View through Bear Gates. Traquair House.
SC 760051
Description View through Bear Gates. Traquair House.
Date 1963
Catalogue Number SC 760051
Category On-line Digital Images
Copy of PB 529
Scope and Content 'Bear gates' from south-west, Traquair House, Scottish Borders This shows the (closed) 'Bear gates', which were built in 1737-8. They mark the main entrance to the estate. Two stone piers are surmounted by a pair of bears holding cartouches bearing the crest of the Earls of Traquair. The gates are made of wrought iron, and have ornate scrolling details. Visitors now use a 'temporary drive' to the left. Two legends surround these gates. One states that the gates were closed behind Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745, and were not to be opened until a Stuart king is on the throne. Another tells that they were closed after the death of the last Countess of Traquair in 1796, and will not open again except to admit a new countess. Traquair is the oldest continually inhabited house in Scotland, with its origins in the 10th century. It was the site of a royal hunting lodge in the 1200s, but the house as seen today is based around a c.1512 tower-house with many later additions. The flanking service wings were built in 1695 to designs by architect James Smith (c.1645-1731), who also designed the wrought-iron screens round the courtyard in 1698. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.
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File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap
Attribution: © RCAHMS
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