Bonkyll Castle (also variously spelled Bonkyl, Boncle, Buncle, Bunkle or Bonkill) was a medieval fortress situated in the historic Scottish county of

Berwickshire Berwickshire (; ) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in south-eastern Scotland, on the English border. The county takes its name from Berwick-upon-Tweed, its original county town, which was part of Scotland at the ...

, from 1973 the

Scottish Borders The Scottish Borders is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by West Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian, and East Lothian to the north, the North Sea to the east, Dumfries and Galloway to the south-west, South Lanarkshire to the we ...

. It is situated 4 miles north of Duns and 4 miles south of Grantshouse. Few traces survive and the site is protected as a

scheduled monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage, visu ...

. It was the seat of a junior branch of the Stewart family, known as "Stewart of Bonkyl", from which was descended in another junior branch "Stewart of Darnley", the paternal family of King James VI & I of Scotland and England.

Description

Excepting the

motte A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or Bailey (castle), bailey, surrounded by a protective Rampart (fortificati ...

on which it stood, and a small section of curtain wall there is little left of the structure of what was once a very powerful castle of enceinte.

Descent

de Bonkyll

The seat of the powerful barony of Bonkyll, the castle originally belonged to the de Bonkyll family, which took its name. Their canting arms were ''three buckles''. The last in the male line was Sir Alexander de Bonkyll, whose daughter and heiress Margaret de Bonkyl married Sir John Stewart (d.1298). The castle was

slighted Slighting is the deliberate damage of high-status buildings to reduce their value as military, administrative, or social structures. This destruction of property is sometimes extended to the contents of buildings and the surrounding landscape. It ...

in the course of the First War of Independence. After the death of her father in 1300, Margaret reconciled with

Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 125 ...

in 1304, who restored the lands of Bonkyll to her.

Stewart of Bonkyll

*Sir Alexander Stewart of Bonkyll (d.1319), the oldest son of Sir John Stewart (d.1298) and Margaret de Bonkyll, and the first "Stewart of Bonkyll," inherited the Bonkyll estate and title after the death of his mother. *

John Stewart, 1st Earl of Angus John Stewart, 1st Earl of Angus, Lord of Bonkyl, ''jure uxoris'' Lord of Abernethy (died 9 December 1331) was a medieval Scottish nobleman. Stewart was the son of Sir Alexander Stewart of Bonkyll, great-grandson of Alexander Stewart, 4th Hig ...

(d.1331), son, who in 1328 married Margaret de Abernethy, the heiress of the Lordship of Abernethy. In 1329 King

Robert I of Scotland Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (), was King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329. Robert led Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence against Kingdom of Eng ...

created him

Earl of Angus The Mormaer or Earl of Angus was the ruler of the medieval Scottish Provinces of Scotland, province of Angus, Scotland, Angus. The title, in the Peerage of Scotland, is held by the Duke of Hamilton, and is used as a courtesy title for the eldes ...

. He thus controlled broad territories in

Angus Angus may refer to: *Angus, Scotland, a council area of Scotland, and formerly a province, sheriffdom, county and district of Scotland * Angus, Canada, a community in Essa, Ontario Animals * Angus cattle, various breeds of beef cattle Media * ...

, and

Kinross-shire The County of Kinross or Kinross-shire is a historic county and registration county in eastern Scotland, administered as part of Perth and Kinross since 1975. Surrounding its largest settlement and county town of Kinross, the county borders Per ...

. * Thomas Stewart, 2nd Earl of Angus (b.pre-1331-1361), son, who died without male issue, leaving a daughter and heiress Margaret Stewart. ** Margaret Stewart (d.1417), daughter and sole heiress, who inherited the Earldom of Angus and Lordship of Abernethy, and Bunkle Castle. She had an illicit affair with

William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas (c. 1323 – 1 May 1384) was a Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish nobleman, peer, magnate, and head of the Black Douglas family. Under his leadership, the Black Douglases continued their climb to pre-eminence i ...

, by whom she had a son

George Douglas, 1st Earl of Angus George Douglas, 1st Earl of Angus (1380–1403) was a Scottish nobleman and peer. Life He was born at Tantallon Castle, East Lothian, Scotland. He was the natural-illegitimate son of William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas and Margaret Ste ...

Douglas, Earls of Angus

From the Countess Margaret's death in 1417 Bunkle passed to her son

, with whose descendants it remained until the late 18th century. George Douglas, Master of Angus, lord of the barony of Bonkill, made several charters while residing at the castle. The property passed to his widow Elizabeth Drummond as part of her jointure. Bunkle subsequently belonged to

Margaret Tudor Margaret Tudor (28 November 1489 – 18 October 1541) was List of Scottish royal consorts, Queen of Scotland from 1503 until 1513 by marriage to King James IV. She then served as regent of Scotland during her son's minority, and fought to exte ...

as Countess of Angus, and was held by

George Douglas of Pittendreich George Douglas of Pittendreich (died 1552) was a member of the powerful Red Douglas family who struggled for control of the young James V of Scotland in 1528. His second son became James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton and Regent of Scotland. Initia ...

, who had been Bailie of Bonkill since 1514. Her husband

Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus (c. 148922 January 1557) was a Scottish nobleman active during the reigns of James V and Mary, Queen of Scots. He was the son of George, Master of Angus, who was killed at the Battle of Flodden, and succ ...

was at Bonkill on 28 November 1522. In August 1523 the Earl of Surrey suggested that if Margaret Tudor came to Bunkle with her silver plate and jewels, pretending to intercede for the people of the Scottish borders, he could convey her safely to England. The poet and laird Patrick Hume of Polwarth was bailie of Bonkyll in 1593 for

James VI James may refer to: People * James (given name) * James (surname) * James (musician), aka Faruq Mahfuz Anam James, (born 1964), Bollywood musician * James, brother of Jesus * King James (disambiguation), various kings named James * Prince Ja ...

and he was instructed to use the rents from the houses in the mains of Bonkyll to pay the wages of the king's huntsman John Acheson.''HMC 14th Report: Marchmont'' (London, 1894), p. 78
/ref>

Earls of Home

In the late 18th century ownership of Bunkle Castle passed to the

Earls of Home Earl of Home ( ) is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1605 for Alexander Home wikt:of that ilk, of that Ilk, 6th Lord Home. The Earl of Home holds, among others, the subsidiary titles of Lord Home (created 1473) and Lord Dun ...

In rhyme

A popular Berwickshire rhyme refers to the medieval strengths of Bonkyll and the nearby fortresses of Billie Castle, and Blanerne Castle referring to their construction in the time of

David I David I may refer to: * David I, Caucasian Albanian Catholicos c. 399 * David I of Armenia, Catholicos of Armenia (728–741) * David I Kuropalates of Georgia (died 881) * David I Anhoghin, king of Lori (ruled 989–1048) * David I of Scotland ...

and to their sad ultimate fates as piles of rubble, an allegory to the effective extinction of the Kingdom of Scotland after the formation of

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

in 1707:

''Bunkle, Billie and Blanerne''
''Three castles strong as airn''
''Built when Davie was a bairn''
''They'll all gang doon,''
''Wi' Scotland's Croon''
''And ilka ane shall be a cairn''

References

{{reflist

External links

1862 Ordnance Survey map of Bunkle Castle and Kirk - National Library of Scotland
Berwickshire Ruined castles in the Scottish Borders Scheduled monuments in the Scottish Borders