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Traquair

Traquair is a small village visited mostly for the magnificent Traquair House, set beside the River Tweed. It is the oldest house in Scotland to have been continuously inhabited by the same family, the first of the line being James Stuart who took up residence in 1491. In its time, 27 kings and queens have visited the place, including Alexander I in the 11th century, Edward I of England (known as the “Hammer of the Scots”) in the 13th, and Mary Stuart in the 16th. One laird of Traquair fell with his king at Flodden, and in the 18th century the then laird, the fifth Earl of Traquair, supported the Jacobite cause.

Charles Edward Stuart visited in 1745, and when he left, the laird closed the Bear Gates at the end of the long drive, vowing that they would never be opened until a Stuart ascended the British throne once more. They have remained firmly closed ever since.

The long and romantic history of the Stuarts of Traquair comes alive in every part of this fascinating house, - in the exquisite 18th century Library, in the corkscrewing stone staircases, and in family mementoes like the list compiled by the 4th Earl’s wife detailing the 17 children, including two sets of twins, which she presented to her husband over a period of 14 years. The Stuarts reverted to Roman Catholicism in the early 17th century and within the house are secret passages and priests’ holes.

In 1965, the then laird renovated the brewhouse which lies beneath the private chapel, and the Traquair House Brewery now produces a fine range of ales which can be bought in the estate shop. It is said that when Charles Edward Stuart visited, he too enjoyed a glass or two of Traquair Ale.

At the beginning of August each year the Traquair Fair is held, with music, dance, theatre, puppetry and children‘s entertainment.