In the footsteps of Mary Queen of Scots
In Scotland's long and fascinating history, one figure stands out above all others: Mary, Queen of Scots. Her life story is nothing short of remarkable, from her ascension to the throne at just one week old in 1542 to her tumultuous reign as a Catholic monarch in a Protestant country, and eventual downfall, imprisonment and execution in 1587. Her life has provided enough material for several Hollywood films. Although fact and fiction have blurred over time, the legend of this romantic and tragic figure continues to captivate. Regardless of its veracity, Mary's life remains a fascinating subject, attracting thousands of visitors to Scotland each year.
Although Mary Queen of Scots is widely considered the most famous woman in Scottish history, she only actually spent a relatively short period of time in Scotland. She was born in Linlithgow Palace in 1542 to King James V and Mary of Guise, but at the age of 5 she was sent to France for safety. Returning at 18 as an accomplished, beautiful young woman (and widowed Queen of France), her personal rule lasted only six years before she was forced to abdicate and imprisoned by her nobles. Mary later escaped and fled to England in 1568 at the age of 26, never to return to Scotland. Despite her brief personal rule, she travelled extensively throughout the country and is closely associated with many royal palaces and great houses. In this blog, we will explore the sites that are associated with Queen Mary in the Scottish Borders, many of which are included in our brand new private tour - Mary Queen of Scots in The Borders.
The ‘Rough Wooing’
For all this Blog, and tour, sets out to celebrate Mary’s life we must first confront an uncomfortable truth - The Borders suffered terribly during Mary’s reign. What’s new there then? The Borders had long suffered the wrath of invading English armies, with the locals not being much better. By the 16th century the border on both sides was almost a buffer between the two kingdoms, with lawlessness rife. The so called ‘Rough Wooing’ however takes the prize for most devastating attack of all. This was the aim of the aging Henry VIII, King of England, to wed the infant Mary to his son the future Edward VI. There were other geo-political factors of the day involved of course, including Scotland’s alliance with France which enraged the English King. The word ‘rough’ seems a bit of an understatement for what went on across The Borders and South East Scotland particularly. And, of course, its believed that the ‘wooing’ bit came from Mr Romance himself, Sir Walter Scott. The truth is this was murder, despoiling land, fire, theft of livestock and more.
Kelso Abbey has already been burned down in previous cross Border fighting in 1542, but worse was to come in 1544 when the huge English army under the Earl of Hertford attacked The Borders, Lothians and Edinburgh. Edinburgh was burned and scores of innocent people killed. All the Border Abbeys were targeted and this destruction, combined with Scotland’s Protestant Reformation signalled the final end of their original purpose. There was very little to celebrate for Scotland during the rough wooing, with one exception…
The Battle of Ancrum Moor - 1544
The battle of Ancrum Moor was a rare victory for Scotland in these devastating attacks. It took place on 27 February 1545, near what we know call Lilliardsedge, near Jedburgh. Here a Scottish force used their long pikes to devastating effect (the same pikes which had proved monumentally disastrous just 30 years earlier at Flodden). 800 English were killed, with hundreds more taken prisoner. The Earl of Arran, James Hamilton, is reputed to have visited the site to witness the aftermath. He, at this point was running Scotland in the name of Queen Mary - still only a Royal toddler! The battle of Ancrum Moor was not decisive - the waves of attacks were temporarily halted, but would come again. It was however an important morale boost and has given birth to an enduring legend - that of Lady Lilliard. A monument to her can be found on the battle site, and is accessible on Dere Street/St. Cuthbert’s Way. The story is captured in this verse:
Fair maiden Lilliard
lies under this stane
little was her stature
but muckle was her fame
upon the English loons
she laid monie thumps
and when her legs were cuttit off
she fought upon her stumps.
- AD 1544
It makes for an arresting image! It is however believed to be more in the line of a myth than a fact, but we are pretty good at myths and legends in The Borders… In the aftermath of Ancrum Moor, French Troops helped to fortify Jedburgh Abbey with ramparts and gun placements, which can be walked and enjoyed to this day. It is also reputed that Scots forces brutally slaughtered an English garrison at nearby Ferniehirst Castle, home of the powerful Kerr family. Clearly Scotland in the 1540’s was a violent, dangerous place and the child Queen, who had been moved around the country, was shipped off to France in 1548 and betrothed to the Dapuhin, next in line to the throne…
Neidpath - 1563
Mary eventually married the Dauphin, who became King Francis II with his wife Queen of Scotland and France. He only held on to the crown for a year or so, and on his death in 1560 Mary suddenly became a powerful and dangerous figure. Her Mother In Law, Catherine De’Medici had no interest in this Queen of Scotland (who had a more than passing claim to the English throne as well) hanging about so it was time for her to return to rule in Scotland, aged 18, in 1561.
The romantic image of Mary is helped by her stature - literally. She stood at 5 feet 11 inches tall, which is a very tall woman in 2024, let alone 1561. She returns to a Scotland which has stayed off the worst of the Rough Wooing, but is dangerous, complex and full of vipers, waiting to strike. On top of everything there is the thorny topic of religion - Scotland was tearing itself away from the Roman Catholic faith that Mary practiced with zeal, and towards a Presbyterian form of Protestantism.
To help solidify her divine right to rule, and to get to know a country that was foreign to her (although she did speak English & Scots) she began to tour it extensively in a number of summer journeys. In 1563 a long tour of the South West, including Ayrshire, Kirkcudbrightshire and Dumfriesshire lead to a tired Mary seeking a rest stop on her way back to Edinburgh. Her friends The Hays of Neidpath Castle near Peebles were happy to oblige. Mary is reported to have been relaxed in the company of The Hays, who had visited her in France. Today you can stay in Neidpath in ‘Queen Marys Chamber’. The castle is also home to wonderful wall hanging batiks which tell the story of Mary’s life, as well as that of Neidpath.
Traquair & Ettrick Forest - August 1566
During the 16th century, the Borders region was fraught with unrest and uncertainty. Many of the large families, such as the Scotts, Elliots and Kerrs, were suspected of wavering loyalties. To re-establish authority in the Southern shires, a royal journey was planned for October 1566. However, before that, Mary Queen of Scots and her husband, Henry Lord Darnley, took a hunting trip to Ettrick Forest in the summer of that year.
Mary and Darnley stayed at Cramalt Tower, which is now submerged under the Megget Reservoir. A small memorial remains near a car park, marking the spot. Despite its unlikely and remote location, Megget was a favoured spot of the Stewart Monarchs. From there, the couple visited Traquair, the home of Sir John Stewart, a loyal friend and sometime bodyguard of The Queen.
Only five months prior to their visit, Sir John had been present at the murder of Mary's close friend, David Rizzio, in Holyrood Palace. Sir John was not involved in the rebellious plot and had helped the Queen escape to safety at Dunbar. Darnley may have been complicit in the murder, but his reputation as weak and cowardly was solidified by his actions before and after the killing. Sir John remembered this and reportedly took Darnley to task when he insulted Queen Mary at Traquair.
The Stewarts of Traquair remained loyal to their distant cousins for centuries after the famous visit. Today, Traquair is a popular and essential stop on the Mary Queen of Scots tour. The cradle used by Mary to rock Prince James to sleep is a remarkable feature of the house.
Jeddart & The Hermitage - October 1566
In an effort to restore order in the unruly parts of The Borders, the Queen's trusted lieutenant, Lord Bothwell (who later became her third husband), led the mission to deal with the notorious Elliots and dangerous Border Reivers in October 1566. Given his reputation as a bit of a Borders hard man, Bothwell was well-suited for the task. The Queen's party (excluding Darnley) followed through The Borders via Peebles and Selkirk and arrived at Melrose. It wasn't long before they learned that Lord Bothwell had been severely injured in a fight with Little Jock Elliot and was recovering at his Borders fortress, Hermitage Castle. Little Jock Elliot is a legendary figure in Border ballads and is often depicted as a tough guy, the below highlighting his credentials:
I’ve vanquished the Queen’s Lieutenant,
And garr’d her troopers flee;
My name is little Jock Elliot,
And wha daur meddle wi’ me?
Wha daur meddle wi’ me?
Wha daur meddle wi’ me?
My name is little Jock Elliot,
And wha daur meddle wi’ me?
Not a man to mess with, as Bothwell found out! The royal party continued to Jedburgh where a court of justice was to be held. They lodged with the Kerrs of Fernierhirst, a powerful Borders family to this day. Our tour visits a 16th century house in the town today which hosts the Mary Queen of Scots’ Visitor Centre and gives an indication of the sort of buildings Jedburgh (or Jeddart) was populated with 400 years ago. Following the conclusion of her court, the Queen made the bold decision to travel thirty miles across treacherous terrain to visit Bothwell at Hermitage Castle. Accompanying her was her half-brother and advisor, James Stewart Earl of Moray, as well as a number of nobles (including Lord Maitland, Laird of Thirlestane Castle in Lauder). Although the ride has been romanticised over the centuries, particularly given Bothwell's eventual marriage to the Queen, the historical records do not suggest any impropriety - Moray was with the Queen the entire time. Nonetheless, the journey itself was perilous, as the Queen ventured into the rugged and bloody Liddesdale valley to reach the fortress of Hermitage. Due to the dangerous location, the Queen's visit was limited to one day only.
To this day you can plot large sections of this famous journey just by using the OS Maps - you will find locations such as Lady’s Knowe, Queen’s Mire (where she is reported to have become stuck) and Queens Sike. Artefacts dropped on this ride (perhaps a little bit conveniently, but maybe I am too cynical!) can be viewed in the visitor centre in Jedburgh. One of the Jedburgh Callants Festival rides travels to Queen’s Mire every July and the route in it’s entirety was ridden to commemorate the 400th anniversary in the 1960’s.
The queen was extremely ill on her return to Jedburgh with an unknown ailment, and is reputed to have said in later years “would that I had died at Jeddart” and it is believed that she nearly did. Following her recovery she returned to Edinburgh via Kelso, Berwick, and into the Lothians - Bothwell’s territory. Within 7 months Darnley would be dead, The Queen would then marry Bothwell, sparking a rebellion and war. She would face imprisonment and be forced to abdicate (with Moray becoming Regent for toddler James) before escaping and leaving Scotland for the last time in 1568.
Although Queen Mary's reign in Scotland was brief, her time in The Borders was a captivating and intriguing chapter in her story and our history. Join the Mary Queen of Scots Borders Tour to learn more about her and the turbulent times she faced here. The tour is available between 1 April and 30 September.
I am indebted to the following sources for this blog together: Live Borders first rate (and free!) Mary Queen of Scots’ Visitor Centre in Jedburgh, the excellent ‘Mary Stuart’s Scotland’ by David & Judy Steel, Historic Environment Scotland (who manage Hermitage Castle and The Border Abbeys for the nation), ‘Neidpath Castle and it’s Lairds’ by Steve Dube and Lulu Benson from Neidpath.
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