Blairquhan (pronounced blehr-hoowahn), is a Regency-era castle near Maybole in South Ayrshire, Scotland. Maybole ( Gaelic: Am Magh Baoghail, ə maɣ b̊ɯːal is a Burgh of barony and police burgh of South Ayrshire, Scotland. South Ayrshire ( Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir a Deas, ʃir̴əxg̊ iɲɪɾʲˈaːɾʲ ə d̊ʲes̪ is one of 32 Council areas of Scotland Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. It is the historic home of the Hunter-Blair Baronets and remains in the family's possession. The Hunter Blair Baronetcy, of Dunskey is a title in the Baronetage of Great Britain.
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History
Four different families have lived at Blairquhan or on its lands. The McWhirters built the first tower house about 1346. The Kennedys then inherited the estate through marriage and built the remainder of the old castle about 1573. In the early 17th century the Whitefords took over, but in 1798, suffering the effects of a bank crash, they sold Blairquhan to Sir David Hunter Blair, 3rd Baronet and second son of James Hunter-Blair, 1st Baronet who had married Jean Blair, the daughter and heiress of John Blair of Dunskey in Wigtonshire in 1770. A baronet (traditional abbreviation Bart, modern abbreviation Bt) or the rare female equivalent a baronetess (abbreviation Btss) is the holder Sir James Hunter Blair 1st Baronet (February 1741 - 1 July 1787) was a Scottish banker and politician (When Jean Blair inherited her father’s estate in 1777, the family added Blair to their name. )
In 1820, Sir David commissioned Scottish architect William Burn to design a new house on Blairquhan. An architect is a licensed individual who leads a design team in the Planning and Design of buildings and participates in oversight of Building Construction William Burn ( 20 December 1789 &ndash 15 February[[ 870]] was a Scottish architect pioneer of the Scottish Baronial style The old castle, which had become ruinous due to previous fires and neglect, was torn down for a new the Tudor-style castle, which nevertheless incorporated some of the decorative mouldings and sculpted stones from the old castle into the kitchen courtyard of the new house. The new mansion was completed in 1824, and contains many antiques and an important collection of paintings by Scottish artists.
The estate and grounds
Perhaps the best achievement of Blairquhan are the three mile approach to the castle along the river Girvan and the beautiful walled gardens. Girvan is a Burgh in Carrick, South Ayrshire, Scotland, with a population of about 8000 people The late Sir James Hunter-Blair, 8th Baronet (1926-2004) was a noted horticulturalist and forester who spent most of his life restoring the castle and preserving the estate grounds, which includes hundreds-year old trees. Sir James Hunter Blair 8th Baronet, ( March 18, 1926 &ndash December 25, 2004) was a noted Scottish Historic preservationist Horticulture is the art and science of plant cultivation Horticulturists (or horticuluralists) work and conduct research in the fields of Plant propagation A forester is a person who practices Forestry, the science and profession of managing forests An ancient sycamore which stands in the shadow of the castle is thought to be a Dule Tree, planted early in the 16th century during the reign of King James V of Scotland. Dule or Dool trees in Britain were used as Gallows for public hangings The once spreading crown was heavily pruned in 1997, saving the much-weakened trunk from total collapse.
Surrounding area
Nestled in what is known as "Burns' Country," Blairquhan is within walking distance to the small Ayrshire town of Straiton, and a short drive to Kirkmichael and Maybole. Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796 (also known as Rabbie Burns, Scotland's favourite son, the Ploughman Poet, the Bard of Ayrshire Straiton is a village on the River Girvan in South Ayrshire in Scotland, mainly built in the 18th century but with some recent housing Kirkmichael is a village in South Ayrshire, Scotland, located between Patna, Maybole and Straiton. The entire area is known for its gently rolling, pastoral topography, its hills dotted with sheep and traversed by the winding Girvan. Pastoral, as an adjective refers to the lifestyle of Shepherds and Pastoralists moving livestock around larger areas of land according to seasons and availability Topography ( topo-, "place" and graphia, "writing" is the study of Earth 's Surface features or those of Planets On a clear day, Ailsa Craig can be seen in the distance. Ailsa Craig ( Scottish Gaelic: Creag Ealasaid) is an Island in the outer Firth of Clyde, Scotland where granite was quarried to
As a tourist attraction
Blairquhan is open to visitors by appointment only. The award-winning gardens are open to the public for tours in the summer. To help offset operating costs, Sir James opened the 2,000-acre estate as a venue for private functions such as weddings, corporate outings and filming. With historic cottages and abundant places to picnic, fish or shoot, as well as its proximity to the legendary Open Championship golf courses in Troon and Turnberry, it is becoming a popular choice for lodging and those touring the Scottish lowlands. The Open Championship, or simply The Open (often referred to as the British Open outside the UK) is the oldest of the four major championships Troon is a town in South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is situated on the west coast about eight miles north of Ayr and three miles northwest of The Scottish Lowlands ( a' Ghalldachd, meaning roughly 'the non-Gaelic region' in Gaelic, and called Lawlands or Lallans in Scots
Blairquhan has also increased its profile as a filming location. It was seen in the UK television programme "Beauty and the Geek". Its interiors and grounds were also featured in the Oscar-winning 2005 film The Queen, starring Helen Mirren. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. The Queen Drama film directed by Stephen Frears, Peter Morgan and starring Dame Helen Mirren in the title role Queen Dame Helen Mirren, DBE (born 26 July 1945 is an English stage, Film and Television actress. Another movie, The Match, was filmed in Straiton. The Match! is an Atheist / Anarchist journal published in Tucson, Arizona, United States since 1969
See also
- Dule Tree or Dool Tree
External links
Dule or Dool trees in Britain were used as Gallows for public hangingsDapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic