Crookston Castle~ An Ode

Crookston Castle in Renfrew, south of the Firth of Clyde and three miles south of Paisley, is reputedly the legendary marital seat of Mary, Queen of Scots to Lord Henry Darnley. Its date of origin is uncertain but it belonged to the barony of Crookston in the twelfth century of whose heirs happened to be Robert Croc, a Norman gentleman. This X-plan castle which is very similar to Hermitage Castle (which I covered in my only remaining “first” entry on this blog) was built by 1400. In 1489 the two west side towers were blown down by  James I with the cannon Mons Meg which you can see in my Northumberland photo album. (It is # 43 on the album.) The Stuarts gained possession of it in the thirteenth century and thus passed to Lord Darnley. The Northeast tower remains have been added to my Scottish Castles Photo Album so take a look. The following poem is one of many written about Scottish castles. Enjoy! –

                                                                               The Castle Lady

    basement vaulting of Crookston

 

 

Thou proud memorial to a former age

Time-ruined Crookston; not in all our land

Romantic with a noble heritage

Of feudal halls, in ruin sternly grand,

More beautiful doth tower or castle stand

Than thou! as oft the lingering traveler tells.

And none more varied sympathies command;

Though where the warrior dwelt, the raven dwells,

With tenderness thy tale the rudest bosom swells.

Along the soul that pleasing sadness steals

Which trembles from a wild harp’s dying fall,

When fancy’s recreative eye reveals

To him, lone-musing by thy moldering wall,

What warriors thronged, what joy rung through thy hall,

When royal Mary- yet unstained by crime,

And with love’s golden scepter ruling all-

Made thee her bridal home. There seems to shine

Still o’er thee splendour shed at that high gorgeous time!

Anonymous

This poem, published in Frank Roy Fraprie’s book

Castles and Keeps of Scotland

published  1993 by Barnes and Noble

 

 Please see more photos of Crookston which have been added to my Scottish Castles album ! 

 

The Castle Lady

with splendorous, gorgeous kisses !   

 

 

 

 Congrats to the Nuggets on their incredible 120 over 101 win against the Lakers yesterday ! 

 You guys RCK !