Craigmillar Castle 'restored', North-west View

Category

Library Item

Item no

43431

Title

Craigmillar Castle 'restored', north-west view

Description

Image from James Grant's sketchbook, print numbered 97.

Artist / maker

Grant, James

Date

1848

Type

Watercolour

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

This image of Craigmillar Castle by James Grant shows the castle in its heyday, and not as the ruin it had become by the 19th century. King James VI would have recognised it like this because he used Craigmillar Castle as a place of residence. In 1589 James concluded his marriage negotiations with a Danish princess, Anne, but storms prevented her from reaching Scotland and she was stranded in Norway. At the time James 'remained quietly in the castle of Craigmillar... and could not sleep nor rest'. He was there from September to October as a guest of David Preston and probably stayed in the same rooms as his mother had used, in the east range, which can be seen on the left of this image. While there he was 'retiring, and as a kind lover spends the time in sighing', waiting for good news of his 'love and joy', Anne. With the advice of his Lord Chancellor James decided they would go to collect Anne themselves. In his public declaration explaining his decision to leave Scotland, James wrote 'the place where I resolved this in was Craigmillar, not one of the whole Council being present there.' He wanted his subjects to think he had made the decision to go on the dangerous but romantic quest alone, even if this was not actually true.

James left Scotland on 22nd October 1589 and did manage to 'rescue' Anne, meeting her in Oslo. They had a church wedding there before travelling to Denmark to meet Anne's mother and her brother, King Christian IV. They stayed at the Danish court until April 1590, enjoying splendid entertainments and residing in Denmark's glorious Renaissance palaces, such as Kronborg Slot. They safely landed at Leith on 1st May.

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Related subjects

Architecture > Architectural features > Towers

Architecture > Architectural features > Turrets

Architecture > Architectural features > Walls

Communication > Written > Flags

Homes > Residential buildings > Castles and palaces

Places > Edinburgh areas > Craigmillar

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

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