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Published: September 9th 2022
My ancestral visitations of Scotland began with Lanarkshire, Dumfries and Galloway, and Ayrshire; recounted in the previous blog at
Scottish Ancestral Visitations in Lanarkshire, Dumfries and Galloway, and Ayrshire. I suggest that you read that blog first. This blog covers my travels in Sterlingshire, Fife, Perth and Kinross-shire, Angus-shire, and Aberdeenshire.
25 Aug 2022 Thursday. I had reservations for
Sterling Castle at 10 AM so drove there directly from Glasgow. I was able to park directly in front of the castle. In 1296 the castle came to the forefront of political affairs when King Edward I (20th ggf) of England started the Wars of Scottish Independence. The castle was captured by Edward's forces and over the next 50 years would change hands seven times. The first occasion was following the Battle of Sterling Bridge (1297) when William Wallace ambushed the English forces as they crossed the narrow medieval bridge crossing the River Forth. This victory proved fleeting when King Edward I routed Wallace at the Battle of Falkirk (1298) and retook the castle. The most dramatic seizure of the castle came in 1314 when, after the catastrophic English defeat by King Robert I the Bruce (19th ggf) at the Battle of Bannockburn, Stirling Castle was handed over to
the Scots. By 1336 the castle was back in English hands following King Edward III (18th ggf) success at the Battle of Halidon Hill (1333). But King Edward III’s interests shifted to France; the northern campaign was neglected and Scottish forces were able to re-take Stirling in 1342. Thereafter Stirling Castle acted as a Royal Palace and center of administration for three hundred years with significant upgrades and alterations being made by the various Scottish monarchs. Both Mary Queen of Scots and her son, the future James VI (and I of England), were crowned in the castle although once James ascended to the English throne the use of Stirling declined.
My next stop was
Bannockburn Battlefield. That battle fought in June 23/24 1314. The battle started when Sir Humphrey de Bohun, nephew of the Sir Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford, who was married to Princess Elizabeth Plantagenet (19th ggps), daughter of King Edward I of England and Queen Eleanor of Castile (20th ggps), charged in full armor and his lance at King Robert I
the Bruce, who was lightly armored and only carried an axe. King Robert sidestepped the lance and with his axe split Sir
Humphrey's helmet and head in half; breaking his axe in the process. King Robert I the Bruce captured Sir Humphrey, 4th Earl of Hereford, and exchange him as a hostage for his wife Isabel of Mar and his family. They had been betrayed by my ancestor Sir William de Ross, and turned over to King Edward I as recounted when I visit Killdrummy Castle. The battle ended with a major Scottish victory over King Edward II.
I proceeded to nearby
Dunfermline Abbey and Palace. I found a parking space right in front of the Abbey, but had difficulty backing into it. A parking enforcement officer offered to park the car for me...one sure way to avoid a parking ticket! Dunfermline, once the capital city of Scotland, is at the heart of Scotland's history and the royal and monastic past. The Royal Palace and the 12th century abbey dominate the town. King Malcolm III Canmore and his queen, Saint Margaret (26
th ggps) moved their court from Dunkeld to Dunfermline after the death of King Duncan I (27
th ggf), the historical figure in Shakespeare’s fictitious Macbeth. Their son, King David I (25
th ggf) founded the abbey in 1128. It is the
final resting place of Robert the Bruce and 11 other Scottish kings and queens. Dunfermline Palace was the birthplace of King David II in 1324, King James I (17th ggf) in 1394 and King Charles I in 1600.
During the Scottish Reformation, the abbey church underwent a protestant ‘cleansing’, and was sacked in March 1560. During the English Civil War Cromwell's troops destroyed Saint Margaret's shrine and her bones were scattered. Her scull ended up at an abbey in France where it disappeared during the French Revolution. The palace fell into disuse after the Union of the Crowns of England and Scotland when King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England in 1603.
My next stop was
Lochleven Castle situated on an island in the middle of Loch Leven. The castle was closed for masonry restoration, as were so many castles I visited, so I could only see it from a distance. This castle was the home of the Douglases of Lochleven, the principal trunk of Linda's Douglas family tree. The first Douglas to occupy the castle was Sir Henry Douglas of Lochleven, who was married to Lady Margery Stewart of Ralston (19th ggps), when
King Robert II conveyed the castle to him in 1390; a loss for the Crichton family. Our trees intersect with Sir Robert Douglas, Lord of Lochleven and Lady Margaret Hay, Countess of Morton (our 15
th ggps).
The last in the line of Linda's direct ancestors to live in Lochleven Castle was Sir William Douglas, 6th Earl of Morton who married to Lady Agnes Leslie (Linda's 12th ggps), the daughter of Sir George Leslie, 4th Earl of Rothes and Lady Margaret Crichton, Countess of Rothes (Linda's 13th ggps). Sir William is famous for being the jailer of Mary, Queen of Scots between 1567-68. Sir William's brother, George, was smitten by her and helped her escape. The first attempt failed when the boatman recognized her and took her back to the castle, promising not to tell anyone. The next attempt was successful when 16-year-old "Willie," either an orphan relative or an illegitimate son of Sir William, rowed her from the island to where George awaited and escorted her to safety. This romantic tale was told by Sir Walter Scott in his Waverly novel, "The Abbott."
Descending her family tree from this point, primogenitor dictated that the oldest son inherit everything,
and Linda's ancestors were second or third sons or daughters. Sir William's second son Robert, Master of Morton, who married Lady Jean Glamis Lyon (Linda’s 11th ggps), as mentioned previously in (
Planning for Ancestral Visitations to Scotland), was killed by Dutch "pirates." Due to his short life, he only had one son, Robert II Douglas (Linda’s 10
th ggf). Robert II’s sons were Robert Douglas (Linda’s 9
th ggf) and the Reverend William Douglas, who immigrated with his family to Boston in 1640. He died in New London, Connecticut in 1681. Linda also descended from two of Sir William’s daughters, Ladies Violette and Elizabeth Douglas.
I continued on to Falkland, where I visited
Falkland Palace which occupies the site of a former castle that had been built by the MacDuffs, the Earls of Fife. The Earldom of Fife passed to Sir Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany in 1371. He was married to Lady Margaret Graham, Countess of Menteith and to Lady Muriella de Keith, Countess of Albany, all of whom were 17th great grandparents. In 1402 the Duke of Albany imprisoned King Robert III's (17
th ggf) eldest son, Sir David, Duke of Rothesay, holding him in the Well Tower at Falkland Castle in dreadful conditions which
led to his premature death. This action prompted King Robert III to send his younger son James, who would become King James I (our 17
th ggf), to France for safety. However, when his ship briefly put into an English port the young Prince was captured and spent 18 years in English custody. While in “palace detention” he spotted a beautiful girl in the courtyard below. It was love at first sight. That girl, Joan Beaufort (our 17
th ggm), the great granddaughter of King Edward III of England (our 18th ggf), would become his Queen Consort.
When he eventually returned to Scotland as King James I, he had executed the then Falkland Palace owner, Sir Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany, the son of Sir Robert, although he too had been held as a hostage by the English. King James I made many enemies while seeking revenge on those who had resisted paying a ransom for his return, and was soon assassinated. King James IV (our 14
th ggf) transformed Falkland Palace into a lavish palace. Work continued during the reign of King James V. He is Linda's 13th ggf who had a son Sir Robert Pitcairn Stewart, Earl of Strathearn and
Orkney with his mistress Euphemia Elphinstone. He is my 13th great uncle who was married to Queen Consort Mary of Guise, my 13th great aunt. King James V would die here days after the birth of their daughter Mary, Queen of Scots (half sister of Sir Robert Pitcairn Stewart).
Johnny Cash's ancestors came from a nearby village. He visited Falkland many times, shopping in the violin shop there. I'm not sure whether they also sold guitars. The shop was closed so I couldn't ask the owner. That night I stayed at the Covenantor Hotel, thus maintaining my Covenantor connections. This hotel was the setting for
Mrs. Baird's B&B in Outlander.
26 Aug 2022 Friday I drove through Perth, which is surrounded by forests; many from seedlings imported from the Carolinas by John Fraser, a Scottish botanist after which the Fraser fir is named. I then drove to the Dunkeld. It was here that St. Columba began his mission to spread Christianity across Scotland. Kenneth MacAlpin (our 32
nd ggf), the first king to unite the Scots and Picts, made Dunkeld his capital and the seat of the Celtic catholic church.
Dunkeld Cathedral was established by King Alexander I
(23rd great uncle, the brother of King David I) in 1107. I walked through Birnam Wood, mentioned in Shakespeare's Macbeth, to reach the cathedral.
I continued to
Blair Castle. I took the wrong direction and ended up at the service entrance to the castle. The castle was hosting the Horse Trials so I was stopped short of the castle by a parking attendant. He said I couldn't drive the last 300 yards to the castle. I asked him whether I could park in the large field which had one car parked there. He said that if I was a Horse Trial judge I could park there. I immediately responded that "I am a Horse Trial judge" and he let me park.
I then walked the 300 years to the castle. Blair Castle began as a thirteenth century tower house illegally built by Sir John "The Red" Comyn, Earl of Badenock (20th ggf) (who was killed by Robert the Bruce at the Greyfriars Abbey in Dumfries) on lands owned by Sir David Strathbogie, Earl of Atholl (19
th ggf) during the latter's absence on Crusade. Known as Cummings Tower (this being a corruption on Comyn), it was seized by the
Earl on his return and converted into his own residence. His son, another David, forfeited the castle when he rebelled against King Robert I the Bruce in 1322 and it was then given to Sir Neil Campbell, Lord of Lochow (20
th ggf) whose son, John, was granted the title Earl of Atholl in 1320. For the next 137 years the title, castle and estates passed through numerous owners before being resurrected by James II in 1457. He granted it to his half-brother, Sir John Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl, who married Lady Margaret "Fair Maid of Galloway" Douglas (14th ggps), whose descendants held it until 1595. In 1650, after Oliver Cromwell's defeat of the Scottish Covenantor force at the second Battle of Dunbar, the castle was seized by the English forces. The estate was restored to the family after the Restoration in 1660.
After my visit there was the little matter of retrieving my car and avoiding the long drive out the back entrance. Given that I was still suffering from my fall at the at the hotel on my first night in Scotland, I asked the gift shop manager if they had a pass for the disabled. She
said that they didn't, but I could tell the parking attendant that I had her permission to drive the 300 yards to the correct exit. The guard then let me through!
I ended the day at the Pitlochry Youth Hostel. I had to exchange $20 for pounds sterling to get a haircut. I never had to use an ATM, charging everything else to my credit card.
28 Aug 2021 Saturday I spent the morning at the
Strathardle Highland Games. I took the back roads which were only a bit over one lane wide, so navigating blind hills and curves was very stressful and painful for my injured foot having to constantly brake and accelerate with the manual transmission. On the way there I saw about a half dozen Highland cows; the only ones I saw in Scotland. A local rancher where I live has more Highland cows that I saw on my whole trip! I observed judging of the sheep and cattle, the caber toss and then sat next to parents and grandparents whose daughter was competing in the Highland Fling dance contest. One set of grandparents was from Maryland, whose daughter married a Scot. I enjoyed talking
to them and asking the granddaughter all about the dances. I stayed to see the 137th fife and drum march of the clan chief.
I then proceeded to Glamis (pronounced Glams) Castle, the legendary setting for Shakespeare's Macbeth.The historical King Macbeth (i.e. King Duncan I (27th great grandfather)), who died in 1040, had no connection with the castle which was originally constructed in the 1300s.
Glamis Castle was the home of the aforementioned Lady Jean Glamis Lyon (11th ggm) who was born there on 25 July 1566. She was the daughter of Sir John Lyon, 8th Lord of Glamis and Lady Elizabeth Abernethy (12th ggps). His father, Sir John Lyon, 7th Lord of Glamis was married to Lady Janet Keith (13th ggps), whose ancestral home is Dunnottar Castle. His father, Sir John Lyon, 6th Lord of Glamis, was married to Lady Janet Douglas (14th ggps), and member of the Black Douglas's with whom King James V was feuding at the time. On 8 Apr 1528 Sir John Lyon died at the young age of 37. In December 1528 Lady Janet Douglas was accused of poisoning her husband. However, the charge was never proven. Then she was charged with treason
for bringing supporters of the Earl of Angus to Edinburgh in rebellion. However, King James V allowed her to go on a pilgrimage, exempting her from legal proceedings. She never went on pilgrimage. Then King James V accused her of witchcraft which didn't require much evidence. To gain "evidence", King James V had Janet's 16-year-old son and servants subjected to torture and she was found guilty this time. On 17 July 1537 she was burned at the stake on the esplanade in front of Edinburgh Castle. So not only is Linda a descendant of a saint, Queen Margaret, the wife of King Malcolm III, but also a witch!
According to legend, a seat in the Glamis Castle chapel is reserved for the "Grey Lady," the ghost of Lady Janet Douglas. Even today no one is allowed to sit in that seat. I could have sat in the seat, but sat next to it, as I didn't want to become haunted!
I then drove to
Dunnottar Castle, one of the most scenic castles in Scotland located on a promontory looking out to the North Sea. Its picturesque location makes it a great place to film movies, including the 1993
movie "Hamlet" starring Mel Gibson. On this day I met a couple who had just wed at the castle. Soon other guests ascended the steep hill. I can't imagine having a wedding where guests are required to climb down a steep hill, then up another to get to the castle and then walk the reverse.
The castle was the residence of the Keith family who descended from Marbhachir Chamius, Chief of the Catti (25
th ggf), a Germanic Saxon tribe from the Bremen area. His grandson Warin de Keith (23
rd ggf), born in 1070 was the progenitor of the Keith clan. Warin's great great grandson Hervey de Keith (20
th ggf) became the first Marischal (Marshall) of Scotland, a hereditary title passed on to subsequent generations. Late in the fourteenth century Sir William Keith (18
th ggf) built the stone Tower House and surrounding curtain wall. His heirs and successors continued to rise in prominence and in 1458 James II created William's grandson Earl Marischal.
The castle is the site of much tragedy. William Wallace captured the castle from the English in 1297, and imprisoned the 4000 defeated English soldiers in the chapel (must have been very large, or the records
got the decimal point wrong) which was then set on fire with all perishing. During the English Revolution as Cromwell's Roundheads laid siege to the castle, the Scottish Crown Jewels were hidden here, and then secretly removed. In 1665 the English captures Dunnottar and 167 Covenanters were imprisoned in a muddy, dark, and rat-infested cellar. Five died, some escaped, some recaptured, some were set free after taking an oath of allegiance to the king. The remainder were shipped to Perth Amboy in the new colony of New Jersey. Many died en-route.
Next I travel north to Alford, where the
Battle of Alford was fought on 2 Jul 1645 between the Royalist forces under the command of Sir James Graham, 1
st Marquis of Montrose, and the Covenantor forces under the command of William Baillie, a professional soldier who had fought on the continent for the Dutch and the Swedes. The Royalists won. On the way I stopped for a Big Mac in my own effort to collect data for the Economist magazines "Big Mac Index" for purchasing power parity.
I finished that day at the Houghton Arms Hotel in Alford. My American accent led to an invitation by a
couple of lads to have a dram of whisky. I enjoyed our conversation, which included helping one of the lads to plan his vacation to Thailand. I told them that I was born in Thailand and gave him some advice as to what to see.
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Scottish Ancestors
Often when we are traveling a great deal of restoration is going on and it makes us happy but ruins the photos. We've often commented that we would like the scaffolding concession.... we'd make a fortune. I am glad you are out there putting the pieces together and walking on hallowed ground. Carry On.