(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
 . . . . . . . . . .



Dunrobin Castle [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2024-01-18  

Welcome to the Street Prophets Coffee Hour cleverly hidden at the intersection of religion and politics. This is an open thread where we can share our thoughts and comments about the day. Dunrobin Castle is the family seat of the Earl of Sutherland and the Clan Sutherland. The Earldom of Sutherland, created in 1235, is the oldest in Scotland. Dunrobin Castle dates to 1275 but was renovated in the mid-1800’s. Most of the present building and gardens were designed by Sir Charles Barry between 1835 and 1850. The slender spires which given the castle the look of a French chateau were added in the 1840s. With 189 rooms this is the largest mansion in northern Scotland.

Rodney Castleden, in his book Castles of Britain and Ireland, writes:

“Dunrobin is a fascinating place, not quite real, a sort of secret garden in the Highlands. In spite of having the impeccably well-groomed appearance of a great mansion, it is in fact a real castle and a very ancient one.”

The 18th Earl of Sutherland died with no male heirs and so his daughter Elizabeth become the 19th Countess of Sutherland. She married George Leveson-Gower, an Englishman, who became Marquess of Stafford and shortly before his death he was created Duke of Sutherland. Rodney Castleden writes:

“This is a rare example of a man enhancing his social status by marriage—but then everything about Dunrobin is rare and out of the ordinary.”

By the 19th century, the family was one of the wealthiest in Britain. To increase the family wealth, many crofters were forcibly and cruelly turned off their land. Rodney Castleden writes:

“Dunrobin Castle is a delightful creation and the family that created it is full of interest, but it is an extremely uncomfortable thought for many of us that this huge display of wealth was built on the misery of the first Duke of Sutherland’s tenants; already extremely poor, many of them dispossessed, and often brutally in the interest of further profit for their callous landlord.”

We visited this castle on a CIE Coach Tour. Photography was allowed only on the main floor of the castle.

Main Floor

With regard to the Main Entrance, Lord Strathnaver, in the book Dunrobin Castle, writes:

“You enter the Castle through the main front door just as the Duke would have done after debarking from his yacht in 1850 and coming up a steep hill from the shore in a coach and four.”

With regard to the Main Staircase shown above, Lord Strathnaver writes:

“The main staircase epitomises the impression that the Duke and Duchess wanted to create, that of an enormous palace dedicated to the entertainment of their friends and relations. It contains a collection of hunting trophies (and indeed a whole red stag) which indicates the Castle’s use as one of the largest hunting lodges in Scotland.”

Shown above is the steam powered fire engine which was stationed at Dunrobin from 1900. The fire engine was drawn by two horses and manned by Estate workers and tenants. The fire engine is on display in the Sub-Hall.

Shown above are the copper pans and cooking utensils from the Castle Kitchen which are displayed in the Sub-Hall.

Open Thread

This is an open thread—all topics are welcome

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/1/18/2211363/-Dunrobin-Castle?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web

Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/