Thirlestane Castle

[1] This castle passed to Robert Lauder of that Ilk, who gave it in dowry to his daughter Alison and her husband George Wedderhede in 1532.

During the war with England known as the 'Rough Wooings' the site of the present castle was occupied by a large English artillery fort and garrison.

[3] Following the design by Thomas Pettit, Surveyor of Calais, the fort was begun on 5 April 1548 by Sir Robert Bowes and was estimated to cost £296 and take four weeks to complete.

[5] The villagers of Lauderdale and further afield were summoned to demolish the fort and help transport the remaining artillery to Hume Castle in June 1550.

They gained power and influence as a result of military service but largely due to their contributions to law and the arts in the 16th century.

His son was John Maitland, Duke of Lauderdale (1616–1682), one of the most important Scottish figures of the late 17th century, being appointed Secretary of State for Scotland in 1660, a position carrying unrivalled power and influence.

He employed the architect Sir William Bruce to transform the castle into a residence suitable for conducting the affairs of state.

Lauderdale had Bruce retain much of the castle's earlier fabric giving it an external aura of antiquity, while the interiors met the highest fashion in seventeenth century planning and furnishing.

[14] Captain Gerald Maitland-Carew inherited the castle in 1972 from his maternal grandmother, Ethel, Countess of Lauderdale, wife of the 15th Earl.

In 1984 the castle was given to a charitable trust established to ensure its preservation, and major repairs were carried out, assisted by financial grants awarded by the Historic Buildings Council and the National Heritage Memorial Fund.