Craigmillar Castle 'restored', West View

Category

Library Item

Item no

43423

Title

Craigmillar Castle 'restored', west view

Description

Image from James Grant's sketchbook numbered print 101.

Artist / maker

Grant, James

Date

1848

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

James Grant's designs for the restoration of Craigmillar Castle, while unused, give us a clear insight into the mind of an educated Victorian man hoping to preserve Scotland's historic past. In 1660 Craigmillar Castle was bought from the Preston family by Sir John Gilmour, a wealthy and influential man. He rebuilt the west range of the castle, which you can see in detail in this image. The curtain wall on this side was taken down and the new wing built in its place, rather than being constructed behind the wall as the east range had been. With England and Scotland united there was less need for Craigmillar to be defensive, so Gilmour could have a number of large windows to let more light into the family apartments behind. The outlines of the dormer windows along the roofline can still be seen in the ruins today, but the lower windows have been filled in.

In the early 18th century the Gilmours decided to live elsewhere, and the castle began to fall into ruin. In 1884 the Edinburgh Architectural Association visited the castle and reported on its rapid decay to the owner, Walter James Little Gilmour, who, 'with great public spirit', began to spend a lot of money to preserve the ruins of the castle. Snow and rain had been getting into the keep roof, damaging the stonework, so it was made watertight with cement. Before this a large mass of earth had been kept on the roof of the keep, probably to minimise the impact of any stones thrown from catapults. Unfortunately the east and west ranges were not reroofed as Grant drew them, but in 1946 Craigmillar Castle came into the care of the state and is now being preserved as a picturesque ruin, which certainly would have pleased Grant.

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Related subjects

Architecture > Architectural features > Towers

Architecture > Architectural features > Turrets

Architecture > Architectural features > Walls

Homes > Residential buildings > Castles and palaces

Places > Edinburgh areas > Craigmillar

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

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