On the trail of Mary Queen of Scots

Mary, Queen of Scots is the most famous and intriguing of all Scottish monarchs. Born in 1542, she became queen at a week old, yet she was ultimately executed for treason. Her reign was marred by troubled marriages, betrayal, rebellion and murder.

Across Scotland, you’ll encounter castles, palaces, priories and abbeys that tell important stories of Mary’s life, from her birthplace at Linlithgow Palace to Dundrennnan Abbey where she spent her final hours in Scotland.

Below are some of the places which played a part in her short, colourful life. They are broken down by region to help you follow in Mary's footsteps. 

Linlithgow Palace was where Mary’s story started. Her birthplace is one of the most spectacular ruins in Scotland. You walk in the footsteps of royalty as you explore the great hall where banquets were hosted and see the elaborate restored fountain.

Edinburgh Castle's sumptuous apartments were another important residence of Scottish kings and queens. It was here that Mary gave birth to her son, James VI. On a visit today, you can see the tiny bed-closet that was the Royal Birthing Room. During the Lang Siege of 1571-3, the castle was held in Mary's name by her supporters.

Edinburgh's 'other Castle', Craigmillar, was a happy retreat for Mary, although less so for her troublesome husband Darnley. According to legend, nobles met here to discuss "the Craigmillar bond" - a secret plan for getting rid of him. Now free from scheming nobles, visitors can admire the city views from the castle's high ramparts, play hide and seek in its labyrinth of chambers or picnic in its courtyards.

For centuries, Crichton Castle was home to medieval lords and Renaissance noblemen. It was one of several properties belonging to the 4th Earl of Bothwell who controversially became Mary’s third husband in 1567. Mary also attended her half-brother’s lavish wedding to Bothwell’s sister at Crichton in 1562.

Stirling Castle has been restored so it can be seen by visitors much as it may have looked on completion around 1545, when the child Queen Mary was its most important resident. She was crowned here at just nine months old, and was a frequent visitor during her adult reign.

Take a scenic boat trip across the Lake of Menteith to Inchmahome Priory: a peaceful, wooded island sanctuary with a medieval priory at its heart. It was to this tranquil place of safety that a four-year-old Mary was brought in 1547 when English forces were poised to invade. Look out for the 500 year old Spanish chestnuts and the boxwood bower supposedly planted by her.

Castle Campbell is a remarkably well preserved, brooding medieval castle was the lowland residence of the powerful Campbell dynasty, where the Protestant reformer John Knox came to preach and Mary Queen of Scots came to feast. It occupies a stunning setting at the top of Dollar Glen.

On her northern tour of Scotland in 1562, the Bishop of Moray hosted Mary at Spynie Palace, her northernmost port of call. 

Observers criticised the bishop for his lifestyle: he lived in great luxury and had at least 13 children by various mistresses. Mary was not unduly concerned: she was busy brooding about the Earl of Huntly, an eccentric local magnate who had wronged her. The following month Huntly died, suffering a seizure while in battle against her forces.

Mary visited Balvenie Castle in September 1562, when it was the main residence of John Stewart, 4th Earl of Atholl. Despite his name, he was only a very distant cousin - but he was one of her closest and most loyal Catholic allies. He was the man who commissioned the Atholl Lodging, still Balvenie’s finest feature. Mary very likely stayed in one of its grander bedchambers.

Mary also visited Beauly Priory in 1564. The name Beauly means ‘beautiful place’, and she is said to have agreed with that assessment. It was one of the monasteries where monks were allowed to stay on despite the Reformation. The monks at Beauly belonged to the little-known Valliscaulian order, which only had three monasteries in Britain, all in northern Scotland.

Mary spent a traumatic year imprisoned at Lochleven, one of Scotland's oldest castles. During her captivity here she miscarried twins and was forced to abdicate. You can catch a ferry to the castle and visit the room where she was probably held until her dramatic escape in 1568.

Huntingtower Castle was a resting place for Mary during the Chaseabout Raid of 1565 when she and Lord Darnley led their army against rebellious nobles. In 1582, the Earl of Ruthven abducted Mary’s son King James VI and held him prisoner at Huntingtower. Colonies of bats now fly around the castle’s twin tower houses, and legend holds that a love-struck maiden once made a perilous leap between them.

Mary visited Edzell Castle on ‘progress’ to visit her subjects in the north-east in 1562. The castle had been extended a few years earlier, and her host Sir David Lindsay was doubtless eager to show off his new west range. While here she held a meeting of her privy council, her closest political advisors.

A powerful fortress since prehistoric times, Dumbarton Castle was a secure royal stronghold on the west coast. Mary went there in February 1548: aged five, she had been betrothed to Dauphin Francis, heir to the French throne, and she then had to await departure for France. For five months, she lived in royal lodgings nestled between Dumbarton’s twin summits, and in July 1548 she boarded a ship sent by the French king. She married Francis in 1558, became Queen of France in 1559 and did not return to Scotland until 1561.

Mary went to Craignethan Castle during her final days in Scotland in May 1568, after her escape from Lochleven Castle. She was building an army to reclaim her kingdom, and needed a series of impregnable fortresses to use as bases. At the time, Craignethan was just that, and the Hamiltons who owned it were loyal to her at this time. But her final defeat at the Battle of Langside was only a few days away.

Mary spent her last hours in Scotland at Dundrennan Abbey after the disastrous Battle of Langside in 1568. Today, visitors can enjoy the peace of a beautiful medieval abbey set in wooded pastures. There is particularly fine architecture in its chapter house and towering transepts.

Mary’s grandfather, James IV, was known for his piety and made several pilgrimages to Whithorn, one of the earliest Christian settlements in Scotland. Mary followed in his footsteps only once in August 1563. Much had changed since James’s day. Scotland was now a Protestant country and the monasteries had been closed down.

Mary visited Hermitage Castle just once, but in dramatic circumstances. October 1566 saw her visit Jedburgh on business. During the trip, she learned that her loyal supporter the Earl of Bothwell had been ambushed and injured by Borders brigands. She rode 25 miles to visit him, and 25 miles back. On the return journey she fell desperately ill and very nearly died. Only afterwards was it claimed that Bothwell was her adulterous lover: there is no evidence to support this, even though she married him seven months later.

• The bloody death of Mary Queen of Scots
• What was Christmas like for Mary Queen of Scots?
• Jean Gordon: an unlikely happy ending from the court of Mary, Queen of Scots
• When Mary met Darnley