Drumlanrig Castle

Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfries was constructed in 1691 on land that had been held by descendants of William Douglas, 1st Baron of Drumlanrig, since the early 15th century. William Douglas was one of the illegitimate sons of James Douglas, the 2nd Earl of Douglas, who died during the Battle of Otterburn in 1388. James had married into the royal Stewart line, but died before siring any children from the union. The castle is now owned and operated by the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, who is a descendant of that line of Douglases. We encountered the Duke ourselves. He was an elderly gentleman who, although confined to a motorized wheelchair, directed the activities of his employees with an authentic air of command. I walked past him on the way to the spot where I took this photograph, and he greeted me with a drawled, "Hallo..."