Herbertshire Castle facts for kids

Herbertshire Castle was a historic castle built in the early 1400s. It was located near Dunipace, in Falkirk, central Scotland. People say it might have once been a special hunting spot for kings and queens. The castle stood on high ground next to the River Carron, Forth, which made its location very beautiful.

The castle had an L-shape and featured a tall, four-storey tower with battlements. It was a large building, about 63 feet long and 43 feet wide. Its height made it easy to spot from far away. Sadly, a big fire in 1914 badly damaged the castle, and it lay in ruins until it was taken down in the 1950s. Today, the land where it stood is a park called Herbertshire Castle Park. You can't see the castle anymore, only some low bumps and dips in the ground.

What's in a Name? Herbertshire's History

The name Herbertshire likely comes from a person named Herbert de Camera. Around the year 1200, Herbert gave parts of his land in Dunipace to a place called Cambuskenneth Abbey. At that time, these lands were part of a larger area known as the barony of Dunipace.

After Herbert's gifts, the remaining land became the main barony, known as Herbertshire. It was located in the county of Stirling. This area was very important for both Dunipace and Denny. During the Wars of Scottish Independence, it was still called the Barony of Dunipace. The name Herbertshire only started to be used sometime after these wars ended.

Early Owners of Herbertshire

In the early days, the owners of the barony were the de Moreham family. The last owner, Sir Thomas de Moreham, had no sons to inherit the land because they had died in the wars. So, his granddaughter became the next owner.

She married a man named John Gifford, and they had four daughters. The youngest daughter, Elizabeth, married John Douglas. He was the son of James, Lord Douglas. The Herbertshire estate then passed to Elizabeth and John during the time of David II of Scotland, who was king from 1324 to 1371. It was in their official document that the name 'Herbertshire' was first written down.

John Douglas was killed in 1350. Later, in 1369, the estate was owned by Archibald, Earl Douglas. When his son, William, Lord of Nithsdale, married one of King Robert II's daughters, the lands were given to them as a gift.

The Castle is Built

The daughter of William, Lord of Nithsdale, married Henry Sinclair, who was the Earl of Orkney and Lord of Rosslyn. The Herbertshire estate became theirs in 1407. It was during the time the Sinclair family owned the land that Herbertshire Castle was built.

An old document from 1474 is the first to mention the castle. It talks about the 'lands and barony of Herbertshire with the castle and fortalice thereof'. A fortalice is another word for a small fort or fortified building.

Changes in Ownership

Over the centuries, Herbertshire Castle and its lands changed hands many times. In 1608, Alexander Livingstone, 1st Earl of Linlithgow, bought the estate. He then sold it in 1632 to John Stirling.

The Stirling family owned the castle for many years. John Stirling was followed by William Stirling, then George Stirling, and finally John Stirling, who passed away in 1754. In 1768, John Stirling's daughter, Jean Stirling, sold the estate. She was married to James Erskine, Lord Alva.

The new owner was William Morehead, who was born in 1737 and died in 1793. He was an important person who helped start the Royal Society of Edinburgh, a famous group for learning and science.

The Forbes Family and the Fire

The Morehead family owned Herbertshire Castle for at least two more generations. Then, in 1835, another William Morehead sold it to William Forbes. This William Forbes was a Member of Parliament for Stirlingshire. His father, William Forbes of Callendar, had become very rich by making copper linings for Royal Navy ships.

The castle stayed with the Forbes family until it was destroyed. For a while in the late 1800s, it was even used as a boarding school. But later, it became a home for the Forbes family again.

On December 20, 1914, a terrible fire broke out at Herbertshire Castle. It started before 5 AM, while everyone was asleep. Most of the twenty-four people inside managed to escape. This included Mr. and Mrs. Charles William Forbes and their four daughters, who were between 10 and 16 years old. The daughters were dramatically rescued from a tower using a ladder! Two maids also bravely jumped across a 22-foot gap to another roof to escape.

However, three people sadly died in the fire. Two of them were young sisters, Cynthia Graham (14 years old) and Clare Graham (who was celebrating her 16th birthday). They were visiting from nearby Airthrey Castle. Their beautiful tomb can be found at Old Logie Kirk. The third person who died was Mrs. Forbes's companion, Rachel Littlejohn. These three were in bedrooms on the top floors. No ladder could reach them, and the windows had bars. Because the castle was on high ground, the huge fire could be seen for many miles around.

After the fire, the castle was completely burned out and left in ruins. It remained that way until it was finally taken down in the 1950s.