Collection: Thirlestane Castle

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  The collections at Thirlestane Castle relate to its use as the family home of the Maitland family and the workings of a country estate. The majority of the room contents is late Georgian/early Victorian, and some contents have been introduced from elsewhere to re-create the rooms, such as the four poster bed in the Grand Bedroom, on loan from Burghley House, Lincolnshire, and the Dining Room table, on loan from the National Trust for Scotland.

  The collections are listed in an inventory containing basic descriptions, which was drafted at the time of the handover to the Trust.

  For the National Audit, collection information was submitted by staff at the time, and this identified the collection types as follows:

  • Archives 25,000 items (including the muniments collection as ‘star object’)
  • Domestic 1,100 items
  • Fine Arts 100 items (including the picture collection as star object’)
  • Industry and Commerce 3,400 items

  Total 29,600 items

  The 17th century plaster ceilings received special mention as representative features of the collection.

  As part of the National Audit Thirlestane Castle Trust submitted information on the significance of the collections according to five categories, from International to Local. The collections fell across all categories of significance, as follows:

  • International 5%
  • UK 15%
  • National 24%
  • Regional 31%
  • Local 25%

  (figures rounded off to whole numbers)

  Ownership of the collections is confirmed for the majority of items through the inventory mentioned above. Some material on display is on loan from the family or third parties.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2017

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  The collections within the care of the Trust comprise six principal elements as follows (referred to as the Collections) and the Subsidiary Collection:-

  The Collections

  • Pictures: A collection of around 100 il paintings, including a collection of Maitland family portraits from the 17th century onwards, has been the subject of research and a detailed inventory with photographic survey by the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Large format colour negatives of the most significant pictures are lodged with the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

  The Maitland family includes the Earls and Duke of Lauderdale. Portraits exist of the Earls up to and including the 15th Earl of Lauderdale except for the 9th, 11th and 12th Earls. The Castle and the title passed down different lines of the family on the death of the 15th Earl in 1953 so subsequent Earls of Lauderdale were not directly associated with Thirlestane Castle.

  • Muniments: An extensive collection of family and estate papers has been examined, recorded, and catalogued by the National Register of Archives, Edinburgh.The collection is housed at the Castle under the continuing management of the National Register of Archives, through whom serious students may obtain supervised access to material for research.

  • Furniture, porcelain, books, works of art, armour and memorabilia: Most of the original Castle contents were removed in the 1670s to Ham House, Richmond, the family home of the Countess of Dysart (second wife of the Duke of Lauderdale). The present contents include a number of items of great interest in the context of an historic home but in the main are not individually of primary significance. They have been researched by Sotheby’s and full details are recorded. Further advice on the books was obtained in 1988 from the National Library of Scotland who are thus aware of the collection.

  • Toys: A collection of historic toys is on loan to the trust from the Fawdry family, founders of the Pollock Toy Museum. The collection forms the basis of a permanent exhibition in the old family nurseries and Miss Kitty Fawdry acts as consultant to the Trust in its management.

  • Border Country Life Exhibitions: The Castle houses a collection of Border Country Life artefacts including agricultural equipment, animal husbandry objects and household items. Much of the material is on display but space limitations necessitate storing part of the collection.

  • Photography: The Castle houses a collection of collection of photographs, films, camera and photographic equipment and other photographic and film items which belonged to Frederick Colin Maitland The 14th Earl of Lauderdale, who was known as “the Pioneer Photographer”. Many of these items are presently located at Thirlestane Castle, including the Keep.

  For the avoidance of doubt, the disposal provisions herein contained shall not apply to items which are merely on loan to the Trust.

  The Subsidiary Collection

  The Subsidiary Collection comprises:

  • any item which may be gifted to the Trust on the basis that the donor intends the Trustees to sell the item concerned in order to finance a particular project of the Trust or otherwise to assist the finances of the Trust; and

  • any items which are not comprised in the five principal elements of the Collections.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2017

  Licence: CC BY-NC