Thirlestane Castle, Lauder, Scottish Borders, Scotland
| Latitude | 55°43′21″N |
| Longitude | 2°44′37″W |
| City | Lauder |
| State/ Province | Scottish Borders |
| Country | Scotland |
Narrative
In 1066, the Maitlands came to Britain from Normandy, with William the Conqueror.
They originally settled in Northumberland.
Narrative
In 1587, Sir John Maitland, Secretary of Scotland, acquired Thirlestane.
He built a large square keep upon the foundations and walls of the original fort.
Narrative
The new nouse, near Lauder, replace the Maitland's original, decaying Thirlestane Castle, a peel tower a mile to the south, whose ruins are still extant, and are shown on the Ordnance Survey map of the area.
Narrative
In the 17th century, architect Sir William Bruce was contracted to transform the castle into a residence suitable for conducting the affairs of state.
Between 1670 and 1676 the alterations included:
* addition of the two front towers
* the grand staircase
* internal modifications, creating lavish staterooms with magnificent plasterwork ceilings
Narrative
In 1840, Edinburgh architects David Bryce and William Burn were contracted to design extensions to Thirlestane Castle.
Web Links
| Type | Link/ Description | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Web Home | Thirlestane Castle, from Wikipedia |