Rohallion Castle (4)
The west gable of the main block is just visible under the right side of the fir tree, with the south-west corner tower beyond it, with the silver-birch tree growing against it.

The last known, in fact the only known, resident of the castle, was William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie, 4th Lord of Ruthven.  In 1582, he devised a plot to seize the fifteen-year-old King James VI, while he was hunting near Ruthven Castle.  Known as the Raid of Ruthven, William Ruthven and his co-conspirators, known as the &quot;Lords Enterprisers&quot;, wanted to reform the government of Scotland, limit the influence of French and pro-Catholic policy, curb excessive spending at court, and ideally, to prevent the return of Mary Queen of Scots from imprisonment in England.

The 'raid' was successful and the Lords Enterprisers ruled Scotland for as long as they held the king, a period of 10 months, however once James regained his freedom in July 1583, retribution was not long in coming.  The Lords Enterprisers were dismissed from court.  The Earl of Gowrie was initially pardoned, but as he continued plotting and was the last-known custodian of the silver casket that contained the 'Casket Letters', letters said to have been written by Mary Queen of Scots, implicating her in the murder of her husband, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley.

After a period hiding out here at Rohallion, William Ruthven was arrested at his house in Dundee.  He was taken to Stirling, where his trial was held in Mar's Wark, the impressive (and now ruined) house at the top of Broad Street.  The charges included &quot;witchcraft in conferring with sorcerers&quot; and the result was never in doubt.  He was beheaded at Stirling on 3 May 1584 and all of his honors were forfeited.  He left a wife and 14 children.  His widow, Dorothea Stewart came to the opening of Parliament in August 1584 and, kneeling on the Royal Mile, cried to the king for grace for her children.  James Stewart, Earl of Arran pushed her away, and she fainted and was left on the street.
dji0192 scotland 2022 rohallioncastle birnamwood perthshire craigruenshin forhaillon stewartsofgrantully steuartfothringham murthlyestate kingsseat