It may also be the oldest continuously occupied castle in the British Isles - though that claim could be disputed by Windsor Castle ("continuously" may be the distinction).
Age not withstanding, Traquair, with its links to Mary Queen of Scots, is a fascinating place.
- Where: Traquair House, Innerleithen, Peeblesshire EH44 6PW, Scotland
- Phone: +44 (0)1896 830323
- Visit their website
- Open: Easter Weekend and April through November. Weekends only, April to November, daily from May 1 to October 31.
- March, April, May and September, noon to 5p.m.
- June, July and August, 10:30a.m. to 5p.m.
- October and November, 11a.m. to 3p.m.
- Admission: Adult, senior and children's prices as well as family tickets for house and grounds or grounds only. (Check the latest prices here)
See on a map
By bus: Buses (number 62) leave St. Andrews Square in Edinburgh for Innerleithen every half hour. There are taxi services from Innerleithen to Traquair, about a mile and a half away.
The up and down fortunes of Traquair relate to its connections with Mary Queen of Scots and, later, the Jacobite and Catholic causes in Scotland. Among the surprises visitors will find is a secret passage to a hidden priest's room where the family's resident chaplain lived until Catholic emancipation in 1829.
Mary's rosary and crucifix are exhibited in the Traquair Museum, along with an autographed letter. A state bed in The King's Room is contemporary and was used by Mary in another Scottish house. The wooden cradle at the end of the royal bed belonged to the infant James.
The Museum:
In addition to mementoes of Mary Queen of Scots, the museum has:- A collection of Jacobean glass
- Napier's Bones, an early calculator
- 17th century embroideries
- illuminated manuscripts and early printed books
- rare wall paintings
- old letters and Maxwell-Stuart family objects
- Get Married A very popular wedding venue, Traquair is licenced for civil marriages and has a Catholic chapel.
- Spend the night Several charming rooms are in use for bed and breakfast accommodation - expect to pay luxury hotel rates, though multi-night discounts are sometimes offered.
- Visit the craft workshops - four outbuildings are used by independent artisans working in traditional crafts.
- Dine The cottage restaurant in Traquair's Walled Garden serves light lunches, teas and alcoholic beverages.
- Try the home brew Traquair produces its own, highly rated ale, available in bottles as well as on tap.
