Aberdour Castle

It was another one of those days today. Got up this morning to watch the Rugby (poor old Wales) and once it was done looked out the window. Sunny! By the time I got into the car though, it had turned decidedly manky! Still, it didn't rain so that's something.

Today's trip took me to the Kingdom of Fife and I was armed with a new weapon in my arsenal of useless bits and bobs! I've always wondered how far I walk during one of my wanders and now, thanks to modern technology and "Big Brother" satellite surveillance, I can tell you (whether you want to know or not)! Aberdour isn't exactly big, but I still managed to clock up an impressive 1.9 miles!

The barony of Aberdour was acquired in 1126 by Alan de Mortimer. The family built St. Fillian's Church on the site in 1140 and it is thought they also built the original two-storey hall house just before the turn of the century. One of the earliest references to the lords of Aberdour tells of a dispute between the Abbot of the nearby Inchcolm Abbey and William de Mortimer as a result of the latter's appointment of a priest without the abbot's permission. On arrival at the church to protest, the abbot and his accompanying canons were summarily dragged away and beaten. Mortimer later admitted the errors of his ways and as ant of contrition he gave the church to the abbey.

The fate of the Mortimer's is not known. Whether they supported the wrong side in the Wars of Independence or simply died out, in 1325, King Robert I granted the lands to his nephew, Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray. Following distinguished acts in battle, in 1342, Moray's younger son granted Easter Aberdour and along with it the castle, to Sir William Douglas, with whose family it has remained since.

Sir William was captured at the Battle of Neville's Cross in 1346. Following six years of captivity he struck a treasonous deal with the English King, Edward III, promising to help him invade Scotland. In 1353 he was killed by his kinsman, also William. Ownership of the castle passed to his nephew James and from there down through his descendents as part of the regality of Dalkeith, of which Aberdour was now part.

The earldom of Morton was added to the families titles in the mid-15th century. The most notorious, James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton (of the Red Douglas branch of the family) became Lord Chancellor of Scotland in 1563 under Mary Queen of Scots. Morton was a skilled and ruthless politician who, it is said, was the real power behind the throne. In 1566 he fled to England when his participation in the murder of David Riccio (Mary's favourite) was uncovered, but returned by Christmas of the same year, back in favour with the Queen. It was Morton who would receive her surrender at Carberry in February 1567, oversaw her abdication in favour of her infant son, James and defeat the bulk of her supporters in July of the same year. In 1572 he succeeded the Earl of Moray as regent and under his governorship over the following six years he brought peace to the feuding Scottish nobles. During this time he undertook major architectural projects at Drochil, Tantallon and Dalkeith. Morton was forced to resign in 1578 by his powerful rivals and in December 1580 he was accused of treason for his part in the murder of Lord Darnley, 2nd husband of Mary and the father of James VI. He was imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle before his execution on 2nd June 1581. Ironically, Morton was beheaded using the very same guillotine-like instrument, the heiding aix, that he introduced to Scotland.

While Morton languished in prison, his lands passed to his nephew, James Lord Maxwell, 5th Earl of Morton. In 1586 these were transferred to Archibald Douglas, 8th Earl of Angus until his death in 1588 when it , along with the title, passed to Sir William Douglas of Lochleven, a distant cousin and former jailer of Mary Queen of Scots. When William died in 1606, his son and heir had already died and his widow lived in Aberdour until he was eventually succeeded by his grandson, also William, who became the 8th Earl of Morton.

Being one of the richest and most powerful men in Scotland (he was a gentleman of King James VI bedchamber and would ultimately bear the royal standard at James's funeral in 1625) William made several additions to the castle to reflect his status. This included the east range, with a fine gallery and the walled garden east of the castle. Under him, Aberdour became a more sumptuous residence than at any other time in its history, with tapestries hung from the walls and bed linen of red silk with black and yellow lace were among the extravagant furnishings. Aberdour became his main residence in 1642 after he sold the family seat in Dalkeith to further fund support of Charles I. He died at Kirkwall in 1648.

By this time the castle was in decline. A serious fire in the 1680's caused substantial damage and ambitious plans to expand the residence were abandoned. Only the east range was repaired to a habitable level. In 1715 another fire broke out while Hanovarian troops were garrisoned in the castle, which rendered it uninhabitable. The Douglas family moved out in the 1720's and for a while the east range was used as a barracks, school room, a Masonic lodge and finally a private dwelling. In 1924 it was taken into state care.