Borthwick Castle
Encyclopedia
Borthwick Castle is one of the largest and best-preserved surviving medieval Scottish
fortifications. It is located twelve miles (19 km) south-east of Edinburgh
, to the east of the village of Borthwick
, on a site protected on three sides by a steep fall in the ground. It was constructed in 1430 for Sir William Borthwick
, from whom the castle takes its name,
was built at the site of an earlier structure, and it remains the Borthwick
family ancestral seat. Sir William Borthwick
, later the 1st Lord, obtained from King James I
on June 2, 1430 a license to erect on the Mote of Locherwart, a castle or fortalice. This was unusual in Scotland
as nobles generally did not need to get permission for the building and fortifying of a Castle. He acquired a large part of Locherworth from his neighbour William Hay who was resentful of this and jealous of his neighbours castle. The well-preserved medieval effigies of the builder and his lady can be seen in the nearby parish kirk of St Kentigern, which retains a 15th-century aisle also probably built by him.
It was originally a stone enclosure fortress centring on an unusually tall tower house
with walls up to 14 feet (4.3 m) thick and 110 feet (33.5 m) in height. The design is a 'U-shaped' keep with a 12 feet (3.7 m) gap between the projecting, slightly asymmetrical, towers. There was a surrounding defensive courtyard with round towers pierced with shot-holes at the corners. While the tower house itself is exceptionally well preserved for its date, the surrounding wall and towers are much restored.
Borthwick Castle was visited twice by Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1563 and 1567, when she was besieged inside while under the protection of 6th Lord Borthwick. She escaped the siege by disguising herself as a page. Ever since then an apparition of Mary, dressed as a page boy, has been seen. In 1650 the Castle was attacked by Oliver Cromwell
's forces, and was surrendered after only a few cannon
shots. The damage to the walls from this attack is still visible.
After a period of abandonment, the Castle was restored by 1914. During World War II
the structure was used as a hiding place to store national treasures. In 1973 it was leased from the Borthwick family and converted into a hotel
catering mainly for castle weddings in a medieval setting.
Apart from the large cannon scar on one face, the walls, built of fine sandstone ashlar, are virtually complete, and very unusually, none of the original narrow windows have been enlarged. The battlements, however, no longer survive to their original height, having lost their stepped crenelations. They are carried on massive projecting corbels with corner roundels. The tower has two doorways, both unaltered and round headed. One at ground level leads into the partly subterranean kitchen and storage vaults. The second is directly above it at first-floor level, and leads directly into the stone-vaulted great hall. It is approached by a reconstructed stone bridge.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
fortifications. It is located twelve miles (19 km) south-east of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, to the east of the village of Borthwick
Borthwick
Borthwick is a small hamlet in Midlothian, Scotland. To the west of the village is the fifteenth-century Borthwick Castle. Other places nearby include Temple, Midlothian, Newbattle, Newbattle Abbey, Heriot, Scottish Borders.-External links:******...
, on a site protected on three sides by a steep fall in the ground. It was constructed in 1430 for Sir William Borthwick
William Borthwick, 1st Lord Borthwick
Sir William Borthwick, 1st Lord Borthwick was a Scottish peer and ambassador.Borthwick was the eldest son of Sir William Borthwick 'the younger', 2nd feudal baron of Borthwick, castellan of Edinburgh , and his wife Bethoc Sinclair of Orkney , daughter of Henry de St.Clair, the first Sinclair jarl...
, from whom the castle takes its name,
History
The castleCastle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
was built at the site of an earlier structure, and it remains the Borthwick
Lord Borthwick
Lord Borthwick is a title in the Peerage of Scotland.Alexander Nisbet relates that "the first of this ancient and noble family came from Hungary to Scotland, in the retinue of Queen Margaret, in the reign of Malcolm Canmore, anno Domini 1057...
family ancestral seat. Sir William Borthwick
William Borthwick, 1st Lord Borthwick
Sir William Borthwick, 1st Lord Borthwick was a Scottish peer and ambassador.Borthwick was the eldest son of Sir William Borthwick 'the younger', 2nd feudal baron of Borthwick, castellan of Edinburgh , and his wife Bethoc Sinclair of Orkney , daughter of Henry de St.Clair, the first Sinclair jarl...
, later the 1st Lord, obtained from King James I
James I of Scotland
James I, King of Scots , was the son of Robert III and Annabella Drummond. He was probably born in late July 1394 in Dunfermline as youngest of three sons...
on June 2, 1430 a license to erect on the Mote of Locherwart, a castle or fortalice. This was unusual in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
as nobles generally did not need to get permission for the building and fortifying of a Castle. He acquired a large part of Locherworth from his neighbour William Hay who was resentful of this and jealous of his neighbours castle. The well-preserved medieval effigies of the builder and his lady can be seen in the nearby parish kirk of St Kentigern, which retains a 15th-century aisle also probably built by him.
It was originally a stone enclosure fortress centring on an unusually tall tower house
Tower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...
with walls up to 14 feet (4.3 m) thick and 110 feet (33.5 m) in height. The design is a 'U-shaped' keep with a 12 feet (3.7 m) gap between the projecting, slightly asymmetrical, towers. There was a surrounding defensive courtyard with round towers pierced with shot-holes at the corners. While the tower house itself is exceptionally well preserved for its date, the surrounding wall and towers are much restored.
Borthwick Castle was visited twice by Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1563 and 1567, when she was besieged inside while under the protection of 6th Lord Borthwick. She escaped the siege by disguising herself as a page. Ever since then an apparition of Mary, dressed as a page boy, has been seen. In 1650 the Castle was attacked by Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
's forces, and was surrendered after only a few cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
shots. The damage to the walls from this attack is still visible.
After a period of abandonment, the Castle was restored by 1914. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the structure was used as a hiding place to store national treasures. In 1973 it was leased from the Borthwick family and converted into a hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
catering mainly for castle weddings in a medieval setting.
Building
Borthwick Castle is built as a double tower, 74 feet (22.6 m) long, 68 feet (20.7 m) in breadth and 90 feet (27.4 m) high. The castle is on a small hill surrounded by a stream.Apart from the large cannon scar on one face, the walls, built of fine sandstone ashlar, are virtually complete, and very unusually, none of the original narrow windows have been enlarged. The battlements, however, no longer survive to their original height, having lost their stepped crenelations. They are carried on massive projecting corbels with corner roundels. The tower has two doorways, both unaltered and round headed. One at ground level leads into the partly subterranean kitchen and storage vaults. The second is directly above it at first-floor level, and leads directly into the stone-vaulted great hall. It is approached by a reconstructed stone bridge.