Holydean Castle (pronounced "hollydeen") was a castle sited near

Melrose Melrose may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Melrose, Scottish Borders, a town in the Scottish Borders, Scotland ** Melrose Abbey, ruined monastery ** Melrose RFC, rugby club Australia * Melrose, Queensland, a locality in the South Burnett R ...

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, 1.25 miles SW of the village, in 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 ...

region of

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, and the former

Roxburghshire Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh () is a historic county and registration county in the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It borders Dumfriesshire to the west, Selkirkshire and Midlothian to the northwest, and Berwickshire to the north. T ...

. The castle was founded by

King David I David I or Dauíd mac Maíl Choluim ( Modern Gaelic: ''Daibhidh I mac haoilChaluim''; – 24 May 1153) was a 12th century ruler and saint who was Prince of the Cumbrians from 1113 to 1124 and King of Scotland from 1124 to 1153. The youngest ...

. It was destroyed in 1276, rebuilt in 1530 by Dame Ker, and destroyed again by the 3rd

Duke of Roxburghe The Duke of Roxburghe () is a title in the peerage of Scotland created in 1707 along with the titles ''Marquess of Bowmont and Cessford'', ''Earl of Kelso'' and ''Viscount Broxmouth''. John Ker, 5th Earl of Roxburghe became the first holder ...

in 1760. Very little of it now remains. This Norman castle was named after the Lords Holydean, who were originally the deans of

Kelso Abbey Kelso Abbey is a ruined Scottish abbeys, Scottish abbey in Kelso, Scottish Borders, Kelso, Scotland. It was founded in the 12th century by a community of Tironensian monks first brought to Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland in the reign of Alexander ...

: monks who held great power in what was one of the largest feudal territories and most profitable regions of Scotland. The peerage title, barony, and castle eventually went to the Kerrs who were made Earls of Roxburghe, and later Dukes. Holydean Farm stands on the site of the old Holydean Castle. A stone block rescued from the castle now forms the lintel of the farmhouse doorway, and the castle well is still preserved. The castle's alternative name is Hobbie Ker's Well.

References

*A historical perspective, drawn from the Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: ''A Survey of Scottish Topography, Statistical, Biographical and Historical'', edited by Francis H. Groome, originally published in parts by Thomas C. Jack, Grange Publishing Works, Edinburgh between 1882 and 1885.

External links

CANMORE/RCAHMS record of HolydeanRCAHMS record for Holydean CastleGeograph image: Farmland at Holydean, viewed from a track between Holydean Farm and Over Whitlaw Farm

E-book

Alexander Jeffrey, The history and antiquities of Roxburghshire and adjacent districts (Volume Four, pages 28 of 30

References

External links

E-book

See also