- Clan Name: Borthwick
- Clan Motto: Qui Conducit
- Clan Chief: John Hugh Borthwick
- Clan Castle: Borthwick Castle
- Castle Location: 20 miles south of Edinburgh
- Clan Lands: Borthwick Castle Middleton.
- Plant Badge:
- Clan Name: Borthwick - various spellings Barthwick, Borthweke, Borthock.
- Clan Motto: Qui Conducit - He who leads
- Clan Chief: John Hugh Borthwick 24th Lord Borthwick, Baron of Heriotmuir
and Laird of Crookston
- Clan Seat: Borthwick Castle
- Clan Lands: Areas around Middleton, Heriot, Berwickshire and Peebles.
- Clan Tartan :
- Clan links : Clan Borthwick
- Clan links :
Clan History
In the 11th century 20 miles south of Edinburgh the name Borthwick
was
starting to make an appearance in the local area culminating
in
1410 when a Sir William Borthwick obtained a charter confirming his
possession
of the land around Borthwick water.
Around 1430 Sir William built himself a castle of majestic proportion
to
protect his kin and show to all his prosperity. Borthwick Castle is
a
baronial keep with twin towers standing 110 foot tall and walls
fourteen
foot thick at the base making it a fearsome obstacle to
any
would be invader.
In the 1560's Mary Queen of Scots and Bothwell both sought refuge here.
However as weapons of war progressed it was later to yield to
Oliver Cromwell's
roundheads with their canon fire in 1650.
After this incident the castle was to remain derelict for a number
of years
until 1903 when a renovation program was started.
During the second world war certain public records and national
treasures were stored here for safe keeping.
Borthwick Castle earns its keep today as a luxury hotel.
The above castle paintings show Borthwick Castle in times gone by
probably the most famous of them by Turner, a hero of mine, who
shows how the castle looked in 1818 with his water-colour painting.
Robert Gibb shows the castle with his oil painting of Borthwick Castle
in 1831.
The unknown engraving was the inspiration for my painting.
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