Topographical, statistical, and historical gazetteer of Scotland > Volume 1

FALKLAND.
52£
returned in the beginning of the following year,
having left Edinburgh to avoid the brawls which
had arisen between Arran and Both well; and re-
sided partly at Falkland, and partly at St. Andrews,
for two or three months. She occupied her morn-
ings in hunting on the banks of the Eden, or in trials
of skill in archery, in her garden; and her afternoons
in reading the Greek and Latin classics with Bu-
chanan, or at chess, or with music. During 1563,
after her return from her expedition to the north,
she visited this palace, where she made various short
excursions to places in the neighbourhood ; and again,
in 1564, and after her marriage with Darnley in
1565. After the birth of her son, she visited Falk-
land, but this appears to have been the last time, as
the circumstances which so rapidly succeeded each
other, after the murder of Darnley, and her marriage
with Bothwell, left her no longer at leisure to enjoy
the retirement it had once afforded her. James VI.,
while he remained in Scotland, resided often at the
palace of Falkland, and indeed it seems to have been
his favourite residence. After the raid of Ruthven,
James retired here, calling his friends together for
the purpose of consulting as to the best means of
relieving himself from the thraldom under which he
had been placed; and he was again at Falkland in
1593, when the Earl of Bothwell made one of his
desperate attempts on the king's person, which led
to the imprisonment of Wemys,
' The wanton laird o' young Logie,'
whose escape forms the subject of an ancient ballad.
After the riots in Edinburgh, in 1596, James again
retired here, where he employed himself partly in
hunting, and partly in plotting the destruction of
the Presbyterian religion, and the introduction of
Episcopacy. In the end of 1600, James was again
residing at Falkland, when the Gowrie conspiracy,
as it has been called, took place. The king, one
morning, was about to mount his horse, to follow
his favourite sport, when the mysterious message
was delivered to him by Alexander Ruthven, bro-
ther to the Earl of Gowrie, which led to the death
of both these young noblemen. In 1617, when
James, now king of Great Britain, visited Scotland,
he, in his progress through the kingdom, paid his
last visit to Falkland. In 1633, when Charles I.
visited Scotland, he slept three nights here, on his
way to Perth ; and on his return, he slept two nights
in going to Edinburgh, and created several gentle-
men of the county knights on the occasion. Upon
the 6th of July, 1650, Charles II., who had returned
from the continent on the 23d of the preceding
month, visited Falkland, where he resided some
days, receiving the homage of that part of his sub-
jects who were desirous of his restoration to the
Crown of his ancestors ; and here he again returned,
after his coronation at Scone, on the 22d of Jan-
uary, 1651, and remained some days.*
in the neighbourhood of which there was a small wood where
stags were kept, whither, or at least to its vicinity, she daily
resorted with a slender retinue, it was said that she might be
surprised without any difficulty. At this time it was thought
that they might easily destroy Murray, while unarmed, and
without suspicion; and thus obtain possession of her Majesty's
person. According to Knox, this charge of treason was ex-
hibited by Arran, in 1562. He seems, however, to think that
tlte charge originated from the frenzy of this nobleman.
* After describing his Majesty's progress from the north
where he landed, by Dundee to St. AudrevvH, and thence to
Cupar, Lament, in his Diary, page 20, says : — " After this he
went to Faklande all night. All this tyroe the most pairt of
the gentlemen of the shyre did goe alongs with him. The tyme
that he abode at Faklande, he went downe one day and dyned
at the E. of Wemyes' house, and another att Lesley with the
E. of Rothus. * * * From St. Johnstou he cam to
Faklande, Jan. 22, 1651. — Sir James Balfour, in Ins Annals of
Scotland, says: — "The 5 of Julij 1(550 his Maiie cam frum St.
Andrews, and wes banqueted in Couper to his auen housse of
Falkland on Saterday. My L. the Earle of Aruudaill iuter-
The oldest portion of the palace, which was erected
either by James III. or James IV., forms the south
front, and is still partially inhabited. On each floor
there are six windows, square-topped, and divided
by mullions into two lights. Between the windows,
the front is supported by buttresses, enriched with
niches, in which statues were placed, the mutilated
remains of which are still to be seen, and terminat-
ing in ornamented pinnacles which rise considerably
above the top of the wall. The lower floor is the
part inhabited, and the upper floor is entirely occu-
pied by a large hall, anciently the chapel of the
palace. The western part of this front of the palace
is in the castellated style, and of greater height
than the other; it is ornamented with two round
towers, between which is a lofty archway which
forms the entrance to the court-yard behind, and
which, in former times, was secured by strong doors,
and could be defended from the towers which flank
it. James V. made great additions to the palace,
and appears to have erected two ranges of building,
equal in size to that described, on the east and north
sides of the court-yard. As completed by him, there-
fore, the palace occupied three sides of a square court,
the fourth or western side being enclosed by a lofty
wall. The range of building on the north side of the
court has now entirely disappeared, and of that on
the west, the bare walls alone remain ; these two
portions of the palace having been accidentally de-
stroyed by fire in the reign of Charles II. Having
erected his addition to the palace, in the Corinthian
style of architecture, James assimilated the inner
front of the older part of the building, by erecting a
new facade in the same style with the rest of the
building. The building consisted of two stories, a
basement or lower floor, and a principal one, the
windows of which are large and elegant, when we
consider the period. Between the windows, the
facade is ornamented with finely proportioned Co-
rinthian pillars, having rich capitals ; and above the
windows are medallions, presenting a series of heads
carved in high relief, some of which are beautifully
executed, and would lead us to believe that more
than native talent had been engaged in the work.
On the top of the basement which supports the pil-
lars, the initials of the king, and of his queen, Mary
of Guise, are carved alternately. The architect who
designed this building, and superintended its erec-
tion, was in all probability Sir James Hamilton of
Finnart, a natural son of the 1st Earl of Arran, who
was cup-bearer to James V., steward of the house-
hold, and superintendent of the royal palaces. He
was accused of high treason, fried, convicted, and
executed as a traitor, in August, 1540. The palace
of Falkland, deserted by its royal inmates, was for h.
long series of years suffered to fall into decay :
*' The fretted roof looked dark and cold,
And tottered all around ;
The carved work of ageB old
Dropped uither'd on the ground ;
The casement's antique tracery
Was eaten by the dew :
And the night-breeze, whistling mournfully,
Crept keen and coldly through."
It is now the property of Mr, Bruce, who takes great
tained until Monday at night. Falkland 9 Julij. I deuyssed for
the impresse to be putt on hes Majesties coronation pices at lies
command ; hes face to be ODe the one syde of it, with this cir-
cumscription — 'Carol: Seeundus, D. G. Scot- Auyl: Fran:
et Hyber: Hex, Fidei defensor,' fee..; and on the reversse, a
lyoue rampant, holding in his paw a thistell of 3 stems, with
this circuinscriptione, ' Nemo me impune lacessit;' aDd below-
the lyons footte one the lembe, 'Corouat : Die Mensis Ao l(>50.'
* * * Mr. Thomas Nicolsone, his Maiesties
Aduocat, wes knighted in the withdrauiug roume at Falkland,
after supper on Wednesday, the 10 of Julij instant. His Ma-
jesty 6tayed at Falkland wntill Tuesday the 23 of Julij, from
quhence he did remoue to Perthc for one night, quher he wes
feasted wilh all his traiue by the magistrats."