Duntarvie Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Duntarvie Castle |
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Duntarvie Castle
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| Location | Near Winchburgh |
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Listed Building – Category A
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| Designated | 22 February 1972 |
| Reference no. | LB6422 |
| Designated | 21 August 1953 |
| Reference no. | SM1905 |
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Duntarvie Castle is an old house in West Lothian, Scotland. It is a ruined building from the late 1500s. The castle is located about 1.5 kilometers north of Winchburgh. It is also about 9 kilometers east of Linlithgow. This historic site is close to the M9 motorway. Since the 1990s, people have been working to restore the castle. Duntarvie Castle is protected as a very important historic building. It is also a scheduled monument.
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A Look Back: Duntarvie Castle's Story
The land where Duntarvie Castle stands belonged to the Lindsay family from 1527. Later, in 1605, the property was given to the Hamiltons of Abercorn. This document from 1605 suggests the castle might have existed as early as 1212.
Who Built Duntarvie Castle?
The Durham family rented Duntarvie from the Hamiltons. However, Historic Environment Scotland says that James Durham received Duntarvie in 1588. He then had the castle built shortly after that time.
James Durham's father, Alexander Durham, held important jobs for the king. He worked as a clerk and managed the Prince's Wardrobe for King James VI. James Durham took over his father's jobs in 1580. He also served as Chamberlain for Linlithgowshire between 1595 and 1600. The Durham family moved away from Duntarvie in the 1770s.
The Castle Falls into Ruin
By 1826, the Earl of Hopetoun owned the house. It needed a lot of repairs. The castle became empty in the 1840s. By the 1900s, it was a ruin with no roof.
Bringing Duntarvie Back to Life
In the late 1900s, a kiltmaker named Geoffrey Nicholsby bought the castle. He wanted to restore it for his business. Work started in 1994. But part of the east tower fell down in January 1995.
In 2008, Mr. Nicholsby got permission to restore the castle. He then put the property up for sale. However, it did not sell. In 2013, he asked for permission to build a "tank play park" nearby. The money from this park would help pay for the castle's restoration. The local council first liked the idea. But they refused permission when they could not agree on the funding. In 2015, new roof trusses were put on the building.
In 2018, the land received permission to build a large tent structure. This structure would host weddings and events. This allowed the site to start holding weddings with temporary tents. In May 2019, building began on a new "Summerhouse" style tent. This new building is located behind the castle.
Work also continued inside the castle's Great Hall. The goal is to open this part of the building. This way, couples can get married inside the castle itself.
What Duntarvie Castle Looks Like
Duntarvie Castle has a long, rectangular main building. It is three stories tall. There are also square towers at each end. These towers are four stories high and stick out to the north.
Each tower used to have a flat roof. These roofs had a stone railing around them. A spiral staircase is located in a small tower in the inner corner of each main tower. An unusual straight staircase connects the ground floor and the first floor. This was not common for buildings of its time.
