Queensberry House is a 17th century Category A listed building in the
CanongateThe Canongate is a small district at the heart of Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. The main street running through the area is called Canongate without the definite article, "the". Canongate, the street, forms the lower part of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh's historic Old Town. Until formal...
,
EdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland. It is the second largest Scottish city, after Glasgow, and the seventh-most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas....
,
ScotlandScotland 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...
, incorporated into the Scottish Parliament complex. It contains the office of the
Presiding OfficerIn a general sense presiding officer is synonymous with chairman.Specifically, Presiding Officer is the title of the post of Speaker in the following legislatures:*Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales...
, two Deputy Presiding Officers, the Parliament's Chief Executive, and other staff.
The house was built in c. 1667 for Dame Margaret Douglas of Balmakellie, and bought by
William Douglas, 1st Duke of QueensberryWilliam Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry PC also 3rd Earl of Queensberry and 1st Marquess of Queensberry was a Scottish politician....
in c. 1689.
The most famous resident is probably
James Douglas, 2nd Duke of QueensberryJames Douglas, 2nd Duke of Queensberry and 1st Duke of Dover , was a Scottish nobleman.He was the eldest son of William Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry and his wife Isabel Douglas, daughter of William Douglas, 1st Marquess of Douglas.Educated at the University of Glasgow, he was appointed a...
who was influential behind the
Treaty of UnionThe Acts of Union were a pair of Parliamentary Acts passed in 1707 by the Parliament of Scotland and the Parliament of England to put into effect the terms of the Treaty of Union that had been agreed on 22 July 1706, following negotiation between commissioners representing the parliaments of the...
in 1707.
The same evening the 2nd Duke was signing the Act of Union, his son, the insane
Earl of DrumlanrigJames Douglas, 3rd Marquess of Queensberry , known until 1711 as James Douglas, Earl of Drumlanrig was an insane British nobleman, eldest son to survive infancy of James Douglas, 2nd Duke of Queensberry....
, is said to have roasted a servant boy on a spit in an oven in the kitchens.
Discussion
Ask a question about 'Queensberry House' Start a new discussion about 'Queensberry House' Answer questions from other users |
Queensberry House is a 17th century Category A listed building in the
CanongateThe Canongate is a small district at the heart of Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. The main street running through the area is called Canongate without the definite article, "the". Canongate, the street, forms the lower part of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh's historic Old Town. Until formal...
,
EdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland. It is the second largest Scottish city, after Glasgow, and the seventh-most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas....
,
ScotlandScotland 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...
, incorporated into the Scottish Parliament complex. It contains the office of the
Presiding OfficerIn a general sense presiding officer is synonymous with chairman.Specifically, Presiding Officer is the title of the post of Speaker in the following legislatures:*Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales...
, two Deputy Presiding Officers, the Parliament's Chief Executive, and other staff.
The house was built in c. 1667 for Dame Margaret Douglas of Balmakellie, and bought by
William Douglas, 1st Duke of QueensberryWilliam Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry PC also 3rd Earl of Queensberry and 1st Marquess of Queensberry was a Scottish politician....
in c. 1689.
The most famous resident is probably
James Douglas, 2nd Duke of QueensberryJames Douglas, 2nd Duke of Queensberry and 1st Duke of Dover , was a Scottish nobleman.He was the eldest son of William Douglas, 1st Duke of Queensberry and his wife Isabel Douglas, daughter of William Douglas, 1st Marquess of Douglas.Educated at the University of Glasgow, he was appointed a...
who was influential behind the
Treaty of UnionThe Acts of Union were a pair of Parliamentary Acts passed in 1707 by the Parliament of Scotland and the Parliament of England to put into effect the terms of the Treaty of Union that had been agreed on 22 July 1706, following negotiation between commissioners representing the parliaments of the...
in 1707.
The same evening the 2nd Duke was signing the Act of Union, his son, the insane
Earl of DrumlanrigJames Douglas, 3rd Marquess of Queensberry , known until 1711 as James Douglas, Earl of Drumlanrig was an insane British nobleman, eldest son to survive infancy of James Douglas, 2nd Duke of Queensberry....
, is said to have roasted a servant boy on a spit in an oven in the kitchens. The oven can still be seen in the Parliament's Allowances Office.
From 1803 to 1996 the building was used as a hospital.
Ian RankinIan Rankin OBE, DL, is a Scottish crime writer. His best known books are the Inspector Rebus novels...
's
Inspector RebusThe Inspector Rebus books are a series of detective novels by the Scottish author Ian Rankin. The novels, centred on the title character Detective Inspector John Rebus, are mostly based in and around Edinburgh.-Content and style:...
novel
Set in DarknessSet in Darkness is a 2000 crime novel by Ian Rankin. It is the eleventh of the Inspector Rebus novels.-Plot summary:The Scottish Parliament is about to reopen in Edinburgh after 300 years. Detective Inspector John Rebus is in charge of liaison, as the new parliament is in his patch...
, first published in 2000 is partly set in Queensberry House during the reconstruction for the new parliament building.
External links