Dunrobin Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dunrobin Castle |
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
East front of Dunrobin Castle and gardens
|
|
| General information | |
| Type | Country house |
| Architectural style | Scottish baronial/French Renaissance |
| Location | Golspie, Highland, Scotland, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 57°58′55″N 3°56′43″W / 57.981944°N 3.945278°W |
| Completed | 1845 |
| Client | George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland |
| Owner | Alistair Charles St Clair Sutherland, 25th Earl of Sutherland |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Sir Charles Barry |
Dunrobin Castle is a beautiful old house in Sutherland, Scotland. It's the family home of the Earl of Sutherland, who is the leader of the Clan Sutherland. The castle is located about 1 mile (1.6 km) north of Golspie. It sits high up, looking out over the Dornoch Firth.
The castle's story began a very long time ago, in the Middle Ages. But most of what you see today, including the lovely gardens, was built by a famous architect named Sir Charles Barry between 1835 and 1850. Even though it has been changed and made bigger many times, you can still see parts of the original building inside. Dunrobin Castle is now the largest house in the north of Scotland. After being a boarding school for seven years, it is now open for everyone to visit.
Contents
History of Dunrobin Castle
The land where Dunrobin Castle stands was bought before the year 1211. The title of Earl of Sutherland was created around 1235. The castle itself might have been built on the site of a much older fort. The oldest part that still exists, with an iron gate, was first mentioned in 1401. This early castle was a square tower with very thick walls, over 6 feet (1.8 m) wide! Its ceilings were made of stone, which was unusual for the time. The castle is thought to be named after Robert Sutherland, 6th Earl of Sutherland, who died in 1444.
Dunrobin Castle was built when different clans and families lived in the area. In the 1500s, the Earldom of Sutherland passed to the Gordon family. This happened when the 8th Earl of Sutherland arranged for his daughter Elizabeth to marry Adam Gordon. After the 8th Earl died in 1508, there was a legal challenge over who should own the estate. In 1512, Adam Gordon took control of the castle.
In 1518, Alexander Sutherland, who believed he was the rightful heir, captured the castle. But the Gordons quickly took it back. Alexander's son, John, also tried to take the castle in 1550, but he was killed in the castle garden. During the more peaceful 1600s, the castle was made much bigger. A large house was added around a courtyard.
Dunrobin Castle During Rebellions
During the Jacobite Rising of 1745, a time when people fought over who should be king, the Jacobites attacked Dunrobin Castle. This was because the Clan Sutherland supported the British government. The 17th Earl of Sutherland managed to escape through a back door. He then joined the British army. When the 18th Earl died in 1766, the castle went to his daughter, Elizabeth. She married a politician named George Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland. In 1785, the house was changed and made even bigger again.
Modern Changes and Public Access
Between 1835 and 1850, Sir Charles Barry redesigned the castle. He used the Scottish Baronial style, which makes it look like a grand Scottish castle. Sir Charles Barry was a very famous architect who also designed the Palace of Westminster in London, where the British Parliament meets. He kept the old 14th-century tower and the parts added in the 1600s and 1700s. These older parts are still inside Barry's 19th-century design.
A special train station, Dunrobin Castle railway station, was opened in 1870. It was a private station just for the castle! The waiting room you see today was built in 1902.
During the First World War, the castle was used as a naval hospital. In 1915, a fire damaged the roof and much of the inside. Luckily, the fire mostly stayed in the newer parts added by Barry. After the war, another Scottish architect, Sir Robert Lorimer, helped fix up the house.
From 1965 to 1972, Dunrobin Castle became a boarding school for boys. About forty boys and five teachers lived there in the first year. Since 1973, the castle and its grounds have been open to the public. The Sutherland family still has private rooms there.
Architecture of Dunrobin Castle
Dunrobin Castle has 189 rooms, making it the biggest house in the northern Highlands. Much of the inside that Sir Charles Barry designed was destroyed by the 1915 fire. So, Sir Robert Lorimer restored it, but he kept some of the older 17th and 18th-century parts.
From the outside, the castle has parts that look like they were inspired by French castles. For example, the main entrance has a pyramid-shaped roof. The part built by Barry uses stone that looks similar to the older parts with towers. It's a large, four-story building with towers at each corner. This connects to the older castle. The tallest tower, where the entrance is, is 135 feet (41 m) high! The round towers are 115 feet (35 m) high, and the clock tower is 125 feet (38 m) high.
Inside the oldest part of the castle, there's a well called St. John's Well. It's one of the deepest wells in Scotland, going down 92 feet (28 m)!
Inside the Castle
In the entrance hall, you can see a special design showing the coats of arms used by past Earls of Sutherland. The main staircase is huge, about 30 feet (9 m) wide and 50 feet (15 m) high. It's decorated with portraits of the Leveson-Gower family.
The dining room is 40 feet (12 m) long and 22 feet (6.7 m) wide. It has an Italian art design near the ceiling and a beautiful carpet. The chairs have special needlework done by the 5th Duke's wife. The drawing room used to be two rooms. It looks out over the gardens and the sea. You can see large paintings by Canaletto and old tapestries from the 1700s.
The library holds over 10,000 books! It also has a painting of Duchess Eileen and a special mahogany table made by Thomas Chippendale.
Dunrobin Castle Gardens
The gardens, finished in 1850, also show French influence. Sir Charles Barry was inspired by the formal French style, like the famous Gardens of Versailles. Each garden section has a circular pool with a fountain. The basic design has been the same since it was created around 1848. Barry designed the gardens to look like an optical illusion from above. They seem to stretch out further than they really do! The total garden area is about 1,379 acres (558 hectares).
The Castle Museum
Dunrobin Castle has a museum that shows off many interesting things. You can see trophy heads from animals hunted by family members on safaris. There are also items from different cultures around the world. The museum also has an important collection of old archaeological items. The museum still looks much like it did in Victorian and Edwardian times. It's located in an 18th-century summer-house next to the formal gardens.
Dunrobin Castle is a very important historic building. Its gardens are also listed as important in Scotland. The castle is open to visitors from April to October each year. You can even watch Falconry displays in the castle's gardens, put on by a resident Falconer!
See also
In Spanish: Castillo de Dunrobin para niños
