JOURNAL

A Grand Day Out

Traquair House

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‘Scotland’s oldest inhabited house’

  Traquair, near Innerleithen, EH44 6PW

  Drive time from Cringletie - 12 miles and 25 minutes

  www.traquair.co.uk

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Traquair House is Scotland’s Oldest Inhabited House. Visited by 27 Scottish Kings and Queens, Traquair dates back to 1107 and has been lived in by the Stuart family since 1491.

Originally a royal hunting lodge and a pleasure ground for Scottish kings in times of peace, then a refuge for Catholic priests in times of terror, the Stuarts of Traquair played host to and supported Mary Queen of Scots and the Jacobite cause without counting the cost.

Traquair was the most prominent Jacobite house in Southern Scotland. The Stuarts of Traquair maintained their loyalty to the cause from the earliest day to after the ’45. The Earl gave his support and as he left the house closed the gates vowing that they wouldn’t be opened again until a Stuart was back on the throne. The family still awaits…

Spanning nearly a thousand years of Scottish history, Traquair today is a unique attraction for all ages. Trace the footsteps of the kings of Scotland as you climb the turnpike staircase and discover how priests escaped in times of danger. See the wonderful collections of embroideries, letters and relics of former times. 

You can enjoy the extraordinary history of this lived in family home and you can visit the house, grounds, maze, craft workshops and enjoy lunch or tea in the 1745 Cottage Restaurant. Not forgetting the world famous Traquair House Brewery which is situated in one of the wings of the house and where you can sample the ales in the brewery shop and museum.

The natural beauty of Traquair’s grounds is a perfect complement to the intimate nature of the house. There are no formal gardens here but a designed landscape of over 100 acres including woodlands, grounds and a large hedged maze planted in 1981.

Today, Traquair welcomes visitors from all over the world and is a magical day out for the whole family.