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 one
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.
Editor: We also recommend a visit to the Queen Street
museum, where you can see the guillotine used for the execution of the
earl of Morton - who was also responsible for introducing it! Grizzly, but
interesting!
Day two
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 three
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 four
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 five
Travel down the M74 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 six
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 seven
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.
Tips
* Purchase a Historic Scotland Explorer Pass and save on
admission to Historic
Scotland's properties
+ Great value Discovery
Tickets give you free admission to National Trust for Scotland
attractions for 3, 7 or 14 days.
See also:
•
Map of Douglas locations (work in progress)
• Itinerary arranged by Select
Travel service
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