Doune Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Doune Castle |
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| Doune, Stirling, Scotland UK grid reference NN727010 |
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Aerial view of Doune Castle and the Castle keeper's cottage
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 Doune Castle
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| Coordinates | 56°11′07″N 4°03′01″W / 56.185158°N 4.050253°W |
| Type | Tower house and courtyard |
| Height | 29 m (95 ft) to top of Lord's tower |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Historic Environment Scotland |
| Controlled by | Duke of Albany (until 1420) King of Scotland (until late 16th century) Earl of Moray |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Condition | Ruined |
| Site history | |
| Built | c. 1400 |
| Built by | Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany |
| Materials | Stone (coursed rubble with dressed quoins) |
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Doune Castle is an old castle near the village of Doune in central Scotland. It sits on a wooded bend where the Ardoch Burn (a small river) flows into the River Teith. The castle is about 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Stirling.
Experts now think Doune Castle was first built in the 1200s. It was likely damaged during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Then, it was rebuilt into its current shape in the late 1300s. This was done by Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany (around 1340–1420). He was the son of King Robert II and ruled Scotland as a Regent (someone who governs for a king who can't rule).
Duke Robert's castle has stayed mostly the same over time. In 1425, the castle became property of the Scottish crown. It was used as a royal hunting lodge and a dower house (a home for a king's widowed mother or wife). Later, in the 1500s, it became owned by the Earls of Moray.
Doune Castle saw battles during the 1600s and 1700s. By 1800, it was a ruin, meaning it was falling apart. But in the 1880s, it was repaired and restored. Today, Historic Environment Scotland looks after it, and you can visit it.
Doune Castle was designed to be a grand royal castle. It has a large tower over the entrance where the Lord and his family lived. There's also a separate tower for the kitchen and guest rooms. These two parts are connected by a large hall. Most of the stone parts are from the late 1300s. The wooden roofs and floors you see today were added during the 1880s restoration.
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History of Doune Castle
The spot where Doune Castle stands was used by the Romans for a fort in the 1st century AD. You can't see any Roman remains above ground now. The name "Doune" comes from the Gaelic word dùn, which means "fort." This suggests there was an earlier fort here.
The oldest parts of the castle are from the 1200s. But it got its current look between 1375 and 1425. This was a busy time for building castles in Scotland.
Regent Robert Albany
In 1361, Robert Stewart became the Earl of Menteith. He was given the land where Doune Castle is now. Building probably started after this. The castle was at least partly finished by 1381.
Robert became Regent (ruler) of Scotland in 1388 for his father, King Robert II. He continued to rule when his brother, Robert III, became king. Robert Stewart was made Duke of Albany in 1398.
In 1406, King Robert III's son, James I, was captured by the English. Robert Stewart became Regent again. He used Doune Castle as a favorite home during this time.
A Royal Home
Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, died in 1420. His son, Murdoch, took over the castle and the role of Regent. King James I returned to Scotland in 1424. He quickly took back control of his kingdom.
Murdoch and two of his sons were arrested for treason (betraying the king). They were executed in May 1425. Doune Castle then became a royal castle. It was looked after by a special Captain or Keeper. The castle was used as a quiet place for the Scottish kings and queens. It was also a dower house for widowed queens. These included Mary of Guelders, Margaret of Denmark, and Margaret Tudor.
In 1500, King James IV gave Doune Castle to his mistress, Janet Kennedy. This was before he married Margaret Tudor.
Later, in 1528, Margaret Tudor married Henry Stewart, 1st Lord Methven. His brother, Sir James Stewart, became the Captain of Doune Castle. Sir James's son, also named James, became Lord Doune in 1570. His son, another James, married Elizabeth Stuart, 2nd Countess of Moray. This made him the Earl of Moray. So, the castle became the home of the Earls of Moray. They owned it until the 1900s.
Mary, Queen of Scots, stayed at Doune several times. She used the rooms above the kitchen. During a short civil war after she gave up her throne in 1567, Doune was held by her supporters. But the castle surrendered in 1570 after a three-day blockade (being surrounded).
King James VI also visited Doune. In 1581, he ordered money to be spent on repairs. In 1593, a plot against James was found out. The King surprised the plotters at Doune Castle.
Prison and Garrison
In 1607, a minister named John Munro of Tain was imprisoned at Doune. He disagreed with King James VI's religious plans. He escaped with help from the castle's Constable (keeper). The Constable was then put in prison for helping him.
The Royalist leader James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose took over Doune Castle in 1645. This was during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. In 1654, a fight happened at Doune. It was between Royalists and troops loyal to Oliver Cromwell.
The castle was used by government soldiers during the Jacobite rising of 1689 and the Jacobite rising of 1715. During the Jacobite rising of 1745, Bonnie Prince Charlie and his Jacobite Highlanders took over Doune Castle. They used it as a prison for government soldiers captured at the Battle of Falkirk Muir. Some prisoners escaped by tying bedsheets together and climbing out a window. One of them was John Witherspoon, who later signed the United States Declaration of Independence.
Ruin and Restoration
Doune Castle slowly fell apart during the 1700s. By 1800, it had no roof and was a ruin. It stayed that way until the 1880s. Then, George Stuart, the 14th Earl of Moray, started fixing it. The wooden roofs were replaced, and the inside rooms were rebuilt.
Today, Historic Environment Scotland looks after the castle. It was given to them in 1984 by Douglas Stuart, the 20th Earl of Moray. The castle is now open to visitors. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, meaning it's a very important historical site.
What Doune Castle Looks Like
Doune Castle is in a very important spot in Scotland. It's only about 5 miles (8 km) from Stirling Castle. The castle is naturally protected on three sides by steep ground and two rivers.
The castle is shaped like an uneven five-sided figure. Buildings are along the north and northwest sides, forming a courtyard in the middle. You enter from the north through a passage under a large tower. This tower holds the main rooms of the castle.
Outside the castle walls, there are ditches and an earthen wall for defense. There's also a vaulted passage that leads to an 18th-century ice house. The lower parts of the castle walls have no openings except the main entrance and a side gate (postern) to the west. The upper floors have larger windows. The castle is built from sandstone rubble (rough stones) with lighter stones used for details.
The Lord's Tower
The main tower, also called the gatehouse, is about 18 meters (59 ft) by 13 meters (43 ft). It's almost 29 meters (95 ft) high. It has a round tower sticking out on the northeast corner, next to the entrance. This tower holds the Lord's Hall and three floors of rooms above the entrance passage.
The entrance passage is vaulted (has an arched ceiling) and cobbled. It is about 14 meters (46 ft) long. It used to have two sets of wooden doors. An iron gate (yett) is still there. Guardrooms on either side let guards watch the passage through small openings. There's also a well in the basement of the round tower.
You can't go directly from the ground floor to the Lord's Hall. The hall is on the first floor and takes up the whole space. You reach it by an enclosed staircase from the courtyard. The hall has an arched ceiling and two fireplaces. The floor tiles, wood panels, and minstrels' gallery (a balcony for musicians) were added in the 1880s.
Above the Lord's Hall is another hall. This was part of the Duchess's rooms. A small chapel (oratory) in the south wall overlooks the courtyard. It has a special basin for water and a niche for religious items. From the oratory, you can reach passages inside the walls. These passages lead to the walkway along the top of the castle wall.
Great Hall and Kitchen Tower
West of the Lord's tower is the Great Hall. It is about 20 meters (66 ft) by 8 meters (26 ft) and 12 meters (39 ft) high to its wooden roof. This roof was also replaced in the 1800s. The hall has no fireplace. It was probably heated by a fire in the middle of the room. Smoke would leave through an opening in the roof.
You enter the Great Hall from the courtyard by a staircase. This leads to a small lobby. From here, two large serving hatches connect the hall to the kitchens. These hatches have unusual arched openings.
The kitchen tower is almost a castle on its own. It is about 17 meters (56 ft) by 8 meters (26 ft). The kitchen is on the same level as the Great Hall, above a cellar. It was one of the best castle kitchens of its time in Scotland. It has an oven and a very large fireplace. A small stair tower leads from the lobby up to two floors of guest rooms. These include the "Royal Apartments," which were used by royal visitors.
Courtyard and Walls
Stones sticking out from the kitchen block and windows in the south wall suggest that more buildings were planned for the courtyard. The large window on the east side might have been for a chapel. Records say there was a chapel at Doune Castle. But there are no big foundations for a large building here. Digs in 2002 found what might have been an oven against the south wall. The well in the middle of the courtyard is about 18 meters (59 ft) deep.
The curtain wall (the outer wall) is about 2.5 meters (8 ft) thick and 12 meters (39 ft) high. There's a walkway along the top of the wall. It has protective walls on both sides. Round towers are at each corner. There are also half-circle parts in the middle of each wall. A square tower with openings to drop things on attackers is above the side gate in the west wall.
Castle Grounds
The castle is surrounded by woods and parkland. These are along the banks of the River Teith and the Ardoch Burn. In 2022, a new footbridge was built over the Ardoch Burn. It was made from local wood and connects the castle grounds to an old mill site.
Doune Castle in Movies and TV
Doune Castle has been in many stories and films. It's mentioned in the 17th-century song "The Bonny Earl of Murray." This song tells about the murder of the 2nd Earl of Moray in 1592.
In Sir Walter Scott's first novel, Waverley (1814), the main character is brought to Doune Castle by the Jacobites. Scott's book describes the castle as "gloomy yet picturesque."
The castle was used for filming in the 1952 movie Ivanhoe. It also appeared in the 1996 BBC TV show of Ivanhoe. Doune Castle was used as the set for Winterfell in the first season of the TV series Game of Thrones (2011–2019). This show is based on the A Song of Ice and Fire books.
The castle also played the fictional "Castle Leoch" in the TV show Outlander. It was also a location in Outlaw King, a 2018 movie about Robert the Bruce.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
The British comedy film Monty Python and the Holy Grail was filmed in Scotland in 1974. This movie makes fun of the legends of King Arthur. The filmmakers wanted to use several Scottish castles. But they were only allowed to film at Doune Castle.
So, they used different parts of Doune Castle to look like many different castles in the film. They used close-up shots to make it seem like different places.
Scenes filmed at Doune Castle include:
- King Arthur (Graham Chapman) and Patsy (Terry Gilliam) meet soldiers at the east wall.
- The "Knights of the Round Table" song and dance was filmed in the Great Hall.
- The kitchen and serving area became "Castle Anthrax."
- A wedding interrupted by Sir Lancelot (John Cleese) was filmed in the courtyard and Great Hall.
- The Duchess's hall was used for the "Swamp Castle" scene. Here, the prince (Terry Jones) is held by guards.
- The Trojan Rabbit scene was filmed in the entrance and courtyard.
Only two other castles were used for filming: Castle Stalker and, briefly, Kidwelly Castle and Bodiam Castle. The DVD of Monty Python and the Holy Grail has a documentary. In it, Michael Palin and Terry Jones visit Doune and other filming spots. Doune Castle has become a popular place for fans of the movie to visit. It used to have an annual "Monty Python Day."
See also
In Spanish: Castillo de Doune para niños
