Traquair House

About this place

Traquair House is claimed to be the oldest continually inhabited house in Scotland, standing approximately seven miles southeast of Peebles in the Scottish Borders.

It was built as a fortified mansion rather than a formal castle, and its plain harled exterior and tower form pre-date the Scottish Baronial style, which it may have influenced.

Scottish monarchs stayed here in the medieval period, and the Stuart family have held the estate for centuries.

Their Catholic faith shaped much of the house's later history.

The Bear Gates at the main entrance have remained closed since 1745, when the fifth Earl of Traquair shut them after Bonnie Prince Charlie departed, vowing they would not reopen until a Stuart sat on the throne.

The estate also runs Traquair Brewery, which produces ale on the grounds and is open to visitors.

The grounds include a hedge maze.

History

The house has a long royal association, with Scottish monarchs known to have stayed here in the medieval period. It passed into the hands of the Stuart family, who have held it for centuries and whose Catholic faith shaped much of the house's later history. The famous Bear Gates at the main entrance have remained closed since 1745, when the fifth Earl of Traquair shut them after Bonnie Prince Charlie departed, vowing they would not reopen until a Stuart sat on the throne again.

Architecture

The building is a fortified mansion constructed before the Scottish Baronial style emerged, and is considered a possible precursor to that tradition. Its plain harled exterior and tower form are characteristic of earlier Scottish domestic architecture.

Worth knowing

The sealed Bear Gates, closed since Bonnie Prince Charlie's visit in 1745, remain one of the most recognisable symbolic gestures of Jacobite loyalty attached to any Scottish property.

Gardens & grounds

The grounds include a hedge maze as well as the working Traquair Brewery, which produces ale on the estate.

Facilities