huge landscapes that are home to African elephants.

Full name _____________________

Address __________________________

____________________ Please accept my donation of £ ___

Postcode _____

D I enclose a cheque payable to Fauna & Flora International

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OR Please debit my credit/debit card Card

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number: □□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□

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reclaim 25p of tax on every £1 you give Fauna & Flora International - at no extra cost to you. All you need to do is tick below.

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to help get more protection in the field

Please keep in touch with project updates, appeals and event invitations via: □ Post □ Phone or □ Email Your phone ______________

Youremail ______________

D I am a UK taxpayer and would like to Gift Aid all donations I have made to Fauna & Flora International in the last four years and all donations I make in the future, until I notify you otherwise.* *I confirm I have paid or will pay an amount of income tax and/or capital gains tax for the current tax year (6 April to 5 April) that is at least equal to the amount of tax claimed on all donations in the tax year, otherwise I will be responsible to pay any difference, I understand that Fauna & Flora International will reclaim 25p of tax on every £1 that I have given.

For privacy info see www.fauna-flora.org/privacy For Gift Aid info see www.fauna-flora.org/how-we-spend-your-donations Date ___J___J □ Tick if you would like an acknowledgement for your gift in the post. Please return to: Freepost RTKS-ZCXS-HSBT, Registered with Fauna & Flora International, ~ ~~~i~~~ 126 Fairlie Road, Slough SL14PY, UK.

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*Gift yourself or a beloved bookworm a good read

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\ Lifr of fndustry

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SCOTLAND THEN AND NOW, £10.99

WHERE ARE THE WOMEN? £9.99

A LIFE OF INDUSTRY £20

Frank Arneil Walker

Illustrations by Louise Forshaw

Sara Sheridan

Daniel Gray

From Iron Age brochs to modernist new towns, this history explores Scotland’s architecture. Walker reflects on structures’ national characteristics and international influences to ask: what is the ‘Scottishness’ of Scottish architecture?

Introduce your little explorers to some of Scotland’s most famous historic sites, including Skara Brae, Urquhart Castle, Jarlshof and the Antonine Wall. Children can use this book to discover what these locations might have looked like in the past.

For most of recorded history, women have been sidelined or silenced by men naming built environments after themselves. Sheridan’s guide imagines a Scotland where women are commemorated in statues, streets and buildings to help bring untold stories to light.

Between the 1960s and 1980s, John R Hume captured more than 25,000 photographs of industrial Scotland. This collection tells Hume’s story and distils his portraits of a way of life that has all but disappeared.

BAG THESE BOOKS AT STOR.SCOT AND GET 20% OFF WITH MEMBERS’ CODE HES1118

HAVE YOUR SAY Share your thoughts on Holyrood Park

Explore the Castle

We’ve launched an online survey to ask how you use Holyrood Park, what new priorities should be put in place and how you see its role in Edinburgh’s future. Running until 19 December, the survey will also ask for feedback on our new Outline Strategic Plan, which details our vision to transform Holyrood Park into an eco-conscious cultural asset. A special exhibition at Holyrood Park’s Education Centre in November is also an opportunity to share your opinions in person. Visit hes.scot/holyrood-park-consultation

Join our revamped Official Guided Tours

ur brand-new guided tours of Edinburgh Castle have officially launched. With 30-minute tours taking place six times a day from October to March, led by our expert guides, expect to learn about the lesser-known history of the Defender of the Nation’s chequered past as you explore its nooks and crannies. Free for members. Booking recommended at edinburghcastle.scot/tickets

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MOUSA TO MACKINTOSH, £30

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Historic Kilbride restored Our grants support the Friends of Kilbride-led project

IN THE WARS

Radical Rising weapon blade in pole position at Stirling Castle

Shauna Cameron, Conservation Architect

he fourth and final phase of Historic Kilbride’s restoration has recently wrapped up, thanks in part to funding we have provided to the project. The Friends of Kilbride preserve the ancient churchyard in Oban that includes the 18th-century kirk ruins and Clan MacDougall’s memorial burial aisle, which have spearheaded the renovation. The project used Historic Environment Scotland’s £25,000 grant to remove invasive vegetation, tackle loose stonework and rebuild the churchyard’s south wall. It previously received support from the Historic Environment Recovery Fund, which was used for archaeological investigation and to stabilise the church’s north wall and session house. With restoration complete, the Friends of Kilbride are ready to welcome visitors to this remarkable site, which has been a place of Christian worship since the 6th century.

The blade of a pole weapon used in the 19th-century Radical Rising is on display at Stirling Castle. Located in the Casemates, it is one of the castle’s nine pole weapons, eight of which are in storage. This blade sheds light on the 1820 Radical Rising, a period of strikes and unrest across Scotland and the last armed uprising on Scottish soil. We’re unsure how this homemade weapon ended up at Stirling Castle. It may have been confiscated from those arrested for revolting against the government. It remains an intriguing remnant of perhaps a less well-known chapter of Scotland’s history. Learn more at stirlingcastle.scot/radical-rising

Volunteers’ Week fun and gigs Joanna Todd, Volunteer Development Officer, on her favourite moment of 2023

Left to right: HES volunteers Susana, Joyce and Iain

Volunteers at The Who concert at Edinburgh Castle

For Volunteers’ Week 2023, we organised tours of Trinity House and the National Gallery of Scotland, and arranged a prize giveaway to The Lumineers and The Who gigs to say thank you to our volunteers. Edinburgh Castle is a spectacular backdrop for a concert, as some of our volunteers discovered. These gigs also let volunteers catch up and reflect on their experiences at our properties. Craigmillar Castle volunteer Joyce Leong – who attended The Lumineers gig – summed up exactly what makes volunteering so rewarding. “I became a volunteer to do something meaningful with my spare time,” said Joyce. “Little did I expect to be joining a friendly community and enjoying a rock concert at Edinburgh Castle!” Find out more about volunteering with us at historicenvironment.scot/volunteer

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Skara Brae

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The best preserved Neolithic village in northern Europe, Skara Brae is a key site for historians – including a certain Dr Indiana Jones

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Skara Brae on the Bay of Skaill in Orkney is an extraordinary survival of a Neolithic village and farming settlement. It’s thought to have been occupied for 300400 years before being abandoned around 2500 BC. The village’s houses lay buried beneath wind-blown sand until a fierce storm in 1850 revealed them. Although part of the village was swept away by another storm in 1924, several houses survived almost intact. The roofs are lost but the stone walls, passages and furniture, including box beds and dressers, along with various artefacts, all give

HOUSE TWO This structure has a similar arrangement of features to House one but is significantly smaller.

us a vivid insight into how these prehistoric people lived and worked. Orkney may have been one of early Europe’s main power centres. Skara Brae itself is one of the best-preserved Neolithic villages in northern Europe and is part of a World Heritage Site. It’s so famous, in fact, that Indiana Jones is seen lecturing about the site in the 2008 film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Climate change is one of the biggest challenges now facing Skara Brae and we are working hard to protect the site from coastal erosion and other impacts.

STRUCTURE EIGHT Set apart from the other houses, the furniture and objects found in this building suggest it was used as a workshop.

CHECK HISTORYAWAITS.SCOT BEFORE YOU VISIT

Snowy Skara Brae

Skara Brae RANGERS’ HUT This building serves as the Orkney Rangers’ office and also houses a virtual tour for visitors.

Timeline

C. 3360-3160 BC

C. 2900 BC

2500 BC

1850

Based on 1972-73 excavations, this period is the best estimate for the earliest occupation at Skara Brae.

Construction begins on the first of the two villages established on this site.

The settlement is abandoned and, over time, wind-blown sand obscures what remains of the village.

A major storm reveals two houses; William Watt, a relative of the local landowner (of the same name) investigates the site and retrieves many objects.

16 HISTORIC SCOTLAND

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Spotlight - Skara Brae, 1 HOUSE ONE One of the largest and most complete houses that visitors can see, though part of its north wall has been lost to the sea.

HOUSE THREE Almost all of this building has been lost to coastal erosion.

HOUSE FIVE Located in the centre of what remains of the village, this house has well-preserved storage cells.

HOUSE NINE Thought to be one of the earliest houses visible on the site, its bed recesses are built into the walls.

HOUSE SEVEN Protective measures made in the 1930s caused damage and it was sealed to visitors in 2007.

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Landowner William Watt’s trustees place Skara Brae into the guardianship of our predecessors, the first step towards its World Heritage Site status.

Archaeological works overseen by Professor Gordon Childe and others pave the way for visitor access; later techniques show Childe’s dating of the site to be incorrect.

A glass roof over House seven, installed in 1932, is replaced with lightweight turf and the doorway sealed. A replica house is created to provide a visitor experience. HISTORICENVIRONMENT.SCOT 17

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Stunning views await on a walk near Craigmillar Castle

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Blowing away the cobwebs

Keen for some invigorating fresh air, wildlife spotting and a healthy dose of Scottish history? From riverside walks to historic villages and glens, we share a few of our favourite walks for winter days 18 HISTORIC SCOTLAND

BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN

Winter walks, 1

WINTER WA L K S

CRAIGMILLAR CASTLE

Fort George and, inset, bottlenose dolphins in the Moray Firth

LADY SUSAN’S WALK Christine Thompson, Monument Manager ACCESSIBILITY: A good, surfaced path through a rural park, mainly uphill to the castle; muddy in poor weather DURATION: Approx. 10-15 mins

PLAN YOUR WALK AT RB.GY/4GDFT

FORT GEORGE ARDERSIER COASTAL PATH John Fountain, District Visitor and Community Manager ACCESSIBILITY: A flat walk with varied surfaces, including tar, gravel and earth DURATION: 1.5 hours This walk begins at the Fort George car park and is well marked with informative interpretive signs. The walk spans a three-mile (5km) stretch of the breathtaking Moray Firth coastline between Fort George and Ardersier village and can be walked in either direction. Ardersier Bay affords a wide view towards the Great Glen and the mountains of Ross-shire. The shore itself has one of the longest pebble ridges in the UK. The area is a paradise for birdwatchers. In winter, the seagulls, curlews and oystercatchers are joined by migrating birds, such as the bar-tailed godwit, sanderling and whimbrel. You may well see – and hear – pink-footed geese flying overhead in large numbers, and other birds to look out for include longtailed duck, mallard and

widgeon, plus the occasional Slavonian grebe. There is always the chance of spotting the resident pod of bottlenose dolphins, either in the bay near the shore or further away towards Chanonry Point. Plants that call this place home include gorse, hawthorn, blackthorn, ash, pine, birch and alder. The area has a long and industrious past, from the first fishing and farming communities to the building of Fort George and a more recent role in the North Sea oil and gas industry, when oil rigs were built at what is now known as Ardersier Port. Stay awhile after your walk to explore Fort George and enjoy local hospitality in the pubs and places to eat in Ardersier village. PLAN YOUR WALK AT WATERANDWILD.COM

LOTHIAN HEALTH SERVICES ARCHIVE

The best way to reach Craigmillar Castle from Edinburgh city centre is by Lothian Buses 24, 33, 38, 49 or X33. This walk starts at the Walter Scott Avenue bus stop on Old Dalkeith Road. Look out for signs to it. This short walk takes you through a historic landscape of woodland and open fields, then past Craigmillar Castle towards stunning views across the Firth of Forth. The park is full of wildlife, including deer, foxes, rabbits, squirrels, birds of prey and pheasants. Head uphill along the Yew Tree Walk and find the interpretive panel about Lady Susan Lygon Gilmour, whose family planted the yew, cherry and maple trees in the 1890s. Lady Susan is buried with her husband, Robert Gordon Gilmour, at the chapel in the castle grounds. As you leave the woods, you’ll glimpse Craigmillar Castle, but keep going to the top of the hill, where you’ll be rewarded with views towards Arthur’s Seat and to Fife and beyond. With the castle on your right, continue along the path until you reach a small cottage, where you’ll find the castle’s ticket office and gift shop.

91SCOOCT23109.pgs 17.10.2023 14:01

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Winter walks, 2

WINTER WA L K S VERSION

HOLYROOD PARK

Kestrels have a distinctive hovering technique

VOLUNTEERS’ WALK & HIGH ROAD REPRO OP

Gordon Smith, Ranger

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ACCESSIBILITY: Some uphill sections along a rocky/stony path, otherwise pavement; there are uphill and downhill sections on High Road DURATION: Approx. 2 hours

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It is easy to forget you’re in a city when you reach Holyrood Park, one of Edinburgh’s precious green spaces. Begin this walk at the Holyrood Park car park noticeboard, where you can collect park maps and guides. Cross the road to join Volunteers’ Walk path as it climbs gently uphill. Soon the grassy valley of Hunter’s Bog is visible – surrounded by the extinct volcano of Arthur’s Seat and the steep-sided Salisbury Crags. Once on the High Road, skirt the base of Arthur’s Seat to enjoy spectacular views of Edinburgh, East Lothian and Fife. The route also

takes you past Dunsapie Loch and St Margaret’s Loch. Ravens can often be seen flying over Hunter’s Bog and around the High Road. These highly intelligent birds are the largest member of the crow family. Listen out for their evocative ‘kronk-kronk-kronk’ call. The grasslands of Holyrood Park are also ideal hunting grounds for kestrels. These predators have a distinctive hovering technique as they search for voles and other small mammals. Look for the ruined remains of St Anthony’s Chapel perched on a

rocky outcrop at the entrance to Hunter’s Bog. The building date for the Chapel is not known: it first appears in a document issued by Pope Martin V in 1426. If you come across some lead bullets on Volunteers’ Walk, don’t be alarmed! For much of the 1800s and 1900s this area was used for target practice by army garrisons, the Territorial Army and local rifle clubs.

PLAN YOUR WALK AT HISTORICENVIRONMENT.SCOT/HOLYROODWALK The grasslands of Holyrood Park

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DUNSTAFFNAGE CASTLE GANAVAN TO DUNSTAFFNAGE Rod Campbell, Monument Manager

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ACCESSIBILITY: Follows a tarred cycle path with one steep section DURATION: Approx. 60-90 mins

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This linear walk follows a cycle path that is part of the Sustrans Caledonia Way. Start at Ganavan Sands car park near Oban and follow the path to Dunstaffnage Castle and chapel near Dunbeg. This is a pleasant inland walk with a variety of wildlife to be seen along the route. The area is home to buzzards, sparrowhawks and PLAN YOUR WALK AT SUSTRANS.ORG.UK

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Dunstaffnage Castle, above the Firth of Lorn 22 HISTORIC SCOTLAND

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hooded crows, and botany lovers can enjoy silver birches, rowans and ash trees, as well as brambles and wild grasses. Within the castle grounds, you’ll find veteran broadleaved trees and their respective bird communities. Find out more about the local history and ecology at interpretive panels at Ganavan and Dunbeg.

During the winter months, you’ll also be able to explore the castle itself. Then refuel with snacks and cold drinks from the castle visitor centre. The nearby Ocean Explorer Centre (not open at weekends) provides hot snacks and drinks as well as toilet facilities.

Winter walks, 3

WINTER WA L K S

HUNTINGTOWER ICASTLE

Doune Castle is rich in history and surrounded by abundant wildlife

ALMOND RIVER WALK Alison Sullivan, Monument Manager ACCESSIBILITY: A very accessible walk with a good pathway DURATION: Approx. 1-hour round trip This easy-going walk forms part of Scotland’s National Cycle Route 77 (NCR77) from Dundee to Perth and Pitlochry, which includes some lovely riverside sections, such as this stretch along the River Almond. Along this gentle walk, you’ll encounter traces of the area’s history, including its links with the textile industry – such as the flat washing stones in the river, used for washing cloth after it had been dyed, and the remains of an old bridge that once led to a mill. The Old Clock Tower you’ll see was once the administration building for a bleaching works and has since been converted into flats.

Along this gentle walk, you’ll encounter traces of history Winter wildlife sightings may include goosanders, mallards, dippers and possibly kingfishers. At dusk, you could be lucky enough to spot beavers, while bats will also be on the go until the end of October. MORE DETAILS ABOUT NCR77 AT SUSTRANS.ORG.UK

Huntingtower Castle

DOUNE CASTLE WILDLIFE EXPLORER Suzee Gibson, Castle Steward ACCESSIBILITY: Easy to moderate walk on mainly surfaced paths. There are options to avoid a muddy and uneven stretch on the River Teith bank DURATION: 45-90 mins

Begin this circular 1.5-mile (2.4km) walk either from Doune Castle car park or Castle Hill car park (which is free) in Doune village. The walk is clearly signposted, and you’ll find map boards beside the public car park and at Doune Castle. The landscape and wildlife make this walk special – the walk circles Doune Castle and follows the natural features of the Ardoch Burn and the River Teith, set among diverse native broadleaf trees and a wildflower meadow. There is also a splendid new bridge across the Ardoch Burn, which provides a link

between Doune Castle and the bustling historic village. Wildlife abounds on this walk, including resident otters, roe deer, salmon and brown trout as well as red squirrels, kingfishers, herons and birds of prey, such as red kites, buzzards and sparrowhawks. Collect a wildlife explorer leaflet from Doune Castle during opening hours. The walk is rich in history, taking in the castle itself, which in its current form dates from the late 1300s, and the sites of the Old Mill and old Roman fort (now Doune’s cricket field), where you’ll find interpretive panels.

PLAN YOUR WALK AT THE ONSITE MAP BOARDS

HISTORICENVIRONMENT.SCOT 23

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Winter walks, 4

WINTER WA L K S VERSION

LINLITHGOW PALACE AND PEEL LINLITHGOW LOCH CIRCUIT Gordon Smith, Ranger

Nether Largie Cairn and, inset, Dunadd Fort view

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ACCESSIBILITY: A flat walk, mostly on surfaced paths or compacted gravel DURATION: Approx. 90 mins

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This 2.3-mile (3.7km) walk These striking ducks have is ideal for families, and a piercing yellow eye and explores the area around a domed head. Linlithgow Loch and the You may also spy grounds of Linlithgow cormorants and Palace and the Peel. Get goosanders fishing in the your bearings from a map Loch. Surprisingly, board at the Palace car cormorants are not park and learn more about waterproof so their large the area from interpretive black shape can often be panels along the way. spotted perched in trees The name Linlithgow and on islands in the loch. means ‘loch in the damp The islands you’ll see are hollow’ and today the loch the remains of crannogs is a protected site. It is one from around 3,000 years of only two natural ago. These ancient homes freshwater lochs in the were once reached by Lothians, and you’ll pass a submerged walkways with variety of twists and habitats, turns. Looking PLAN YOUR WALK AT HISTORICENVIRONMENT. including east, you’ll see SCOT/LINLITHGOWMAP reedbed, Cormorant grassland, Island, or scrub and woodland. Willow Trees as it was The loch supports many known on 1856 maps. wetland birds, especially Rickle Island lies to the resident swans, ducks and west; rickle means a pile geese. Town Bay is a good of stones. At the east end place to stop to see the of the loch, find the panel birdlife. You’ll find visiting that explains how the loch goldeneye ducks in small was formed during the last groups around the loch. ice age.

Linlithgow Palace

KILMARTIN IGLEN KILMARTIN CAIRNS Jane Martin, District Visitor and Community Manager ACCESSIBILITY: A variety of surfaces, including tarred pavement, rough paths and farm land; includes gates DURATION: Short walk, approx. 20 mins; longer walk approx. 1 hour Start your walk from PLAN YOUR WALK AT Kilmartin Church car park, HISTORICENVIRONMENT. in Kilmartin village, or SCOT/KILMARTIN Kilmartin Museum next door. You can choose either a 500-metre walk to the first monument, Glebe Cairn, or visit all three of the Nether Largie cairns in a 1.2-mile (2km) circuit. Kilmartin Glen is the richest prehistoric landscape in mainland Scotland. It is also fertile agricultural land, with Dunadd Fort standing proud at the south of the glen. This walk takes you from medieval graveslabs in the churchyard to four Bronze Age cairns and provides beautiful views across the surrounding countryside. Climb inside Nether Largie North Cairn to see the stone carvings or, if you’re tempted to walk a bit further, you can explore the 4,000-year-old Temple Wood stone circles, Ri Cruin Cairn, and even more – there’s a lot to see here. Interpretive panels provide information at some of the monuments, while Kilmartin Museum, which has recently reopened after a refurbishment, shares the prehistory and history of the area through artefacts and other displays.

FOR OPENING TIMES OF ALL SITES, CHECK HISTORICENVIRONMENT.SCOT/VISIT 24 HISTORIC SCOTLAND

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An artist’s impression of a sumptuous Easter feast at Linlithgow Palace (see page 30)

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26 HISTORIC SCOTLAND

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FESTIVALS AND FEAST DAYS Join the guest list for some of the wild parties and lavish celebrations that have taken place at our properties WORDS: ROSEMARY GORING

he Spanish ambassador Don Pedro de Ayala, who was at the court of James IV, came to the opinion that the Scottish people were “vain and ostentatious by nature. They spend all they have to keep up appearances.”

Royalty, nobles and wealthy merchants embraced every opportunity to show off their riches, status and connections. This was expected of royalty and nobility, and any pennypinchers came in for considerable criticism from their subjects. Likewise, they could be judged on what they

decided to lavish their wealth on, particularly if their people didn’t benefit in some way. Down the centuries, our properties have witnessed sumptuous celebrations to mark official festivals or family events, transformed from private occasions into spectacular international affairs.

HOLYROOD ABBEY AND HOLYROOD PALACE, 1503 The marriage of James IV to Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII, was a pivotal moment in the hitherto fractious relationship between Scotland and England. Intended to cement the Treaty of Perpetual Peace (1502), this great state occasion reinforced the message of friendship between the kingdoms. The mood was optimistic and according to John Young, the Somerset Herald and English official in Margaret Tudor’s entourage, when she arrived in Edinburgh “in the churches of the said town, bells rang for mirth”. The wedding took place in Holyrood Abbey, and the adjacent Holyrood Palace had been substantially rebuilt by the king, probably in honour of his forthcoming marriage.

On 8 August 1503, the young bride was led from the palace to the abbey by the Archbishop of York and the Earl of Surrey. Young noted that she wore, “a very rich crown of gold garnished with pierrery [jewels] and pearls.” During the ceremony, the king and queen sat on luxurious chairs, upholstered in cloth of gold and velvet. The lustrous trappings of the abbey and palace, many of which came from Flanders, signalled the king’s abundant resources and sophistication. A fine “collation” followed. Young recorded that, “At the first course, she [the queen] was served of a wild boar’s head gilt, within a fair platter, then with a fair piece of brain, and in the third place with a gambon, which were followed by diverse other dishes, to the number of 12.”

The interior of Holyrood Abbey

HISTORICENVIRONMENT.SCOT 27

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Festivals and feast days, 1

HISTORIC EVENTS

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STIRLING CASTLE, 1566

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Mary Queen of The court kitchens at Stirling Scots threw an Castle as they are today unforgettable party for the christening of her son James. At Stirling Castle, she organised a three-day extravaganza that cost taxpayers £12,000 and lit up the skies above Stirling with a display of fireworks that had taken 40 days to prepare. Page upon page of the also. As such, it was a Treasurer’s chance to strengthen ties accounts are with Elizabeth I, who had filled with agreed to be godmother expenses for and had sent a magnificent The mock siege gunpowder gold and jewel-encrusted and its font for the ceremony. transport, and for the gunners, wrights That week the court was filled with and smiths charged with getting high-ranking officials and nobles from everything in place. various countries, although the nonThe christening, on 17 December appearance of Mary’s husband Darnley 1566, was an opportunity to parade caused tongues to wag. James’s credentials as heir, not only to Mary also bought costumes in gold the Scottish throne but that of England and silver cloth for her nobles, so that

they were dressed ‘rather above than under’ their actual status. Dancing, dining, theatre and song followed the Catholic ceremony, including a bull hunt and a Latin masque written by George Buchanan. Servants dressed as satyrs and wielding whips served a feast delivered by a moving mechanical stage that collapsed shortly before the main course arrived. Most memorable of all was a mock siege in a turreted wooden fortress, inset left, built in the valley between the castle esplanade and the town. The siege portrayed Prince James as a hero successfully fighting off an attack. The party culminated in a cannon fusillade. Mary had been right when, on inviting one of her nobles to the event, she predicted “for ye will not agane in many yeiris haue the like thing in hand”. You can get a flavour of feasting in the Great Hall at Stirling Castle in the castle audio guide.

Banqueting at Stirling Castle in times past

HISTORICENVIRONMENT.SCOT 29

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Festivals and feast days, 2

HISTORIC EVENTS

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Roast pig was on the menu at Linlithgow Palace

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EASTER 1512, LINLITHGOW PALACE Fittingly for such a pious king, James IV’s son, the future James V, was born at Linlithgow Palace on Good Friday: 10 April 1512. As was the custom, the previous day the king’s almoner had distributed alms on what was called Skire Thursday. (This tradition survives today as the Royal Maundy.) The number of people helped was

30 HISTORIC SCOTLAND

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determined by the king’s and queen’s ages, so 40 men for him and 24 women for her. This act may well have taken place on the steps of St Michael’s Kirk, beside the palace. The quality of the clothes, shoes and the sums of money disbursed suggest that the recipients were not street beggars but the

‘genteel poor’. That Easter, there were double celebrations to mark the Resurrection and give thanks for the infant’s safe delivery. The household accounts show payments to Italian and French minstrels – ‘Pasche rewardis’ – and there is a note of 60 pigs purchased in Glasgow, no doubt for a mouthwatering feast.

Festivals and feast days, 3

HISTORIC EVENTS

Artistic impression of St Andrews Castle

; I

DUNFERMLINE ABBEY, C.1070

CHRISTMAS 1425, ST ANDREWS CASTLE The kitchens at St Andrews Castle must have gone into overdrive at Christmas 1425, when King James I descended. According to Walter Bower in the Scotichronicon, the king “kept the festivities going to include the feast of Epiphany”. But this was more than a sociable gathering. James had summoned almost all his nobles, perhaps hoping to defuse the tensions among them. Other guests included ambassadors from Flanders, who begged him to restore trade with their region, which he had recently moved elsewhere. As Bower writes, “This had been done because of the intolerable contempt shown to Scottish merchants before the king’s return from England [where he had been a prisoner for 18 years], and because of letters of marque [authorising piracy against them], which were very damaging to the merchants themselves.” They came to an agreement which restored trade and left the merchants in a better position than when they arrived: altogether fitting for the season of goodwill.

Illuminated image of Saint Margaret at prayer

IMAGE REPRODUCED WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SCOTLAND

Not surprisingly, Saint Margaret rigorously observed every holy day in the calendar. Her biographer, Turgot of Durham, the Bishop of St Andrews, records an occasion when Margaret and her husband Malcolm III entertained around 300 “poor people” in a large hall; this might have been the earliest guesthouse at the site. Turgot writes that, when the 300 had been seated, “the king and queen came in, and the doors were shut by the servants, for with the exception of the chaplains, certain religious, and a few attendants, no one was permitted to witness their almsgiving. The king on one side, and the queen on the other, waited upon Christ in the person of His poor, and with great devotion served them with food and drink.” HISTORICENVIRONMENT.SCOT 31

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Mary Queen of Scots was guest of honour, sitting beside the bride and groom

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The wedding banquet for Janet Hepburn and John Stewart at Crichton Castle

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WEDDINGS AT CRICHTON CASTLE, 1562, AND CASTLE CAMPBELL, 1563 In 1562, Crichton Castle was the scene for the wedding celebrations of the Earl of Bothwell’s sister Janet Hepburn to Mary Queen of Scots’ half-brother John Stewart. There were several days of revelry, including a banquet with venison, moor fowl, goose, duck, rabbit – anything, in short, that could be shot or trapped. The feast was held beneath the vaulting hammer-beamed roof of the Great Hall. Mary was guest of honour, sitting, beneath her regal canopy at the ‘hie burde’ or top table, beside the bride and groom. There was a masque dance, and possibly also a torch dance, where guests were led across the dance floor by servants bearing

enormous torches on poles. And, of course, there were fireworks – the Stewart family were particularly fond of them. At Castle Campbell the following year, Mary attended the nuptials of Margaret Campbell, the sister of the 5th Earl of Argyll, and James Stewart, Lord Doune, and enjoyed another sumptuous feast. As at Crichton Castle, her half-brother James, the Earl of Moray, was present. That night he was stricken with diarrhoea, which John Knox might have seen as his just deserts: “The Word of God condemneth drounkinnes, excess, delicacie, banketting, with fersing (stuffing) of the bellie”.

CHRISTMAS C.1128, EARL’S BU IN ORPHIR, ORKNEY The Earl’s Bu in Orphir on the Orkney Mainland is referred to in the Orkneyinga saga, which mentions the “large drinking hall” in the Bu (residence) and its neighbouring “magnificent church”. One story is about the ill-fated Yuletide feast held c.1128 by the brothers Harald and Paul, who reigned jointly over the earldom. Earl Harald was in charge of preparations for the Yuletide feast. One morning he found his mother and sister sewing a pure white linen robe, stitched with gold thread, which was a gift for his brother. Infuriated at such favouritism, he grabbed the robe for himself, “but no sooner was the garment upon his back than his flesh started to quiver and he began to suffer terrible agony. He had to go to bed and not long after that he died.” Paul, realising the robe had been intended for him, banished his mother and sister from the islands. They settled in Sutherland, on his sister’s estate, where her son and grandson grew up believing they were the rightful heirs to the Earldom of Orkney, thereby threatening the stability of the kingdom. Remnants of St Nicholas Church, next to the Earl’s Bu in Orphir

32 HISTORIC SCOTLAND

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Festivals and feast days, 4

HISTORIC EVENTS

Hear about the Chapel's history from one of our

Enjoy the magical atmosphere of an

guides then look out for the building's remarkable

evening visit to Rosslyn Chapel by

features, including the Chapel's angels, Green Men

candlelight this Christmas.

and the famous Apprentice Pillar.

Numbers restricted and advance booking essential.

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CAERLAVEROCK CASTLE Dramatic, dreamy and one of Dumfries and Galloway’s gems

ART

WORDS: KITTY FINSTAD PHOTOGRAPHS: GORDON RUSSELL

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Caerlaverock Castle is set in a 82km2 National Nature Reserve

34 HISTORIC SCOTLAND

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C A E R L AV E R O C K CASTLE

hat makes Scottish castles so alluring? Beyond their history, it’s their mystery and romance. And that’s especially true of castles that cast a spell because their days of occupation and grandeur are gone, and their ancient stories now resonate within their ruins. Few ruined castles are more dramatic than the medieval Caerlaverock Castle, situated on the southerly flank of the Scottish border, a mere cannonball away from the Solway Firth. Here you find the most tantalising elements of everyone’s dreamiest castle – turrets, towers and moat. It also transmits mystery within its very name. Why, I wondered, ahead of my two-hour drive from Edinburgh, does a castle near Dumfries sound like it’s in Wales? If names like Caerphilly and Caernarfon spring to mind, rightly so. The prefix ‘caer’ means fort, but isn’t Welsh quite so much as Brittonic – the language spoken from around the 6th century BC to the middle of the 6th century AD by the peoples inhabiting Europe’s westerly regions, from what is now Galicia and Brittany through Cornwall and Wales to Cumbria and the Scottish west coast. Research suggests the suffix ‘laverock’ means ‘babbling’ or ‘chattering’ and may refer to the noise made by the nearby Lochar Water.

A LITTLE PREHISTORY

As you approach through the swell of soft green undulating embankments, this glorious medieval sward leads down to a magical castle. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Because the building you’re looking at now wasn’t the first castle to occupy this spot. Before the famous triangular castle was built in the 1270s, a more modest stronghold of the 1220s stood just 200 metres to the south. HISTORICENVIRONMENT.SCOT 35

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Caerlaverock’s triangular design is at once magnificently imposing and irresistibly romantic

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Caerlaverock is the only castle in Britain built to a triangular plan

Today, a wooded pathway takes you to this earlier edifice, or at least the stones that define its outline and layout of rooms. It was here, during an excavation in the 1990s, that fragments of colourful glass bearing an inscription in Arabic were found on the floor of what had been the hall. The small quadrilateral castle evolved over time and was at first timber, with elements replaced in stone, including the building of its stone wall and corner turrets. Yet after only 40 years or so, the building was abandoned. Why? I asked Valerie Bennett, Monument Manager and an encyclopaedic guide to the castle and its environs. “Sudden climate change,” she said without hesitation. “In the 13th century, the Solway Firth flowed much nearer here than today. A prolonged period of huge storm surges radically altered the landscape, with massive mudbanks rendering the land unstable for habitation.” So the stronghold had to move. As geology would have it, a

oblique walls running back east and west of the northern gatehouse combine to extend the visual frontage, as if broadening its shoulders to ward off attack. We can only be glad of that ancient military architect’s thinking.

MOAT POINT

large rocky outcrop a mere three minutes’ walk to the north provided the solid base for the castle that stands today. Which brings us to my next question. Why is the castle triangular? Of course, it’s Caerlaverock’s unique standout feature, but triangularity in the castlebuilding business was unheard of in the 1270s when the works were completed, and Caerlaverock remains the only castle in Britain designed to a triangular plan. There are other triangular castles in France and Italy, but these are rare. No records explain the puzzle. One source suggests that the triangle’s

Caerlaverock’s triangular design is at once magnificently imposing and irresistibly romantic. Solid look-out towers with crenelated parapets stood guard at each of its three corners, while the local red sandstone lends the ruins an air of faded grandeur in all weathers. And let’s not forget the moat. Unlike many monuments’ watery defences, this one hasn’t been drained (at least not since the 1950s and 1960s when some archaeological work rendered it temporarily dry). So, as you cross the wooden bridge into the double-turreted gatehouse, where the first inhabitants of the castle had their chambers – and the guardrooms were also located – the atmosphere begins to build. HISTORICENVIRONMENT.SCOT 37

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Kitty and her husband follow in the footsteps of former castle inhabitants and visitors, upstairs and downstairs, through narrow passageways, past centuries-old

carvings and graffiti, resting awhile to look out on the stunning surroundings of the Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve, home to numerous resident and visiting birds

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As I walked through the gatehouse into the central courtyard or ward, pictures of the lives lived here filled my imagination. Nestled below the monolithic perimeter defence walls is the Renaissance charm of the Nithsdale Lodging (1634). This three-storey residence was built for the earl and countess (Elizabeth Beaumont) of Nithsdale. Through Caerlaverock’s 400year history, the castle was also a family home and its military aspects were just one facet of its use. Weathered soft by the centuries now, allegorical carvings in the pediments above every window reference classical myths and, from their grandiose bulk, the pride of ownership. Here Nithsdale’s coat of arms and crest (a double-headed eagle and a stag) sit alongside those of his wife Elizabeth, the cousin of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, and a favourite of King James VI and I. The Pevsner Architectural Guide lists this building as among “the most ambitious early classical domestic architecture in Scotland”. Carvings populate the interior walls too. Not heraldic insignia but visitor graffiti from later centuries. Among names, initials and dates as recent as 1989, I spy ‘RB 1776’ writ large and fancifully wonder if this might have been Rabbie Burns himself on a day out from Dumfries to visit the castle. Nowadays, such graffiti would be treated as a heritage crime, so it was refreshing to see nothing of a 21st-century date. 38 HISTORIC SCOTLAND

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Through Caerlaverock’s 400-year history, the castle was always a family home SIEGE THE DAY

Caerlaverock has left its mark on what the poet Norman MacCaig once called “Scotland’s filthy history”. Depending on the route taken from south to north, it’s practically the first castle north of Hadrian’s Wall you’d come across if you were the English king Edward I looking for something to besiege in 1300. The Siege of Caerlaverock was the first of three known assaults the castle endured during the turbulent Wars of Independence. In truth, it had all kicked off the year before when the Caerlaverock garrison attacked nearby Lochmaben Castle, held by English forces. The next year, in July 1300, Edward paid a visit with 87 barons and around 9,000 men-at-arms. With battering rams and trebuchets at full tilt, the

C A E R L AV E R O C K CASTLE siege lasted only two days before the Scots garrison capitulated. Next to the visitor centre, with its smartly articulated shop and café, is a room that documents the siege in detail. Appropriately, this is more touch and feel than virtual reality. Medieval-style cloaks hang on hooks, inviting large and small to try them for size. A glass cabinet illuminates fascinating finds from the moat, last excavated between the 1950s and 60s: a copper alloy scale pan for measuring goods; earthenware jugs; an arrowhead (likely for hunting deer); a ceramic pot possibly used as a hand grenade and other objects that hint at the stories of life in the castle. Even a leather shoe sole, part of what is believed to be the best-preserved organic medieval archaeology collection in Scotland. Atmospheric and immersive, a video plays featuring a youthful Tony Robinson, in costume and in situ, reciting an important poem by an English herald of how the siege unfolded. The 55 years or so following the siege involved a pattern of violent destruction and rebuilding as the Maxwells – who owned the castle from at least as early as 1307 – swapped their royal loyalties and the English kings expressed their intent. During the following century, local feuds raged between the Maxwells and their arch enemies, the Johnstones of Annandale. Repairs and additions to the castle’s walls were constant. It was Scottish religious divisions that ultimately wreaked irreparable damage. In autumn 1640, the Protestant Covenanter army, refusing the doctrinal precepts of the Stuart dynasty, undertook the castle’s final siege. A devout Catholic and supporter of Charles I, Maxwell and 200 of his men held out against the Covenanters for 13 weeks

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Medieval tower and, inset, an allegorical carving

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until the south curtain wall and the south-east tower were reduced to rubble, leaving them no option but to surrender. Caerlaverock was effectively uninhabitable and was never occupied again.

HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

Another draw that makes Caerlaverock a beguiling place to visit is the countryside in which it’s set. As you approach the castle from the car park, the picture of this medieval fantasy with its towers and narrow arrow-slit windows reflected in the moat is certainly majestic. (New word alert: those windows feature a splayed design known as an embrasure, I learned.) But so too is the sweeping landscape that surrounds it. Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve covers 82km² (32 square miles) and is a Category II protected site. Its mudflats, sandbanks and saltmarshes stretch some 16km along the Solway Firth and, in summer, attract 40-50 species of birds to breed, including redshanks, oystercatchers and curlews. In winter, more than 140,000 waders make it home for the season and many more varieties pause on journeys south. You’ll likely see pink-footed geese, teals and plovers – as well as the whole population of barnacle

geese touching down to overwinter from Norway’s Arctic archipelago. The site is managed by NatureScot, which helps visitors explore via pathways from two access points, a viewing platform and a hide. Adjacent to the castle and the NatureScot reserve is a wetlands centre, managed by the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, which includes hides, an observatory and a viewing tower.

Who could resist clambering over the kind of wooden siege engine required when sacking a castle? Certainly not the children using the play area where a reproduction of a siege catapult points invitingly towards the castle walls.

ABOVE ALL

High-Level Masonry work continues at Caerlaverock, meaning some restricted access to protect the public. However, this certainly didn’t dampen my visit, as almost all the castle is still open to view and explore. My enduring memory of my visit is all about the sense of welcome that emanates throughout Caerlaverock. In the Nithsdale Lodging you wander at will from room to empty room, upstairs to roof level, down corridors to windows framing green fields beyond. Imagining long gone days, I thought of the grooves in the stones from the thousands of feet that have occupied and visited this place. A palpable sense of place, engagement and charm reverberates. And isn’t this what we hope history should give us?

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Time your visit carefully and you could be a spectator at the once-yearly jousting event in the grounds. Don’t worry, audience participation is restricted to cheering as two teams on trusty mounts vie to knock the living daylights out of each other in the name of Scotland and England. Check our events web page at historicenvironment.scot/events for the next event date.

The augmented reality app, Castle Quest, lets you interact with 11 members of the castle household at strategic points during your visit. Discover how they lived as they prepare to welcome home Sir Eustace Maxwell and his wife, Lady Agnes, in 1312, after reclaiming the castle’s ownership with the blessing of Edward II. Download the app at historicenvironment.scot/ Caerlaverock-castle-quest

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How a battalion of experts are helping to preserve our heritage WORDS: KELLY APTER

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or centuries, castles were built and maintained to withstand bullets, boulders and arrows. They were sometimes designed with local climates in mind but the architects of yesteryear could hardly predict the more extreme weather of today. There was probably also an expectation that their properties would always have a roof to protect them. Years later, however, the absence of cover, plasterwork or harling has left these incredible buildings – along with cathedrals, abbeys and churches – vulnerable and in need of some TLC.

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Scaffolding and steeplejacks are among the methods used to inspect buildings

SAFE AND SOUND

Regular inspections from the ground have long been our priority, but even using a drone to capture footage from above, there’s only so much a pair of eyes can tell you. To really evaluate the condition of stone and building fabric across the organisation’s estate, you need a pair of hands. Which is why, in 2019, we embarked on a nationwide project to check properties in our care, ensuring the safety of visitors and staff and the longevity of the buildings themselves. The High-Level Masonry (HLM) programme inspections began post-lockdown in spring 2021.

HIGH PLACES

With small doorways and high walls, our ancestors knew what they were doing when they designed these large properties. Security and structural benefits were their priority, not ensuring a cherry picker could pass through the entrance with ease. So, just as many of these buildings were once besieged by armies, it’s taking a battalion of helpers to ensure their safety and preservation for future generations. Surveyors, architects, structural engineers, ecologists, steeplejacks, works teams and stonemasons all have a fundamental role to play in this ambitious project. Many other specialist

staff and contractors are also spending countless hours on preparatory research, technological solutions to record findings, and paperwork to adhere to a myriad of legislation. “These buildings are such a huge part of Scotland’s identity and culture that their ongoing preservation and conservation is imperative,” says Christa Gerdwilker of the High-Level Surveys team. “Scotland’s heritage sites are hugely important to people, so we’re really working our socks off to get them open again, but safely.” Of the more than 300 properties in our care, a very careful decision was

taken to restrict access to 70 as a precautionary measure while surveys are carried out. But if ever the term ‘better safe than sorry’ was appropriate, it’s here. Most of our sites are hundreds of years old and we need to assess what impact our changing climate, along with other factors, has had on these historic buildings at a high level to make sure that they are safe for visitors and staff.

ACCESS RESTORED

Despite a year lost to the pandemic, work has been progressing at pace, with more than 45 properties either fully HISTORICENVIRONMENT.SCOT 43

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Dryburgh Abbey has fully reopened ART PRODUCTION CLIENT

or partially reopened, including Caerlaverock Castle in Dumfries and Galloway, Aberdour Castle and St Andrews Cathedral in Fife, Dumbarton Castle in Dunbartonshire, Dryburgh Abbey in the Borders, and Linlithgow Palace in West Lothian, and inspections on a number of properties in Orkney are also under way. A range of considerations were taken into account when deciding which properties to visit first, as with finite resources – both people and equipment – it can’t all be done at once. Previous knowledge of the buildings, proximity to public areas and economic impact were all examined. Ultimately, however, this is slow, painstaking work.

legislation on protected species followed (see ‘Right of way for wildlife’, page 46). Then there’s the matter of gaining access to properties that were often constructed specifically to be defensive, with all the necessary equipment to scale walls. The preferred method is with a Mobile Elevated Working Platform or MEWP (see ‘Top gear’, right). If driving one of those into a small space, or over sensitive ground, isn’t possible, however, then steeplejacks or rope access (think abseiling but with a tool in your hand) are good second and third options. The last resort is a scaffold. Health and safety legislation is strictly adhered to, but this is still potentially dangerous work. So a

We can’t rewind the clock, but where we can we’ll try to unpick that work “We’re not just randomly turning up at different properties,” says Christa. “There is a lot of thought behind why we’re inspecting them in a certain sequence. But we are literally trying to touch every single stone, so it’s not a fast process; it can’t be. At the same time, we are absolutely working like the clappers and prioritising the areas that need to be inspected, such as access routes and places where visitors like to stand and look. These areas really need to be safe.” All this requires a great deal of problem-solving. Firstly, before any work can take place, the local ecology has to be explored and European 44 HISTORIC SCOTLAND

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‘rescue plan’ is always put in place before work begins, to ensure medical attention can be accessed if required.

TACTILE INSPECTIONS

“Once we’re up there, the biggest risk is the unknown,” explains Christa. “Because these areas are so inaccessible, they’ve never really been inspected in this way before. They’ve only ever been looked at from the ground with binoculars or from a vantage point, and you can’t always see close-up detail, fine cracks or whether something is loose. We’ve had

incidents where something moved when we didn’t expect it to and we had to react very quickly.” Standing in the grounds of Tantallon Castle in East Lothian, looking up the vast wall face, it’s easy to see what Christa means. The HLM programme looks at structures above 1.5 metres – and this building goes a lot higher than that. Problematic fabric issues would be impossible to see with the naked eye. Standing beside me is District Architect Clive Cruickshank, and packing up in the car park are contractors who have just scaled and inspected these mighty walls on ropes. Carrying a long pole with a ball on the end, they literally tapped every stone as they dropped steadily down the structure. “By the end of the process, we aim to have carried out a tactile inspection of every area of the castle, and certainly every area where public access is being restored,” says Clive. “This means going across the full fabric and checking for bits of loose masonry, areas where stones are starting to deteriorate or becoming dislodged. There are a number of typical defects we’ve found across the estate, often related to the building type, but geography plays a big part in that because where a stone comes from dictates how vulnerable it is. Tantallon is an example where the soft sandstone Work is ongoing on Caerlaverock Castle’s towers

TOP GEAR

St Andrews Cathedral during HLM works

tends to erode in pockets when exposed to the harsh coastal environment.” He adds: “The soft nature of the castle’s stonework at one time helped to absorb the shock of cannonballs; that is one of the characteristics that now ironically makes the castle more vulnerable.”

MATCHING THE STONE

Once drawn from a local quarry, possibly even the cliff face below the castle, it is no longer possible to source replacement rocks nearby, so a petrographic study is carried out to find the closest possible geological match. Perched on the edge of a cliff, Tantallon Castle is no stranger to strong wind and heavy rain – but that’s not the only problem.

Back in the early to mid 20th century, well-meaning repairs regularly replaced lime mortar with cement, to ensure stones across the estate were re-secured. But whereas lime mortar aids a stone’s natural wetting/drying cycle, cement is largely impermeable, causing the adjacent stone to decay over time. And once one form of decay has weakened it, the stone becomes far more vulnerable to others. “Our predecessors in the earlier parts of the 20th century considered cement to be a bit of a ‘wonder material’,” explains Clive. “It has its place, but we’ve gone full circle and understand the detrimental effect of cement in a historic environment, so lime mortar is the product we use almost exclusively. We can’t rewind the

It seems appropriate that a cherry picker is the piece of equipment that has borne the most fruit during this project. Of all the options available (scaffolding, rope access, ladder), the Mobile Elevated Working Platform – or MEWP as it’s called – is by far the preferred choice. The vast majority used for the High-Level Masonry (HLM) programme range in height from 15m to 33m, but if required (as was the case at Kelso Abbey), they can reach up to 45m and more. Quick and versatile, the MEWPs are hired when needed and operated by trained specialists. This means our staff can just climb into the ‘basket’, be lifted up high and concentrate on the job in hand, without having to worry about manoeuvring the machine. “The MEWPs have really come into their own on the HLM programme, to allow us access to areas,” says HLM Programme Manager Grant Black. “For example, at Linlithgow Palace we brought in a 33m machine and managed to project up and across one of the wall heads, which allowed us to touch that wall for the first time. And at St Andrews Cathedral we built a scaffold bridge to drive the MEWP safely past the graves.”

Full access has been restored at Castle Sween and Castle Campbell, right

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A cherry picker helps with work on chimneys at Stirling Castle

clock, but where we can we’ll try to unpick that work.” Mortar replacement, repointing, removal of loose rubble and stone replacement are key tasks being carried out during the HLM programme. As is repairing fissures where plant life has jacked open a crack in the fabric. Small jobs can sometimes be carried out almost there and then. However, much like anyone seeking consent from the local council for building work, we have to comply with the Ancient Monuments Act by gaining consent for many of the more complex and involved repairs that follow the inspection process. Clive reminds me that the repair team’s work is based on conservation rather than restoration whereby leaving the buildings “as found” is a common approach; a prime example being at Dirleton Castle, 10 minutes up the road from Tantallon. There, a seemingly gravity-defying stone (which once had other stones holding it up), is now supported subtly with a bar, recently inserted. “If you start altering and adding back in what you think might have been there, you begin lose the building’s integrity and part of its history,” says Clive. “It can be a hard balance to strike.”

RIGHT OF WAY FOR WILDLIFE It may be many a year since a human called our properties ‘home’, but for some creatures it’s been a continuous residency for centuries. So, when work is being carried out, be it a survey or actual maintenance, it’s not just courteous to consider those inhabiting the space, it’s the law. Under UK and European legislation, which still applies post-Brexit, a number of birds, animals and flora are protected species – which has implications for the High-Level Masonry programme timeline. From fulmars and gulls nesting in the rockface and walls to house martins building their nests in the top of windows, bats finding a place to roost inside rock crevices and particular species of lichen growing on stones, they all have to be given right of way. Even an empty bat roost is protected, as they might return at some point. With activity disallowed near nesting birds from spring to September, it can mean a race to carry out work before the bad weather sets in – and the bats start hibernating. For details of properties that have now reopened visit historicenvironment.scot/hlm-sites

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Christmas crown

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MAGICAL TIMES Get ready for an enchanting festive season

Castle of Light: Magic and Mystery EDINBURGH CASTLE

Various dates from Fri 24 Nov-Wed 3 Jan 2024, 4.30pm-9pm (last entry between 7.30pm and 7.45pm). Tickets must be booked in advance. 10% members discount. Book at castleoflight.scot

52 HISTORIC SCOTLAND

BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN

Unmissable moments and tales of magic and mystery are set to transform Edinburgh Castle from November, as Castle of Light returns for its fourth spectacular year! An all-new expanded show illuminates stories of legendary creatures and creates grand illusions throughout the castle. You can also meet our Castle of Light guide Rex the Lion in the stunning surroundings of the Great Hall. With so much to see and do, and delicious food and drink along the way, what better way to brighten a winter evening?

Events, 1

FESTIVE TREATS Christmas Afternoon Tea EDINBURGH CASTLE

Fri 1-Thu 7 Dec, Sun 10-Thu 14 Dec, Sun 17-Sun 24 Dec, Wed 27 Dec-Sun 7 Jan 2024. Adult £50, £55 with Prosecco (members £31.50, £36 with drinks); child £22.50 (child member £15.75). Book at edinburghcastle.scot/festive Make Christmas 2023 special with afternoon tea in The Tearooms at Edinburgh Castle. STIRLING CASTLE

Sat 2-Sun 3 Dec, Fri 8-Sun 10 Dec, Thu 21-Sat 23 Dec. 1pm. Adult £50, £55 with Prosecco (members £31.50, £36 with drinks); child £22.50 (child member £15.75). Book at stirlingcastle.scot/festive Enjoy afternoon tea served in the beautiful surroundings of the Great Hall at Stirling Castle.

Christmas Shopping Fair STIRLING CASTLE

Tues 5 Dec. 6pm-9pm (last entry 8.15pm). Entry £6. Book at stirlingcastle.scot/festive Stock up for the festive season in the splendour of the Great Hall at Stirling Castle.

Edinburgh Castle Christmas Lunch EDINBURGH CASTLE

Fri 8-Sat 9 Dec, Fri 15-Sat 16 Dec. 12pm, 12.30pm, 1pm. Adult £60 (members £45); child £27.50 (child members £22.50). Book at edinburghcastle.scot/festive Feast on a fantastic three-course lunch in Edinburgh Castle’s opulent Queen Anne Room.

Festive Storytelling : Tatties frae Chuckie Stanes LINLITHGOW PALACE

Thu 14 Dec. 6.30pm for 7pm start. 10% members discount. Book at historicenvironment.scot/events Storytellers Beverley Bryant and Heather Yule take you on a journey filled with Christmas spirit through music, song and story.

A Christmas Carol STIRLING CASTLE

Fri 15-Mon 18 Dec. 6.15pm for 7pm start. Sun 17-Mon 18 Dec dates include BSL interpretation. 10% members discount. Book at stirlingcastle.scot/festive Chapterhouse Theatre Company’s production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is a timeless tale of hope and redemption.

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DIARY DATES VERSION

EXHIBITIONS REPRO OP

Rosslyn Chapel & Scottish Antiquaries JOHN SINCLAIR HOUSE

SUBS

Selected dates until Tue 1 Oct 2024. View the Rosslyn Album, a collection of drawings, letters and engravings relating to Rosslyn Chapel assembled by publisher and antiquarian John Britton (1771-1857). On display for the first time following conservation, cataloguing and digitisation.

ART

Operation: Broken Feather

exploring how the elements have shaped both the landscape and the people, and considering what the future might hold.

Carving out Connections: Scotland’s Rock Art

PRODUCTION CLIENT

FORT GEORGE

BLACKNESS CASTLE

Tue 7 Nov-Mon 22 Jan 2024. Special Agent Corncrake has been compiling an urgent report into saving the corncrake. She is now in hiding and needs your help to discover who can help save this endangered species! This familyfriendly exhibition shines a light on the plight of the corncrake.

Until Sun 7 Jan 2024. Prehistoric rock art is one of Scotland’s greatest mysteries. This exhibition, drawn from our archives, traces rock art connections through time and place.

Our Changing Landscape: How the Weather Shapes Scotland

Migrations: a Field Study of Adversity

STIRLING CASTLE

Sat 18 Nov-Sun 14 Jan 2024. This exhibition looks at the history of the weather in Scotland,

DUFF HOUSE

Until Sun 28 Jan 2024. Wildlife artist Derek Robertson fills the Long Gallery at Duff House with images drawn from the

WINTER WALKS WITH THE RANGERS Visit historicenvironment.scot/ranger-service

DRYBURGH ABBEY, HOLYROOD PARK, LINLITHGOW PEEL

From November to March, there’s so much to see out of doors at our properties. Enjoy guided walks around Holyrood Park to discover its turbulent geological past. Learn about the women in history who have shaped the park. Take a Christmas amble around Linlithgow Peel or go snowdrop spotting at Dryburgh Abbey. Pre-booking for these walks is advised.

ORKNEY RANGERS RING OF BRODGAR, STONES OF STENNESS

Encounter 5,000 years of history with the Orkney Rangers Service during their free walks at the Ring of Brodgar and the Stones of Stenness.

54 HISTORIC SCOTLAND

BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN

themes of migration, climate change and the struggle to survive in an adverse world. His series of paintings depict birds as environmental indicators and as metaphor for people.

JMW Turner’s Illustrations for The Poetical Works of Thomas Campbell DUFF HOUSE

Until Sun 24 Mar 2024. The National Galleries of Scotland hold the only complete set of Turner’s finished vignette illustrations that remain together in the same collection; these form his 20 watercolours for The Poetical Works of Thomas Campbell, published by Edward Moxon in 1837. This exhibition will be the first time that these illustrations have been shown as a full set for more than 20 years.

Events, 2

Energy Efficiency Weekend HOLYROOD PARK EDUCATION CENTRE, EDINBURGH

Sat 18-Sun 19 Nov. 10.30am-12.30pm, 1.30-3:30pm both days. This is a free event and no booking is necessary, but we would advise you to arrive promptly to avoid disappointment. Join us to explore retrofit and energy efficiency in Scotland’s traditional buildings. Understand what best practice looks like and explore some of the techniques proven to improve energy efficiency effectively and economically.

SCOTLAND’S NATIONAL BARD Celebrating Burns EDINBURGH CASTLE

Thu 25 Jan 2024. 11.15am, 12.15pm, 2pm, 3pm. Robert Burns was undoubtedly one of Scotland’s literary greats, but what exactly was he all about? Come along to find out more about the bard and some of his works.

Burns an’ a’ that STIRLING CASTLE

Sat 27 Jan 2024. 12pm-4pm. Join us at the Castle that inspired the famous ‘Stirling Lines’ for a celebration of all things Scottish. From Rabbie Burns and Scots language, to traditional Gaelic music and, of course, Haggis!’

MOTHER’S DAY AFTERNOON TEA

Traditional Building Maintenance ENGINE SHED, STIRLING

Fri 24 Nov. 9.30am-1.30pm or 9.30am-3.30pm. £45 for morning session. 10% members’ discount Join us to learn about the practicalities of detailed and regular inspections of traditional buildings. We’ll share how a robust maintenance plan can stave off decay and expensive repairs. A networking lunch will provide you with the opportunity to continue discussions. For details of Engine Shed events visit engineshed.scot/ whats-on or email technicaleducation@hes.scot

STIRLING CASTLE

Sat 9-Sun 10 March 2024. 1pm. Adult £50, £55 with Prosecco (members £31.50, £36 with drinks); child £22.50 (child member £15.75). Treat your mother or the mother figure in your life with our themed Mother’s Day afternoon tea in the Great Hall of Stirling Castle.

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Time Trip - Christmas post, 1

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