Robert Drummond of Carnock
Arnmore is a location at Kippen, Stirlingshire, neighbouring Broich, the home of William Schaw, his successor as Master of Work who is regarded as a founder of Freemasonry.
[11] Drummond hoped to design and build a gallery and roof terrace on the west quarter of the palace to appreciate the views.
In the words of his estimate:"The westquarter thairof to be all tane downe to the ground thane to big and beild the same up agane in the maist plesand maner that can be devyssit: quhilk quarter off the said paleys is the best and maist plesand situatioune off ony of his hienes palayes by ressone it will have the maist plesand sycht of all the foure airthis (directions), in speciall park and gairdin, deer thairin, up the riverais of Forthe, Teyth, Allone, and Guddy to Lochlomwnd, ane sycht rownd about in all pairtis and downe to the revear of Forthe quhair thar standis many greit stane howssis"The west quarter thereof to be all taken down to the ground then to build the same up again in the most pleasant manner that can be divised: which quarter of the said palace is the best and most pleasant situation of any of his majesty's palaces by reason it will have the most pleasant sight of all the four directions, especially the park and garden, the deer there, up the rivers of Forth, Teith, Allan, and Guddy, to Loch Lomond, a sight round about in all parts and down to the river of Forth where there stands many great stone houses.
These connections may have led to Robert's replacement as royal master of work by William Schaw before November 1583, after the fall of the Gowrie Regime.
Robert Drummond's inventory of repairs of May 1583 makes provision for Mary, Queen of Scots, or perhaps the potential bride of James VI, at Stirling Castle suggesting the rebuilding the Chapel Royal to accommodate ladies in waiting in a loft or gallery:"to tak away the cheppell and to big the same neirby the northe bak wall in ane other sort of biging, to the pwrpois oure Queyne withe hir tryne of ladyis may pas forthe off this new devissit work into the said chappell loft"to take away the chapel and to build the same nearby the north back wall in another sort of building, to the purpose our Queen with her train of ladies may pass forth from this new devised work into the said chapel loft.
This was a plan for Mary, Queen of Scots, to enter into joint rule in Scotland with her son, James VI.
[20] Drummond crossed the Tweed into exile in England at Wark Castle on 27 April 1584 with the Earl of Angus and his followers.
[23] The oak beams from the ceiling, retained by Historic Environment Scotland have been dated to 1589 and carry inscriptions exhorting moral precepts, some from the Bible, some from the Stoic philosopher Gaius Musonius Rufus, perhaps following the English author William Baldwin although using Scottish spellings.
Two now incomplete lines are: "Gif that in werteu thow takis ony paine ..." and "Naikit I cam into the warld ..."[24] The use of the first of these mottoes reflects the schoolroom of James VI at Stirling Castle, where he penned a Latin version into a catalogue of his library compiled by his tutor Peter Young.
[25] Historic Environment Scotland also has some plasterwork from a later ceiling from the house including the Nova Scotia arms of Nicolson of Carnock.
Drummond, his son-in-law Adam Erskine, Commendator of Cambuskenneth, and his sons Patrick, John, Robert, and William, were accused by Duncan Forrester of Queenshaugh of threatening him.
The poet Alexander Montgomerie who flourished at the court of James VI in the same years as Drummond wrote an epitaph to the architect.
[29] (modernised spelling) In Scottish folklore, Drummond's second wife Marjorie Elphinstone has been identified as the subject of the story of the "Lady with the Ring".
