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Borthwick Castle is one of the largest and best-preserved surviving medieval Scottish fortifications.〔Chambers 1828, p.99〕 It is located twelve miles (19 km) south-east of Edinburgh, to the east of the village of Borthwick, on a site protected on three sides by a steep fall in the ground. It was constructed in 1430 for Sir William Borthwick, from whom the castle takes its name,〔Scott 1834, p.196〕〔Chambers 1828, p.100〕 ==History== The castle was built at the site of an earlier structure, and it remains the Borthwick family ancestral seat. Sir William Borthwick, later the 1st Lord, obtained from King James I on June 2, 1430 a license to erect on the Mote of Locherwart, a castle or fortalice.〔Scott 1834, p.197 〕 This was unusual in Scotland as nobles generally did not need to get permission for the building and fortifying of a Castle.〔Scott 1834, p.198〕 He acquired a large part of Locherworth from his neighbour William Hay who was resentful of this and jealous of his neighbour's castle.〔Scott 1834, p.200〕 The well-preserved medieval effigies of the builder and his lady can be seen in the nearby parish kirk of St Kentigern, which retains a 15th-century aisle also probably built by him. It was originally a stone enclosure fortress centring on an unusually tall tower house with walls up to thick and in height. The design is a 'U-shaped' keep with a gap between the projecting, slightly asymmetrical, towers. There was a surrounding defensive courtyard with round towers pierced with shot-holes at the corners. While the tower house itself is exceptionally well preserved for its date, the surrounding wall and towers are much restored. Borthwick Castle was visited twice by Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1563 and 1567, when she was besieged inside while under the protection of 6th Lord Borthwick. She escaped the siege by disguising herself as a page.〔Tytler 1840, p.128〕 Ever since then an apparition of Mary, dressed as a page boy, has been seen.〔()〕 In 1650 the Castle was attacked by Oliver Cromwell's forces, and was surrendered after only a few cannon shots. The damage to the walls from this attack is still visible.〔Scott 1834, p.211〕 After a period of abandonment, the Castle was restored by 1914. During World War II the structure was used as a hiding place to store national treasures. In 1973 it was leased from the Borthwick family and converted into a hotel catering mainly for castle weddings in a medieval setting. In May 2013 Borthwick Castle hosted the 2012 winning GISHWHES team, Badwolf. Along with Misha Collins & Chris Hardwick, the winning team partook in ghost hunting and overnight stays. 〔(|The Badwolf Team and Friends in the Great Hall )〕 In June 2013, the castle closed for extensive refurbishment, and once again opened as an events venue in September 2015. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Borthwick Castle」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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