Old Photograph Kirkhill Castle Scotland

Old photograph of Kirkhill Castle in Colmonell located ten miles from Girvan in South Ayrshire, Scotland. This is small Scottish fortalice of the late 16th century. It has been long roofless, but the walls, of mortared rubble are fairly complete although the interior is ruinous. It bears the date 1589 with the arms and initials of Thomas Kennedy and his wife Janet, by whom it was erected. Formerly known as Glebelands, the property came into the possession of the Kennedys before the Reformation and was held by Gilbert, third son of Alexander Kennedy, third Lord Kennedy of Bargany, and remained in the possession of the Dunure family till 1843. Its was then bought by Col Barton of Ballaird, a hero of Waterloo. At his death it became the property of his nephew, J. Farquhar Gray, Esq. of Glentig.



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Old Photographs Cloncaird Castle Scotland

Old photograph of Cloncaird Castle near Kirkmichael in Ayrshire, Scotland. A modernised 16th century Scottish mansion to which a new front was build in 1814. Over the entrance to the courtyard is an armorial panel dated 1585. It was built around a 16th century core in 1814 for Henry Ritchie Craiton. Ritchie was succeeded by his second son William Wallace in 1843 and it remained in the Wallace family until sold in 1905 to Mrs Dubs, the widow of an industrialist. Colonel Wallace, who had sold the castle to Mrs Dubs, went on to marry her in 1908, reinstating himself as a result.

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Old Photographs Milton Tower Keith Scotland

Old photograph of Milton Tower in Keith, Moray, Scotland. This Scottish tower, part of Milton Keith Castle, was built by George Ogilvie around 1480. It was repaired in 1601 and destroyed in 1829. It was the home of Royalist Ogilvie family for 200 years. John Ogilvie of Miltoun was slain at Battle of Alford 1645. Blessed John Ogilvie, Jesuit priest was martyred at Glasgow Cross in 1615. The castle then passed by marriage to Jacobite Oliphant family in 1707. The blessed John Ogilvie was canonised in 1976 by Pope Paul VI in Rome, Italy.

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Old Photographs Birgham Scotland

Old photograph of cottages, houses and people in Birgham in Berwickshire, Scottish Borders, Scotland. This Scottish village is in the parish of Eccles, near Coldstream and the River Tweed, close to Ednam, Kelso, Lempitlaw, Leitholm and Sprouston as well as Carham and Wark, in Northumberland, England. The Treaty of Birgham, also known as the Treaty of Salisbury, was two treaties intended to secure the independence of Scotland after Alexander III died without issue in 1286. Guaranteed by England's King Edward I, the purpose of the treaty was to put to rest the competing claims of the House of Balliol and the House of Bruce. The treaties were drawn up in Salisbury in 1289 and Birgham, Berwickshire, in 1290. They were negotiated and signed by the Guardians of Scotland, who were ruling in the Maid of Norway's absence due to her age. Under the condition that the heiress of Scotland, Margaret, the Maid of Norway, would marry Edward's son, Scotland was to remain " separate and divided from England according to its rightful boundaries, free in itself and without subjection. " The treaty specified that even though a wife's possessions should become the husbands upon marriage, in this case it would not. It stated upon Margaret, the Maid of Norway and Edward's marriage that the Churches of Scotland and England were to be made separate, that the owner of lands in Scotland shall not have them disinherited. It made sure the both the parliaments of England and Scotland were to remain separate and not be held outside of their respective country. The treaty proved ineffectual, both because Margaret died en route to Scotland in 1290, and because English negotiators had included enough reservations to render the independence clauses useless. In 1291 Edward summoned the Scottish nobles to meet him at Norham on Tweed and styled himself overlord of Scotland, Lord Paramount of Scotland, and challenged claimants to the Scottish throne to recognise himself as a feudal superior.

Old photograph of cottages, houses and people in Birgham in Berwickshire, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

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Old Photographs Allanton Scotland

Old photograph of cottages, houses and people in Allanton in Berwickshire, Scottish Borders, Scotland. This Scottish village is in Edrom Parish, a rural Parish of east central Berwickshire being bounded on the north by the Parishes of Bunkle and Preston and Chirnside, on the east by the Parishes of Chirnside, Hutton and Whitsome and Hilton, on the south by the Parishes of Whitsome and Hilton, Swinton and Fogo and on the west by the Parishes of Langton and Duns. Allanton lies one mile south of Chirnside and six miles west of the border with Northumberland, England. Its closest market towns are Duns and Berwick-upon-Tweed. The village stands high above the confluence of the Whiteadder and Blackadder Waters, the site of two bridges. The village was traditionally part of the estate of the Blackadders, a powerful border clan. The Blackadder family were an integral part of the constant Borders feuds, and opportunistically extended their lands by grants from King James II of Scotland. These were bestowed as a reward for repelling English raids with great ferocity. In 1518 the Borders holdings of Clan Blackadder were taken into the family of Home, now the Home Robertson family, by the enforced marriage of the daughters of Robert Blackadder to younger sons of Home of Wedderburn. A junior branch of the Blackadders, Lairds of Tulliallan disputed the succession, but without success. Sir John Home was created Baronet of Blackadder in 1671. Wedderburn Castle is still owned by Robert Blackadder's descendent, Georgina Home-Robertson.

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