Kilravock Castle
By Melissa Davies
This story belongs to a ten-part series of stories gifted by Nairn Museum. Many thanks to Melissa Davies, the director of Nairn Museum, for kindly gifting these stories to the Spirit: Stories archive.
Kilravock Castle is located near Croy, between Nairn and Inverness. It was built in 1460 and is the ancestral home of the Roses of Kilravock. Its keep dates from the 15th century and was built by the 7th Baron under a licence granted by the Lord of the Isles. The mansion house part was added in 1553 by the 10th Baron. The castle was extended further in the 18th century. The Roses were traditionalists and supported the government during the Jacobite uprising of 1715. Prince Charles Edward Stuart stayed here the night before the Battle of Culloden and before that Mary Queen of Scots had visited in 1562. Robert Burns also visited in 1787. In 1984, the 25th Baroness, Miss Elizabeth Rose, gave the castle into the ownership of the Kilravock Christian Trust. She died in Nairn in 2012.
Elizabeth Rose, 19th Baroness of Kilravock (1747-1815) was a fascinating lady. She was a critic, writer, and a prolific letter writer. She married Dr Hugh Rose in 1779, but he died the following year. She then improved the castle grounds and planted many Scots pine and larch trees. She was an avid reader, and it is said that author, Charles Dickens sent her a bookcase for her library in the tower. When Robert Burns visited he described her as 'a true chieftain's wife' with 'sterling sense, warm heart, strong passions, honest pride, all in an uncommon degree'.
Image provided by Nairn Museum/ Kilravock Castle Christian Trust
Portrait of Lady Elizabeth Rose, 19th Baroness of Kilravock
Elizabeth also kept a journal of all the books she had read, and her correspondence with her cousin, Henry Mackenzie, was published in 'Letters to Elizabeth Rose of Kilravock on literature events and people 1768-1815'. Henry did not always agree with her on her position on women and wrote, 'You are hard on me for my idea of inferiority in your sex'. Following Burns' visit, Elizabeth sent songs to him, one of which was titled, 'Mrs Rose of Kilravock's Strathspey', published in 'A Collection of Entirely Original Strathspey Reels, Marches, Quick Steps'.
Image provided by National Library of Scotland
Title page of 'A Collection of Entirely Original Strathspey Reels, Marches, Quick Steps etc'
Image provided by National Library of Scotland
Mrs Rose of Kilravock's Strathspey in 'A Collection of Entirely Original Strathspey Reels, Marches, Quick Steps etc'
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