Drumlanrig Castle

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Drumlanrig Castle

Dumfriesshire


Drumlanrig Castle
Location
Grid reference: NX851992
Location: 55°16’26"N, 3°48’33"W
Village: Drumlanrig
History
Information
Condition: Inhabited
Owned by: The Duke of Buccleugh
Website: drumlanrig.com

Drumlanrig Castle stands on the Queensberry Estate at Drumlanrig in Dumfriesshire and is the Dumfriesshire home of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry. The castle is category A listed.[1]

Also on the estate stands Tibbers Castle, a 12th-century motte-and-bailey.

The earliest record for Drumlanrig is from 1384, spelled Drumlangryg. There are a number of possible origins for the name. It may represent Cumbric drum 'ridge' + -lanerc 'small area of cleared woodland'. However, the first element may also be the Galloway Gaelic druim, meaning 'ridge', either added to a Cumbric name or to Scots *lang-rigg 'long ridge'.[2]

Construction

Drumlanrig Castle was built between 1679 and 1689 and is known as the and is known as the 'Pink Palace'[3] from the distinctive pink sandstone in which it was built.[4] It is an example of late 17th century Renaissance architecture. The first Duke of Queensberry, William Douglas, had the castle built on the site of an ancient Douglas stronghold in Nithsdale.[5] The castle has 120 rooms, 17 turrets and four towers.[6]

Art collection

The castle is home to part of the Buccleuch art collection which includes Rembrandt’s An Old Woman Reading,[6] and Leonardo da Vinci's Madonna of the Yarnwinder which was stolen in 2003 and returned in 2007 after being found in Glasgow[7] and many other paintings, tapestries and objects of art.

The stableyard houses the Stableyard Studios and café.

Pictures

Outside links

References