Crichton Castle

Crichton Castle

Post
Subscribe

Posted 2016-11-07 by David C. Weinczokfollow
For those who think you need to escape to the Highlands for romantic castles and stunning scenery, I present . An architectural jewel perched above the meandering River Tyne, it is one of the most naturally photogenic sites I've ever encountered in Scotland.



Here's how Scottish castles tend to work: someone builds a tower which forms the core of the castle, then later generations add a walled courtyard. Think of the tower as the nucleus, and the rest as the engine which powers it. We know that John de Crichton built the tower around the year 1400, and the ruins now include a magnificent courtyard and a very peculiar stable block. I say peculiar because of its fetching doorway, a highly stylised arch that feels more Moorish or southern Mediterranean than Scottish.



Turns out there's a good reason for that. The Crichtons were one of the most powerful families in Scotland in the 1400s, and they got around. Many Scots served throughout Europe as mercenaries, and several Crichtons went along and saw firsthand the cutting edge architecture in Italy, France, and even the Holy Land. They brought this knowledge back with them, and at it culminated with the Italianate diamond facade in the courtyard. There is quite simply nothing else like this in Scotland, with the closest comparison being the Renaissance palace at Linlithgow.



The only downside is there's not much history from the castle itself, as it was only occupied for less than 200 years and no big events occurred in its walls. However, the reason the Crichtons left it was because they were disgraced - in 1440 William Crichton orchestrated the 'Black Dinner' at Edinburgh Castle, where his rival, the Lord of Douglas, was butchered in front of the 16-year-old King James II. Pipes played and a black bull's head was served to Douglas before he was killed. If that rings a vague bell, it's because it's the event that inspired the Red Wedding in Game of Thrones. Several decades and scandals later and their name was effectively blacklisted, their lands forfeit to the crown. There is, in fact, a distinct chance that Douglas was wined and dined at before making his fateful journey to Edinburgh.



If all that doesn't convince you to go (and it's only 11 miles from Edinburgh city centre - I cycled there in an afternoon), then perhaps the view on your way back into the city will:



#architecture
#attractions
#castles
#escape_the_city
#history
#near_edinburgh
#photography
#things_to_see
#tourist_attractions
%wnedinburgh
71826 - 2023-01-26 01:56:15

Tags

Outdoor
Free
Festivals
Music
Markets
Nightlife
Fundraisers
Near_edinburgh
Family
Cafes
Food_wine
Fun_things_to_do
Restaurants
Escape_the_city
Day_trips
Copyright 2024 OatLabs ABN 18113479226