Picnic at Crichton Castle

Category

Museums & Galleries Item

Item no

11749

Title

Picnic at Crichton Castle

Description

A quadrupal image of a large group picnicing beside Crichton Castle, Midlothian. With the ruined towers of the stone castle behind them the group of affluent men and women lie on the grass around a picnic blanket. The men are wearing morning coats and a variety of headwear including stove top hats, bowler hats and caps. The ladies too are wearing hats and dark coats over their dresses.

Artist / maker

Begbie, Thomas

Date

1887

Size

14 x 30.5 cm

Type

Glass negative

Location

City Art Centre

Copyright

The Cavaye Collection of Thomas Begbie Prints ; The City of Edinburgh Council Museums & Galleries

This is a glass negative from the Thomas Begbie Cavaye Collection which is held by City of Edinburgh Museums and Galleries.

Crichton Castle is located roughly 13 miles south-east of Edinburgh and two miles east of Gorebridge, Midlothian. It was built as tower house in the early fifteenth century by the Crichton family. The original structure was damaged in the Crichton's conflict with the Douglas family in the middle of the century. William Crichton repaired, and greatly extended the castle at this time. The Crichton family lost the castle, along with all titles and possessions, in the 1480's having been implicated in a plot against James III. The castle then passed briefly to Sir John Ramsey, Lord Bothwell, a favourite of James III. Following the James III death in 1488 the castle passed to Patrick Hepburn, a supporter of James IV, who was also made Earl of Bothwell. James Hepburn, the fourth Earl of Bothwell, lost the castle along with his other titles and estates in 1567 through his involvement with Mary Queen of Scots. The castle then passed to Francis Stewart, grandson of the third earl. In the 1580's he undertook a renaissance overhaul of the castle, including the distinctive diamond rusticated courtyard wall. The castle is now managed by Historic Environment Scotland.

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Related subjects

Clothing and dress > Accessories > Hats

Homes > Residential buildings > Castles and palaces

People > Adults > Men

People > Adults > Women

Places > Scotland > Midlothian

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