Clan Douglas is the oldest
and most famous of the Scottish Border Clans. Much of their homeland was
in the area to the south of Edinburgh and as such witnessed many battles
and skirmishes as the English and Scottish fought for the border lands.
This itinerary takes you into the story of the Red and Black Douglases
and offers you a chance to see the rolling hills, forests and countryside
of the Borders, the rugged cliff tops and beautiful beaches of
Berwickshire and the distant Scottish mountains.
Day 1
Arrive in
Edinburgh, Scotland's magnificent historic capital. You'll be spoilt
for things to do and places to visit. A good starting point is the
National Museum of Scotland in Chambers Street. Here, you'll find the
history of Scotland from early geological times through to the present
day. At the nearby
Scottish Genealogical Society library in Victoria Terrace you'll find
plenty of fellow travellers and enthusiastic researchers, as well as a
wealth of genealogical information and guidance. No appointment is
necessary but there is a small charge for non-members.
Day 2
James, Earl of Morton, brother of the seventh Earl
of Angus, one of the Red Douglases was a bitter enemy of
Mary, Queen of Scots. He was one of the murderers of her
secretary, David Rizzio, and was implicated in the assassination
of her husband Lord Darnley. You can visit the
Palace of Holyroodhouse at the end of the Royal Mile to see
the place where Lord Darnley married Queen Mary. The new
Scottish Parliament lies nearby. At the other end of the Royal
Mile is
Edinburgh Castle, from the battlements of which you can enjoy
commanding views out over both the New and Old towns of Edinburgh.
In 1400 the third Earl of Douglas, Archibald "the Grim",
successfully defended the castle against Henry IV of England. But
the power of the Douglas Clan was perceived to be a threat to the
Scottish throne and in 1440 the young
sixth Earl and his brother
were invited to Edinburgh Castle where they were beheaded. Spend a
second night in this fine historic city.
Day 3
Leave Edinburgh and travel east on the A1 to
Haddington. The town has seen a thousand years of history as
the gateway to
Edinburgh and has been in the path of many marauding armies.
The High Street and Market Street are a warren of wynds and lanes
and contrast greatly with the grand buildings of Court Street. St
Mary's is Scotland's largest parish church and is well worth
exploring. Just south of Haddington is Lennoxlove House, which
welcomes visitors (please check opening times in advance). The
house was built in the fourteenth century but it wasn't until 1946
that it became the home of the Douglas-Hamiltons, the heirs of the
house of Douglas. The fifteenth Duke, Angus Douglas-Hamilton lives
there now. The house is the splendid setting for the famous
Hamilton Palace collection of furniture and paintings and
mementoes of
Mary, Queen of Scots. To the north of Haddington on a cliff
edge is the dramatic and impressive
Tantallon Castle. William, the first Earl of Douglas built
this edifice in 1358, In the late 1300s the House of Douglas split
into the Red Douglases of Angus, Fife and Lothian and the Black
Douglases in the southwest. The Red Douglases used Tantallon
Castle as a base to persue their vendetta against the Black
Douglases. Centuries later, in 1651 Oliver Cromwell was
responsible for much of the damage to the castle wall and towers,
but it still is a very impressive place to visit. Continue down
the coast to the walled town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, now in
England. As an important military town on the border between
Scotland and England, Berwick has changed hands many times over
its long history. William Douglas "The Hardy" was governor of
Berwick when the town was besieged by the English; he later joined
Sir William Wallace in the struggle for Scottish independence.
Berwick is a very picturesque town and at the Berwick Barracks you
can see how life here has had a military influence, including the
history of the King's Own Scottish Borderers.
Day 4
Travel west following the River Tweed to Melrose. The town is
overlooked by the beautiful and imposing
Melrose Abbey. "The Good Sir James" founder of the Black
Douglases was killed in battle in Spain, where he was carrying a
casket containing King
Robert the Bruce's heart, to be buried in the Holy Land. Both
the body of James and Robert the Bruce's heart were recovered and
it is here in Melrose Abbey that the heart is interred. Travel
onwards to
Lanark on your way west to the heart of the Douglas homelands.
Lanark was the place where William Wallace began his fight for
Scottish independence in 1297, this story was dramatised in the
film "Braveheart". The Good Sir James was the greatest captain
under Robert the Bruce and is held as the third of Scotland's
finest patriots after Bruce and Wallace . Lanark Castle was a
timber construction and so of course no longer exists but Lanark
itself grew as an important livestock market. Cattle bred in
Scotland would have been taken by drovers to the English markets
via Lanark.
New
Lanark was built in a narrow gorge on the River Clyde to
harness the hydro power to run cotton mills in 1785. With the
demise of many British manufacturing industries in the 1960's New
Lanark suffered greatly but is now a World Heritage Village and
attracts visitors interested in the industrial and social history
of the last two hundred years. A few miles to the south of Lanark
is an area encompassing Douglas Water, Douglas Castle, Douglas
West and the town of Douglas, which grew to serve Black Douglas in
his castle on Douglas Water. From here he controlled the southwest
approaches to the Clyde Valley. The castle was established by 1300
but was occupied by the English during the Wars of Independence.
In 1307 Sir James Douglas burned the castle while the English
garrison were there. Following this the castle was rebuilt but was
sacked by King James II in 1455 to suppress the Black Douglases.
The Red Douglas Earls of Angus lived here in princely style in the
1630s. Unfortunately mining subsidence in the 1940s undermined the
castle and all that remains is a ruined stump, (signposted as
"Castle Dangerous" from a Sir Walter Scott novel). Also in Douglas
is St Brides Church, parts of which date back to the 1300's. This
is the final resting place for the Black Douglases in a mausoleum
and three canopied monuments including one to Good Sir James can
be seen. The
Douglas Heritage Museum in the castle dower house and exhibits
include six stained glass windows showing the coats of arms of the
Douglas Earls, (opening times are restricted).
Day 5
Travel down the A74M to Lockerbie and turn off to the west to
find
Castle Douglas . The town was planned and built by Sir William
Douglas in 1789 as a cotton town and it prospered as an important
regional centre for the large area of rural Galloway. Today it is
marketed as a "Food Town" offering the best of Scottish food. To
the west of the town is
Threave Castle, built on an island in the River Dee and
accessible by way of a footpath then a ferry. It was built by
Archibald the third Earl of Douglas who succeeded to the Lordship
of Galloway, to secure his hold on Galloway and to resist the
marauding English. Now we need to travel north to
Stirling, bypassing
Glasgow to find out about the stories of
Robert the Bruce, William Wallace and the important part
played by the Douglases in the Wars of Independence.
Day 6
Travel a mile or so southwest of the historic city of
Stirling to visit the very poignant site of the
Battle of Bannockburn (1314) Sir James Douglas commanded the
left wing of the Scottish army at the battle. Time should also be
made for a visit to the impressive
Stirling Castle, a favoured royal retreat for the
Stuart dynasty and the childhood home of
Mary, Queen of Scots. It was also the setting for another
young Douglas murder. Following the murders at
Edinburgh Castle in 1440, King James II who being only ten
years old himself at the time, was horrified at the murder of the
two boys. In 1452 however, it was he who invited their cousin the
eighth Earl to
Stirling Castle with the promise of safe conduct. And it was
he who struck the first blow at his murder. (The ninth Earl spent
much of his life in England but died in 1491, the last of his
line.)
Day 7
Return to
Edinburgh to embark on your journey home. Take with you some
souvenirs of Scotland and lots of memories of a place steeped in
the myths, legends and heritage of your ancestors.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To search over 8,000 quality assured accommodation, from bed and
breakfast to castles log on to
www.visitscotland.com.
The information contained in
this itinerary is as supplied to VisitScotland and to the best of
VisitScotland's knowledge was correct at the time of publication.
VisitScotland can accept no responsibility for any errors or
omissions.
VisitScotland is committed to ensuring that our
natural environment and built heritage, upon which tourism is so
dependent, is safeguarded for future generations to enjoy.
Day 2
James, Earl of Morton, brother of the seventh Earl
of Angus, one of the Red Douglases was a bitter enemy of
Mary, Queen of Scots. He was one of the murderers of her
secretary, David Rizzio, and was implicated in the assassination
of her husband Lord Darnley. You can visit the
Palace of Holyroodhouse at the end of the Royal Mile to see
the place where Lord Darnley married Queen Mary. The new
Scottish Parliament lies nearby. At the other end of the Royal
Mile is
Edinburgh Castle, from the battlements of which you can enjoy
commanding views out over both the New and Old towns of Edinburgh.
In 1400 the third Earl of Douglas, Archibald "the Grim",
successfully defended the castle against Henry IV of England. But
the power of the Douglas Clan was perceived to be a threat to the
Scottish throne and in 1440 the young sixth Earl and his brother
were invited to Edinburgh Castle where they were beheaded. Spend a
second night in this fine historic city.
Day 3
Leave Edinburgh and travel east on the A1 to
Haddington. The town has seen a thousand years of history as
the gateway to
Edinburgh and has been in the path of many marauding armies.
The High Street and Market Street are a warren of wynds and lanes
and contrast greatly with the grand buildings of Court Street. St
Mary's is Scotland's largest parish church and is well worth
exploring. Just south of Haddington is Lennoxlove House, which
welcomes visitors (please check opening times in advance). The
house was built in the fourteenth century but it wasn't until 1946
that it became the home of the Douglas-Hamiltons, the heirs of the
house of Douglas. The fifteenth Duke, Angus Douglas-Hamilton lives
there now. The house is the splendid setting for the famous
Hamilton Palace collection of furniture and paintings and
mementoes of
Mary, Queen of Scots. To the north of Haddington on a cliff
edge is the dramatic and impressive
Tantallon Castle. William, the first Earl of Douglas built
this edifice in 1358, In the late 1300s the House of Douglas split
into the Red Douglases of Angus, Fife and Lothian and the Black
Douglases in the southwest. The Red Douglases used Tantallon
Castle as a base to persue their vendetta against the Black
Douglases. Centuries later, in 1651 Oliver Cromwell was
responsible for much of the damage to the castle wall and towers,
but it still is a very impressive place to visit. Continue down
the coast to the walled town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, now in
England. As an important military town on the border between
Scotland and England, Berwick has changed hands many times over
its long history. William Douglas "The Hardy" was governor of
Berwick when the town was besieged by the English; he later joined
Sir William Wallace in the struggle for Scottish independence.
Berwick is a very picturesque town and at the Berwick Barracks you
can see how life here has had a military influence, including the
history of the King's Own Scottish Borderers.
Day 4
Travel west following the River Tweed to Melrose. The town is
overlooked by the beautiful and imposing
Melrose Abbey. "The Good Sir James" founder of the Black
Douglases was killed in battle in Spain, where he was carrying a
casket containing King
Robert the Bruce's heart, to be buried in the Holy Land. Both
the body of James and Robert the Bruce's heart were recovered and
it is here in Melrose Abbey that the heart is interred. Travel
onwards to
Lanark on your way west to the heart of the Douglas homelands.
Lanark was the place where William Wallace began his fight for
Scottish independence in 1297, this story was dramatised in the
film "Braveheart". The Good Sir James was the greatest captain
under Robert the Bruce and is held as the third of Scotland's
finest patriots after Bruce and Wallace . Lanark Castle was a
timber construction and so of course no longer exists but Lanark
itself grew as an important livestock market. Cattle bred in
Scotland would have been taken by drovers to the English markets
via Lanark.
New
Lanark was built in a narrow gorge on the River Clyde to
harness the hydro power to run cotton mills in 1785. With the
demise of many British manufacturing industries in the 1960's New
Lanark suffered greatly but is now a World Heritage Village and
attracts visitors interested in the industrial and social history
of the last two hundred years. A few miles to the south of Lanark
is an area encompassing Douglas Water, Douglas Castle, Douglas
West and the town of Douglas, which grew to serve Black Douglas in
his castle on Douglas Water. From here he controlled the southwest
approaches to the Clyde Valley. The castle was established by 1300
but was occupied by the English during the Wars of Independence.
In 1307 Sir James Douglas burned the castle while the English
garrison were there. Following this the castle was rebuilt but was
sacked by King James II in 1455 to suppress the Black Douglases.
The Red Douglas Earls of Angus lived here in princely style in the
1630s. Unfortunately mining subsidence in the 1940s undermined the
castle and all that remains is a ruined stump, (signposted as
"Castle Dangerous" from a Sir Walter Scott novel). Also in Douglas
is St Brides Church, parts of which date back to the 1300's. This
is the final resting place for the Black Douglases in a mausoleum
and three canopied monuments including one to Good Sir James can
be seen. The
Douglas Heritage Museum in the castle dower house and exhibits
include six stained glass windows showing the coats of arms of the
Douglas Earls, (opening times are restricted).
Day 5
Travel down the A74M to Lockerbie and turn off to the west to
find
Castle Douglas . The town was planned and built by Sir William
Douglas in 1789 as a cotton town and it prospered as an important
regional centre for the large area of rural Galloway. Today it is
marketed as a "Food Town" offering the best of Scottish food. To
the west of the town is
Threave Castle, built on an island in the River Dee and
accessible by way of a footpath then a ferry. It was built by
Archibald the third Earl of Douglas who succeeded to the Lordship
of Galloway, to secure his hold on Galloway and to resist the
marauding English. Now we need to travel north to
Stirling, bypassing
Glasgow to find out about the stories of
Robert the Bruce, William Wallace and the important part
played by the Douglases in the Wars of Independence.
Day 6
Travel a mile or so southwest of the historic city of
Stirling to visit the very poignant site of the
Battle of Bannockburn (1314) Sir James Douglas commanded the
left wing of the Scottish army at the battle. Time should also be
made for a visit to the impressive
Stirling Castle, a favoured royal retreat for the
Stuart dynasty and the childhood home of
Mary, Queen of Scots. It was also the setting for another
young Douglas murder. Following the murders at
Edinburgh Castle in 1440, King James II who being only ten
years old himself at the time, was horrified at the murder of the
two boys. In 1452 however, it was he who invited their cousin the
eighth Earl to
Stirling Castle with the promise of safe conduct. And it was
he who struck the first blow at his murder. (The ninth Earl spent
much of his life in England but died in 1491, the last of his
line.)
Day 7
Return to
Edinburgh to embark on your journey home. Take with you some
souvenirs of Scotland and lots of memories of a place steeped in
the myths, legends and heritage of your ancestors.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To search over 8,000 quality assured accommodation, from bed and
breakfast to castles log on to
www.visitscotland.com.
The information contained in
this itinerary is as supplied to VisitScotland and to the best of
VisitScotland's knowledge was correct at the time of publication.
VisitScotland can accept no responsibility for any errors or
omissions.
VisitScotland is committed to ensuring that our
natural environment and built heritage, upon which tourism is so
dependent, is safeguarded for future generations to enjoy.
Day 2
James, Earl of Morton, brother of the seventh Earl
of Angus, one of the Red Douglases was a bitter enemy of
Mary, Queen of Scots. He was one of the murderers of her
secretary, David Rizzio, and was implicated in the assassination
of her husband Lord Darnley. You can visit the
Palace of Holyroodhouse at the end of the Royal Mile to see
the place where Lord Darnley married Queen Mary. The new
Scottish Parliament lies nearby. At the other end of the Royal
Mile is
Edinburgh Castle, from the battlements of which you can enjoy
commanding views out over both the New and Old towns of Edinburgh.
In 1400 the third Earl of Douglas, Archibald "the Grim",
successfully defended the castle against Henry IV of England. But
the power of the Douglas Clan was perceived to be a threat to the
Scottish throne and in 1440 the young sixth Earl and his brother
were invited to Edinburgh Castle where they were beheaded. Spend a
second night in this fine historic city.
Day 3
Leave Edinburgh and travel east on the A1 to
Haddington. The town has seen a thousand years of history as
the gateway to
Edinburgh and has been in the path of many marauding armies.
The High Street and Market Street are a warren of wynds and lanes
and contrast greatly with the grand buildings of Court Street. St
Mary's is Scotland's largest parish church and is well worth
exploring. Just south of Haddington is Lennoxlove House, which
welcomes visitors (please check opening times in advance). The
house was built in the fourteenth century but it wasn't until 1946
that it became the home of the Douglas-Hamiltons, the heirs of the
house of Douglas. The fifteenth Duke, Angus Douglas-Hamilton lives
there now. The house is the splendid setting for the famous
Hamilton Palace collection of furniture and paintings and
mementoes of
Mary, Queen of Scots. To the north of Haddington on a cliff
edge is the dramatic and impressive
Tantallon Castle. William, the first Earl of Douglas built
this edifice in 1358, In the late 1300s the House of Douglas split
into the Red Douglases of Angus, Fife and Lothian and the Black
Douglases in the southwest. The Red Douglases used Tantallon
Castle as a base to persue their vendetta against the Black
Douglases. Centuries later, in 1651 Oliver Cromwell was
responsible for much of the damage to the castle wall and towers,
but it still is a very impressive place to visit. Continue down
the coast to the walled town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, now in
England. As an important military town on the border between
Scotland and England, Berwick has changed hands many times over
its long history. William Douglas "The Hardy" was governor of
Berwick when the town was besieged by the English; he later joined
Sir William Wallace in the struggle for Scottish independence.
Berwick is a very picturesque town and at the Berwick Barracks you
can see how life here has had a military influence, including the
history of the King's Own Scottish Borderers.
Day 4
Travel west following the River Tweed to Melrose. The town is
overlooked by the beautiful and imposing
Melrose Abbey. "The Good Sir James" founder of the Black
Douglases was killed in battle in Spain, where he was carrying a
casket containing King
Robert the Bruce's heart, to be buried in the Holy Land. Both
the body of James and Robert the Bruce's heart were recovered and
it is here in Melrose Abbey that the heart is interred. Travel
onwards to
Lanark on your way west to the heart of the Douglas homelands.
Lanark was the place where William Wallace began his fight for
Scottish independence in 1297, this story was dramatised in the
film "Braveheart". The Good Sir James was the greatest captain
under Robert the Bruce and is held as the third of Scotland's
finest patriots after Bruce and Wallace . Lanark Castle was a
timber construction and so of course no longer exists but Lanark
itself grew as an important livestock market. Cattle bred in
Scotland would have been taken by drovers to the English markets
via Lanark.
New
Lanark was built in a narrow gorge on the River Clyde to
harness the hydro power to run cotton mills in 1785. With the
demise of many British manufacturing industries in the 1960's New
Lanark suffered greatly but is now a World Heritage Village and
attracts visitors interested in the industrial and social history
of the last two hundred years. A few miles to the south of Lanark
is an area encompassing Douglas Water, Douglas Castle, Douglas
West and the town of Douglas, which grew to serve Black Douglas in
his castle on Douglas Water. From here he controlled the southwest
approaches to the Clyde Valley. The castle was established by 1300
but was occupied by the English during the Wars of Independence.
In 1307 Sir James Douglas burned the castle while the English
garrison were there. Following this the castle was rebuilt but was
sacked by King James II in 1455 to suppress the Black Douglases.
The Red Douglas Earls of Angus lived here in princely style in the
1630s. Unfortunately mining subsidence in the 1940s undermined the
castle and all that remains is a ruined stump, (signposted as
"Castle Dangerous" from a Sir Walter Scott novel). Also in Douglas
is St Brides Church, parts of which date back to the 1300's. This
is the final resting place for the Black Douglases in a mausoleum
and three canopied monuments including one to Good Sir James can
be seen. The
Douglas Heritage Museum in the castle dower house and exhibits
include six stained glass windows showing the coats of arms of the
Douglas Earls, (opening times are restricted).
Day 5
Travel down the A74M to Lockerbie and turn off to the west to
find
Castle Douglas . The town was planned and built by Sir William
Douglas in 1789 as a cotton town and it prospered as an important
regional centre for the large area of rural Galloway. Today it is
marketed as a "Food Town" offering the best of Scottish food. To
the west of the town is
Threave Castle, built on an island in the River Dee and
accessible by way of a footpath then a ferry. It was built by
Archibald the third Earl of Douglas who succeeded to the Lordship
of Galloway, to secure his hold on Galloway and to resist the
marauding English. Now we need to travel north to
Stirling, bypassing
Glasgow to find out about the stories of
Robert the Bruce, William Wallace and the important part
played by the Douglases in the Wars of Independence.
Day 6
Travel a mile or so southwest of the historic city of
Stirling to visit the very poignant site of the
Battle of Bannockburn (1314) Sir James Douglas commanded the
left wing of the Scottish army at the battle. Time should also be
made for a visit to the impressive
Stirling Castle, a favoured royal retreat for the
Stuart dynasty and the childhood home of
Mary, Queen of Scots. It was also the setting for another
young Douglas murder. Following the murders at
Edinburgh Castle in 1440, King James II who being only ten
years old himself at the time, was horrified at the murder of the
two boys. In 1452 however, it was he who invited their cousin the
eighth Earl to
Stirling Castle with the promise of safe conduct. And it was
he who struck the first blow at his murder. (The ninth Earl spent
much of his life in England but died in 1491, the last of his
line.)
Day 7
Return to
Edinburgh to embark on your journey home. Take with you some
souvenirs of Scotland and lots of memories of a place steeped in
the myths, legends and heritage of your ancestors.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To search over 8,000 quality assured accommodation, from bed and
breakfast to castles log on to
www.visitscotland.com.
The information contained in
this itinerary is as supplied to VisitScotland and to the best of
VisitScotland's knowledge was correct at the time of publication.
VisitScotland can accept no responsibility for any errors or
omissions.
VisitScotland is committed to ensuring that our
natural environment and built heritage, upon which tourism is so
dependent, is safeguarded for future generations to enjoy.
Day 3
Leave Edinburgh and travel east on the A1 to
Haddington. The town has seen a thousand years of history as the
gateway to
Edinburgh and has been in the path of many marauding armies. The High
Street and Market Street are a warren of wynds and lanes and contrast
greatly with the grand buildings of Court Street. St Mary's is Scotland's
largest parish church and is well worth exploring. Just south of
Haddington is Lennoxlove House, which welcomes visitors (please check
opening times in advance). The house was built in the fourteenth century
but it wasn't until 1946 that it became the home of the Douglas-Hamiltons,
the heirs of the house of Douglas. The
fifteenth Duke, Angus
Douglas-Hamilton lives there now. The house is the splendid setting for
the famous Hamilton Palace collection of furniture and paintings and
mementoes of
Mary, Queen of Scots. To the north of Haddington on a cliff edge is
the dramatic and impressive
Tantallon Castle.
William, the first Earl of Douglas built this
edifice in 1358, In the late 1300s the House of Douglas split into the Red Douglases of Angus, Fife and Lothian and the Black Douglases in the
southwest. The Red Douglases used Tantallon Castle as a base to persue
their vendetta against the Black Douglases. Centuries later, in 1651
Oliver Cromwell was responsible for much of the damage to the castle wall
and towers, but it still is a very impressive place to visit. Continue
down the coast to the walled town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, now in England.
As an important military town on the border between Scotland and England,
Berwick has changed hands many times over its long history.
William
Douglas "The Hardy" was governor of Berwick when the town was besieged by
the English; he later joined Sir William Wallace in the struggle for
Scottish independence. Berwick is a very picturesque town and at the
Berwick Barracks you can see how life here has had a military influence,
including the history of the King's Own Scottish Borderers.
Days 4 - 7
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