Duns Castle
| Duns Castle | |
|
Berwickshire | |
|---|---|
 Duns Castle | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NT775545 |
| Location: | 55°46’56"N, 2°21’21"W |
| History | |
| Information | |
| Owned by: | Alexander Hay of Duns |
| Website: | http://www.dunscastle.co.uk |
Duns Castle is a historic house by Duns in Berwickshire. The castle was built around a 14th century pele tower which King Robert I ("The Bruce") granted to the Earl of Moray. This tower, believed to have been built in 1320, remains the oldest part of the castle. It is built solidly in the Norman style and became the keep of the castle.
In 1696, the Earl of Tweeddale bought the castle for his son, William Hay of Drumelzier, and the Hay family have lived there in unbroken succession ever since. The Hays have considerably enlarged and embellished the building into its final Gothic Revival form, designed and completed by the celebrated architect James Gillespie Graham between 1818 and 1822.
Today the castle is owned by the Alexander Hay of Duns and Drumelzier, a retired accountant and the local laird, and it is his family home.
About the castle
There is a publicly accessible park and two man made lakes, the Hen Poo and the smaller Mill Dam.[1]
The usual ghost stories have been woven about Duns Castle; in this case it is reputed to be haunted by the shade of Alexander Hay who was killed at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.[2]
The castle is often used for weddings and other functions.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Duns Castle) |
References
- ↑ Scottish Wildlife Trust.
- ↑ "Haunted Scottish Castles". Rampantscotland.com. 2009-11-08. http://www.rampantscotland.com/features/haunted.htm. Retrieved 2011-12-18.