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Photos taken in May 2011. Neidpath Castle perches on a steep hillside,overlooking the River Tweed and wooded countryside beyond. Built 14th century on the site of an earlier fortification,it has remained in the possession of the same family since the late 1600s when it was purchased by the Duke of Queensberry and given to his son William Douglas,1st earl of March.Today it's managed by the Weymss and March estates and rented out for functions,weddings,dinners, parties,musical evenings,fairs and as a location for films such as Braveheart and Merlin. The area is steeped in mystery and folklore.One of Merlin's possible places of death and burial lies a few miles up river at Drumelzier. |
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Gateway |
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Castle entrance |
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Medieval dancers : image source Wikipedia. Today,the tradition of feasting and dancing continues within the castle walls. |
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The castle is seldom open to the public and the austere exterior of the building gives little clue to it's interesting interior HERE. The resident ghost is said to be Jean Douglas the "Maid of Neidpath" who died of a broken heart,late 17th century, and is now doomed to wander the castle for eternity (or until some kind person moves her spirit on!) |
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"The Troubadours" by our friend ,Scots/Canadian artist Meg Watson (1950-2002) Photo by Morelle Smith Troubadours were medieval musicians and performers. The tradition probably began in Southern Europe around the 11th century. |
15 comments:
So interesting! Thanks for the little slice of history!
good to see the summery photos again and the medieval musicians are great. Meg's painting complements it very well. xx
Ruby,
This is the place where Braveheart and Merlin were shot on location!! I watched Braveheat. King Arthur story is my favorite! I do not know how many movies or stories I have enjoyed, associated with him. These photo took me to the ancient times. Thanks a lot for the great stories.
A pit prison is the last place where I want to be.
Best regards,
keiko
What a fascinating castle in such a beautiful setting.
Your friend's painting is stunning.
Yes Dritanje,Meg's painting suits very well.......pity she passed on before she could make use of the internet!!!
Hi,Ruby.
What a beautiful castle overlooking such a beautiful site! The green woods and the river is so lovely, and the Gateway is so gorgeous! I like the way you focus on them.
I hope you are well and that you are finding some joy in this spring!
Have a nice week!
Tomoko
I watched Braveheart. I thought Neidpath Castle has atmosphere of Braveheart or Merlin.
We just are reading "The Natural".
Our teacher says the plot of this story takes from Arthurian legend....It's so difficult for me.Thank you for the atmosphere in those days.
Surrounded by the lush green, the castle has the charms of decaying process of the time, and I prefer that to the renovated ones. Old things are historic reminders of days gone by. I was curious about what is like on the other side of the gateway, so thanks for the link to the interior of the castle. I’ll see Braveheart soon.
Yoko
Yoko
Bonito trabajo, la puerta de entrada al castillo, es fantástica.
Un saludo.
I'd love to see what is inside those walls. I think Scots "do" romantic castles so well.
Hi Ruby,
"Resident ghost...doomed to wander the castle for eternity" sounds familiar, with an old building like this castle with such a long history, situated in such deep forest and water.
I'm interested in how those numerous people, living or dead, have been involved in making history. I wish the soul of Jean Douglas was already set free years ago.
A painting of "troubadours" gives me a strong impression.
Thank you for sharing another interesting castle story.
Adorei conhecer este castelo,as fotos estão muito,muito boas,e adorei também conhecer teu blog,que achei excelente .Parabéns e um grande abraço.
Beautiful! Lovely blog ~ I'm now following ~ ♥♥
Best,
Anne
Hi Ruby,
The castle is fascinating and I love that we have so much medieval history in Britain!
I would like to go back in time and see life back in the 17th century.
Old buildings always have to have a few ghosts. I think that's what makes them magical.
The painting is a strong image. Really love the colours!
Thank you for your kind comment at my place. I know what you mean about wrens, they are sweet tiny birds and hard to spot in hedges.
The white wolf sounds beautiful as a protector.
Spring blessings!
Jo. xx
Incredible photos of such a historic and lush country. Your blog is beautiful. Thanks for stopping by my blog because it introduced me to yours.
Meg
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