Roslin Castle
Encyclopedia
Roslin Castle is a partially ruined castle
near the village of Roslin
in Midlothian
, Scotland
. It is located around 9 miles south of Edinburgh
, on the north bank of the North Esk
, only a few hundred metres from the famous Rosslyn Chapel
.
There has been a castle on the site since the early 14th century, when the Sinclair
family, Earls of Caithness
and Barons of Roslin
, fortified the site, although the present ruins are of slightly later date. Following destruction during the War of the Rough Wooing
of 1544, the castle was rebuilt. This structure, built into the cliffs of Roslin Glen, has remained at least partially habitable ever since. The castle is accessed via a high bridge, which replaced an earlier drawbridge. Roslin was renovated in the 1980s and now serves as holiday accommodation.
. The Sinclair
, or St Clair, family (also anciently spelt Sanctclare), were of Norman
origin, and had held land in the Lothian
s since 1162. It was built on a rocky promontory near the site of the Battle of Roslin
, where the Scots defeated the English in 1303. In the late 14th or early 15th century, Henry's son Henry, 2nd Earl of Orkney
built a new rectangular, round-cornered keep at the south-west corner. The courtyard was entered via a drawbridge over an artificial ditch, giving access to a pend in the small north range.
The castle was damaged by a domestic fire in 1452. It was a scriptorium
during the Middle Ages, and five St Clair manuscripts, dating back to 1488, are in the National Library of Scotland
. These include the Rosslyn-Hay manuscript, believed to be the earliest extant work in Scots
prose. Legend has it that during the domestic fire the Earl was in consternation because of his valuable manuscripts but they were lowered to safety from a window by his chaplain. Roslin was more severely damaged by the Earl of Hertford
, who burned the castle during the War of the Rough Wooing
in 1544. The keep was almost totally destroyed, although its one remaining ruined wall can still be seen.
The castle was rebuilt in the late 16th century. A new five-storey east range was built into the side of the rock, and the gatehouse was rebuilt, this time with a permanent stone bridge. The upper part of the east range was renovated in 1622, with renaissance details and carving to door and window surrounds. Roslin suffered again from the artillery of Cromwell
’s commander in Scotland, General Monck
, in 1650. It was further damaged by a Reforming mob in 1688.
By the 18th century the structure was dilapidated, though part of the east range has always remained habitable. From 1982 to 1988 the east range was restored by architects Simpson and Brown. The current owner, the Earl of Rosslyn
, a descendant of the Sinclairs, leases the castle as holiday accommodation via the Landmark Trust
. The castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument
, and a Category A listed building.
, which protects it on three sides. This rocky promontory was breached on the north side to form a ditch giving further protection. The castle is approached from Roslin across this ditch, via a precipitous bridge and through the ruined gatehouse.
above. Along the west side of the castle, the 15th-century curtain wall remains standing to a considerable height. This section of wall has six openings at the base, one of which served as a postern
gate. On the outer face, the six bays are divided by rounded buttress
es. Old sketches of Roslin show bartizans above each of these buttresses, with a wall-walk connecting them.
To the south of this wall is the remaining wall of the keep. The mound beneath is formed from the collapsed remnants of the other three walls. The ruin suggests that the keep was around 16m by 12m, with walls 2.9m thick rising to a machicolated
parapet.
All five floors are connected by a central scale-and-platt staircase, added in the early 17th century to replace a turnpike stair in the south-west. The rooms of the upper floors have impressive panelling and decorated ceilings. The main hall, in the south part of the block, has been divided, but retains a large fireplace with the carved initials WS and JE, for William Sinclair and his wife Jean Edmonstone, and the date 1597.
's poem Rosabelle. A ballad named Roslin Castle was written in the 18th century by Richard Hewitt of Cumberland.
Castle
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...
near the village of Roslin
Roslin, Midlothian
Roslin is a pretty village in Midlothian, Scotland, 7 miles to the south of the Scottish Capital city Edinburgh. It is situated approximately 12 miles from Edinburgh Airport.-The name:...
in Midlothian
Midlothian
Midlothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy area. It borders the Scottish Borders, East Lothian and the City of Edinburgh council areas....
, 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...
. It is located around 9 miles south 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...
, on the north bank of the North Esk
River Esk, Lothian
The River Esk is a river which flows through Midlothian and East Lothian, Scotland.It initially runs as two separate rivers, the North Esk and the South Esk....
, only a few hundred metres from the famous Rosslyn Chapel
Rosslyn Chapel
Rosslyn Chapel, properly named the Collegiate Chapel of St Matthew, was founded on a small hill above Roslin Glen as a Roman Catholic collegiate church in the mid-15th century...
.
There has been a castle on the site since the early 14th century, when the Sinclair
Clan Sinclair
Clan Sinclair is a Highland Scottish clan of Norman origin who held lands in the north of Scotland, the Orkney Islands, and the Lothians which they received from the Kings of Scots...
family, Earls of Caithness
Earl of Caithness
Earl of Caithness is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland, and has a very complex history. Its first grant, in the modern sense as to have been counted in strict lists of peerages, is now generally held to have taken place in favor of Maol Íosa V, Earl of...
and Barons of Roslin
Baron of Roslin
Baron of Roslin was a Scottish peerage held by the chief of the Clan Sinclair.*William Sinclair, 1st Baron of Roslin, *Henry Sinclair, 2nd Baron of Roslin, *Henry Sinclair, 3rd Baron of Roslin,...
, fortified the site, although the present ruins are of slightly later date. Following destruction during the War of the Rough Wooing
The Rough Wooing
The War of the Rough Wooing was fought between Scotland and England. War was declared by Henry VIII of England, in an attempt to force the Scots to agree to a marriage between his son Edward and Mary, Queen of Scots. Scotland benefited from French military aid. Edward VI continued the war until...
of 1544, the castle was rebuilt. This structure, built into the cliffs of Roslin Glen, has remained at least partially habitable ever since. The castle is accessed via a high bridge, which replaced an earlier drawbridge. Roslin was renovated in the 1980s and now serves as holiday accommodation.
History
The first castle at Roslin was built in the 1330s for Henry Sinclair, Earl of OrkneyHenry I Sinclair, Earl of Orkney
Henry I Sinclair, Earl of Orkney and feudal baron of Roslin was a Scottish nobleman. He is sometimes identified by another spelling of his surname, St. Clair. He was the grandfather of William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness, the builder of Rosslyn Chapel...
. The Sinclair
Clan Sinclair
Clan Sinclair is a Highland Scottish clan of Norman origin who held lands in the north of Scotland, the Orkney Islands, and the Lothians which they received from the Kings of Scots...
, or St Clair, family (also anciently spelt Sanctclare), were of Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
origin, and had held land in the Lothian
Lothian
Lothian forms a traditional region of Scotland, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills....
s since 1162. It was built on a rocky promontory near the site of the Battle of Roslin
Battle of Roslin
The Battle of Roslin was a battle of the First War of Scottish Independence, taking place on 24 February 1303 at Roslin, Scotland. It is the subject of an extremely highly-coloured account written by Walter Bower in the mid-15th century which bears no relationship to the contemporary evidence.It...
, where the Scots defeated the English in 1303. In the late 14th or early 15th century, Henry's son Henry, 2nd Earl of Orkney
Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney
Henry Sinclair, 2nd Earl of Orkney was a Scottish nobleman and Pantler of Scotland.-Life:He was son of Henry Sinclair, 1st Earl of Orkney by his wife Jean, daughter of John Halyburton of Dirleton. Sinclair was one of those captured following the Battle of Homildon Hill, but released on ransom...
built a new rectangular, round-cornered keep at the south-west corner. The courtyard was entered via a drawbridge over an artificial ditch, giving access to a pend in the small north range.
The castle was damaged by a domestic fire in 1452. It was a scriptorium
Scriptorium
Scriptorium, literally "a place for writing", is commonly used to refer to a room in medieval European monasteries devoted to the copying of manuscripts by monastic scribes...
during the Middle Ages, and five St Clair manuscripts, dating back to 1488, are in the National Library of Scotland
National Library of Scotland
The National Library of Scotland is the legal deposit library of Scotland and is one of the country's National Collections. It is based in a collection of buildings in Edinburgh city centre. The headquarters is on George IV Bridge, between the Old Town and the university quarter...
. These include the Rosslyn-Hay manuscript, believed to be the earliest extant work in Scots
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
prose. Legend has it that during the domestic fire the Earl was in consternation because of his valuable manuscripts but they were lowered to safety from a window by his chaplain. Roslin was more severely damaged by the Earl of Hertford
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Viscount Beauchamp of Hache, KG, Earl Marshal was Lord Protector of England in the period between the death of Henry VIII in 1547 and his own indictment in 1549....
, who burned the castle during the War of the Rough Wooing
The Rough Wooing
The War of the Rough Wooing was fought between Scotland and England. War was declared by Henry VIII of England, in an attempt to force the Scots to agree to a marriage between his son Edward and Mary, Queen of Scots. Scotland benefited from French military aid. Edward VI continued the war until...
in 1544. The keep was almost totally destroyed, although its one remaining ruined wall can still be seen.
The castle was rebuilt in the late 16th century. A new five-storey east range was built into the side of the rock, and the gatehouse was rebuilt, this time with a permanent stone bridge. The upper part of the east range was renovated in 1622, with renaissance details and carving to door and window surrounds. Roslin suffered again from the artillery of 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 commander in Scotland, General Monck
George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle
George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle, KG was an English soldier and politician and a key figure in the restoration of Charles II.-Early life and career:...
, in 1650. It was further damaged by a Reforming mob in 1688.
By the 18th century the structure was dilapidated, though part of the east range has always remained habitable. From 1982 to 1988 the east range was restored by architects Simpson and Brown. The current owner, the Earl of Rosslyn
Peter St Clair-Erskine, 7th Earl of Rosslyn
Peter St Clair-Erskine, 7th Earl of Rosslyn, QPM is a Commander in the London Metropolitan Police Service, in which he uses the professional name Peter Loughborough...
, a descendant of the Sinclairs, leases the castle as holiday accommodation via the Landmark Trust
Landmark Trust
The Landmark Trust is a British building conservation charity, founded in 1965 by Sir John and Lady Smith, that rescues buildings of historic interest or architectural merit and then gives them a new life by making them available for holiday rental...
. The castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
, and a Category A listed building.
Architecture
The castle stands precipitously above a loop of the River North EskRiver Esk, Lothian
The River Esk is a river which flows through Midlothian and East Lothian, Scotland.It initially runs as two separate rivers, the North Esk and the South Esk....
, which protects it on three sides. This rocky promontory was breached on the north side to form a ditch giving further protection. The castle is approached from Roslin across this ditch, via a precipitous bridge and through the ruined gatehouse.
Ruins
The remains of the gatehouse and north range comprise only fragments of walls and one side of the entrance arch, with the remains of a bartizanBartizan
A bartizan or guerite is an overhanging, wall-mounted turret projecting from the walls of medieval fortifications from the early 14th century up to the 16th century. They protect a warder and enable him to see around him...
above. Along the west side of the castle, the 15th-century curtain wall remains standing to a considerable height. This section of wall has six openings at the base, one of which served as a postern
Postern
A postern is a secondary door or gate, particularly in a fortification such as a city wall or castle curtain wall. Posterns were often located in a concealed location, allowing the occupants to come and go inconspicuously. In the event of a siege, a postern could act as a sally port, allowing...
gate. On the outer face, the six bays are divided by rounded buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es. Old sketches of Roslin show bartizans above each of these buttresses, with a wall-walk connecting them.
To the south of this wall is the remaining wall of the keep. The mound beneath is formed from the collapsed remnants of the other three walls. The ruin suggests that the keep was around 16m by 12m, with walls 2.9m thick rising to a machicolated
Machicolation
A machicolation is a floor opening between the supporting corbels of a battlement, through which stones, or other objects, could be dropped on attackers at the base of a defensive wall. The design was developed in the Middle Ages when the Norman crusaders returned. A machicolated battlement...
parapet.
East range
The restored east range measures around 31m by 10m, with a pitched roof and crow-step gables. It is entered through a richly carved doorway, dated 1622 and initialled SWS for Sir William Sinclair, which gives access to the third floor. The three lower floors are cut into the rock, and each has four vaulted rooms, with a fifth in the south-east tower. These lower levels were used for service rooms, with the principal rooms in the two upper floors. At the lowest level was a kitchen, with a bakehouse above. On the exterior, gunloops are found on the south wall, with several shot-holes on the east.All five floors are connected by a central scale-and-platt staircase, added in the early 17th century to replace a turnpike stair in the south-west. The rooms of the upper floors have impressive panelling and decorated ceilings. The main hall, in the south part of the block, has been divided, but retains a large fireplace with the carved initials WS and JE, for William Sinclair and his wife Jean Edmonstone, and the date 1597.
Cultural references
Roslin Castle is one of the places featuring in Sir Walter ScottWalter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
's poem Rosabelle. A ballad named Roslin Castle was written in the 18th century by Richard Hewitt of Cumberland.
See also
- Clan SinclairClan SinclairClan Sinclair is a Highland Scottish clan of Norman origin who held lands in the north of Scotland, the Orkney Islands, and the Lothians which they received from the Kings of Scots...
- Earl of CaithnessEarl of CaithnessEarl of Caithness is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland, and has a very complex history. Its first grant, in the modern sense as to have been counted in strict lists of peerages, is now generally held to have taken place in favor of Maol Íosa V, Earl of...
- Knights TemplarKnights TemplarThe Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
- Rosslyn ChapelRosslyn ChapelRosslyn Chapel, properly named the Collegiate Chapel of St Matthew, was founded on a small hill above Roslin Glen as a Roman Catholic collegiate church in the mid-15th century...
- Sinclair & Girnigoe CastleSinclair & Girnigoe CastleCastle Sinclair Girnigoe is a castle located about 3 miles north of Wick on the east coast of Caithness, Scotland, United Kingdom. It is considered to be one of the earliest seats of Clan Sinclair.-History:...