Tour Scotland short 4K Spring travel video clip of a red haired Scotsman wearing a Kilt and Sporran and walking by daffodils and flowers in a garden on ancestry, genealogy, history visit and trip to Neidpath Castle, Borders, Britain, United Kingdom. Sir Gilbert Fraser built the very first castle on this site around the year 1190. His grandson, Sir Simon Fraser, fought alongside William Wallace. The English burned down this early structure during the wars. In the early 1300s, the Hay family acquired the land through marriage. Sir William de Haya built the sturdy stone tower house you see today in the late 14th century. They held the castle for over 300 years. The Hay family went bankrupt in 1686 and sold the castle to William Douglas, the Duke of Queensberry. Today, it remains under the private ownership of his descendants, the Wemyss family. Mary, Queen of Scots stayed at the castle in 1563. Oliver Cromwell attacked the castle in 1650. The castle held out bravely against his forces longer than any other castle in south Scotland. However, Cromwell's heavy cannons eventually blasted and damaged the walls. The castle is famous for the ghost of Jean Douglas, known as "The Maid of Neidpath". According to the sad legend, her father forbade her from marrying the man she loved because he was from a lower social class. She fell deeply ill from a broken heart. When her lover finally returned, she was so thin and altered by sickness that he did not recognize her and rode right past. Jean died of grief that very day. People say her ghost still walks the ramparts wearing a long brown dress. This tragic tale inspired poems by Sir Walter Scott and William Wordsworth after they visited the ruins in 1803. Scotland has the highest concentration of redheads in the world, with about 6% to 13% of the population possessing natural red hair. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day. Find things to see and do in Scotland where you are always welcome. The date for astronomical Spring is 20th March, ending on 21st June
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
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