Book Review – Scottish Baronial Castles 1250-145
Author Michael Brown, Illustrated by Adam Hook.
May 5, 2009
Scottish Baronial Castles is a study of Scotland’s medieval castles; from well-known fortresses such as Edinburgh and Stirling, to lesser-known and smaller castles such as Kinclaven and Dirleton.
Castles in Medieval Scotland
The author begins by looking at why castles were needed in medieval Scotland and the role these buildings played in life during the Middle Ages. In this country, because of ongoing wars with England, as well as internal fighting between rival clans, castles were a crucial means of defence for medieval nobles.
A castle in Scotland could be a symbol of status, a warning to others not to encroach on to the family’s land and a meeting point for allies and retainers. The author emphasises that each castle in Scotland is different and that the design of each depended on a variety of factors, including the amount and type of land available, the materials which could be used, the local political situation and the wealth of the person financing the project.
The Role of Castles in the Scottish Wars 1296 – 1356
During the Middle Ages, most castles were built with the expectation that the building would be needed to provide defence at some point and nowhere was this more true than in Scotland, where shifting loyalties and frequent war meant that families could often need to protect themselves within their lands.
The author describes the wars between Edward I of England over the dispute for the Scottish crown, from 1296 onwards. Edward was a keen soldier and often used a siege as a means of seizing a castle and surrounding lands. After a while, many Scottish nobles began to realise that fighting from a castle was actually playing into English hands and allowing English forces to excel at what they did best.
Many Scottish castles, such as Dunbar and Kildrummy were deliberately built near good transport routes, or on the important route from England to Scotland and so, when trouble flared, were often at the heart of any fighting.
The Decline of Scottish Baronial Castles 1450 – 1700
Despite their importance at the heart of Scottish life in the Middle Ages, at the end of the period, as in much of the rest of Europe, castles became less important as centres of power. Some castles were rebuilt or remodelled, with less of an emphasis on defence and others were allowed to fall into ruin, usually when the owners were no longer important or influential families and couldn’t afford the upkeep.
Some castles were used again during the civil wars and Jacobite conflicts of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, but increasingly, those in power began to favour mansion houses and castles became seen as an outdated symbol of Scottish feudal life.
Summary
Scottish Baronial Castles is an entertaining, readable and educational study of dozens of important Scottish castles. The book is lavishly and attractively illustrated with photographs, maps, diagrams, alongside drawings from artist Adam Hook. These illustrations enhance and enliven the text, making the book easy to follow and a pleasure to read.
The text is divided into logical chapters and sub-headings and illustrations break the book into manageable sections. Small case studies and castle tours, along with a ‘visiting the sites’ guide really bring the history to life.
Publication Details
Brown, Michael Scottish Baronial Castles 1250 – 1450 [Osprey, 2009]
ISBN 9781846032868, 64 pages
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