Barnbougle Castle: A Historic Scottish Castle Near South Queensferry

Visitor Information

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Official Website: roseberyvenues.co.uk

Country: United Kingdom

Civilization: Unclassified

Remains: Military

History

Barnbougle Castle stands near South Queensferry in Scotland, built originally by the Norman Mowbray family in the 13th century. The Mowbrays, who also held lordships over Dalmeny and Inverkeithing, established a tower house on this rocky promontory overlooking the Firth of Forth, marking their presence in the region during the medieval period.

In the early 15th century, Sir John Mowbray of Barnbougle gained distinction when he was knighted in 1402 after the Battle of Homildon Hill. The castle and its owners remained prominent through the 16th century. In 1586, John Mowbray, then laird of Barnbougle, supported Mary, Queen of Scots. Two of his daughters served as ladies-in-waiting to the imprisoned queen in England, and one is believed to have been a recipient of the “Penicuik Jewels,” personal gifts from Mary during her captivity.

The site gained further historical note in 1597 when the Links of Barnbougle, the coastal plain nearby, became the venue for a judicial combat—a formal fight to settle a dispute. This combat was fought between James Carmichael and Adam Bruntfield, witnessed by high-ranking judges and reportedly attended by as many as 5,000 spectators, underlining the importance of the event within Scottish legal and social traditions of the time.

Ownership of Barnbougle shifted in 1615 to Sir Thomas Hamilton, later known as the Earl of Haddington. In 1662, Sir Archibald Primrose acquired the estate; his family was elevated to the Earls of Rosebery in 1703, and Barnbougle became their main residence. Throughout the 17th century, the original medieval tower was either rebuilt or replaced, maintaining the castle’s role as a noble estate.

In the late 18th century, the famed architect Robert Adam prepared plans for a triangular castle design that would incorporate the original tower, but these plans, drawn in 1774, were never carried out. By the early 19th century, after serving as a storage site for explosives and suffering damage from an accidental blast, the castle fell into disrepair. Consequently, the Rosebery family relocated to Dalmeny House in 1817.

A significant revival came in 1881 when the castle underwent a full reconstruction and extension in the Scots Baronial style under the direction of architect James Maitland Wardrop. This renovation was commissioned to house the private Napoleonic-era library of Archibald, the 5th Earl of Rosebery, who briefly served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1894 to 1895. A specially designed gallery hall within the castle provided a space for public speaking practice, reflecting the Earl’s political career. Since then, Barnbougle Castle has remained part of the Dalmeny Estate and continues to be owned by the Rosebery family, recognized today as a protected category A listed building.

Remains

Barnbougle Castle occupies a rocky headland that projects toward the Firth of Forth, with its structure incorporating elements from different periods. Although much of the current building dates from the major 1881 reconstruction, parts of the original 13th-century tower and later 17th-century masonry survive on the north and east sides, providing a tangible link to its origins and historic transformations.

The building rises three storeys high with an additional attic level and is primarily constructed of rubble masonry, a method using rough stones bound with mortar, which is dressed externally with carefully cut sandstone blocks known as ashlar. This gives the castle a solid and refined appearance while reflecting typical local building techniques.

Distinctive features include crow-stepped gables, which are stair-like designs on the edges of the roof that help channel water away, and bartizans, small projecting turrets placed on the two western corners. These bartizans are fitted with water spouts to direct rainwater clear of the walls. The roofline is also marked by a crenellated parapet, a low protective wall with alternating high and low sections often associated with medieval fortifications.

An inscribed panel on the castle’s east wall bears the biblical verse, “Remove Not The Ancient Landmark Which Thy Fathers Have Set” from Proverbs 22:28, reflecting a reverence for heritage and continuity in ownership and design.

Within the castle grounds, the garden houses a notable 2.4-metre (approximately 7 feet 10 inches) high obelisk sundial. This timekeeping monument, moved to its present location in 1890, adds to the historic atmosphere of the estate, linking it to the scientific interests and tastes of the Rosebery family during the period of the castle’s restoration.

Together, these features illustrate Barnbougle Castle’s layered history visible in its architecture and landscape, displaying a blend of medieval origins and later adaptations that have preserved the castle’s prominence through centuries.