Royal Hunting Lodge - Part 2

A royal hunting lodge has existed on this site since the 1100s. The house and estate has been owned by the same family for over
500 years and it is said to be the oldest continuously occupied house in Scotland.
Today it is the home of the present laird and her family.

Rooms open to the public are on three floors on the left side of the house. The wing to the left houses the chapel and to the right
is the dining room which is available for parties and weddings.

The chapel

Drawing room

Library

A bed chamber

 The room where Mary Queen of Scots and her infant son are thought to have slept on a visit in 1566.
Her host was the then laird Sir John Stewart.

The cradle in which the infant Prince James slept.

In the museum room  -   purses and a shoe which belonged to Mary.

Embroidered priest's vestment.

The maze, seen through old glass.

Looking out from this window, the centuries roll back  -   there's a stillness and warmth in this house.
All rooms at the back have wonderful views of the maze and forest beyond.

Smoke emerges from the brew house in cellars beneath the chapel.
Ale has been brewed here since the 1700s. Produced in limited quantities it is exported as far afield
as America and Japan.

Coachman's coat from the 1800s.

Shared with     Mosaic Monday        Our World Tuesday

Royal Hunting Lodge - Part 1

The cushion was made by a local embroidery group



We are visiting the ancient royal hunting lodge at Traquair, set in the beautiful countryside
thirty miles south of Edinburgh.

The Leithen Water flows gently by, as it has done for centuries, on it's way to
join the River Tweed.

The Bear Gates

These old entrance gates were closed in 1745 at the time of the Jacobite uprising. Bonnie Prince Charlie visited here during this time
and on his departure the laird ordered the gates to be closed until a Stuart was again on the British throne    -    they remain closed. 

The old driveway ceased to be used, and a new one built on the right behind the trees.

It's hunting days over, a horse stands among fruit trees in the walled garden.

To be continued ............

Shared with   Mosaic Monday     I Heart Macro     Our World Tuesday

Misty Sea

We have had quite a lot of mist in the Firth of Forth recently.

Sometimes blue and calm .................

and sometimes grey, wild  and noisy ...............

I find this grey weather exhilarating, a feeling of being at one with the elements.

It's easy to visualize ships from times past sailing by................

Spanish galleons in Scottish waters by Andrew Spratt.

Treasure!

Maddy investigates  -  I love the position of the black dog, top right!

Thank you for visiting

Shared with      Skywatch Friday     Saturday's Critters     Our World Tuesday