On the
remote islands of Orkney and Shetland, Earl Patrick Stewart’s ruined mansions bear
witness to his wealth and power. But nothing could save Patrick when
his rapacity brought him into conflict with church and king…
Patrick’s splendid castle at Scalloway (1599) was
funded by a tax on every ox and sheep in Shetland. The islanders worked stone in his quarries,
carried stone and lime to construct his castles, palaces and park walls, and
undertook whatever other jobs he wanted doing. You can find out more about the rule of 'Black Pate' and his downfall in my new feature for Highlander magazine.
Images:
Scalloway
Castle, Shetland. Local tradition says
that the mortar for its walls was mixed using human hair, blood and eggs. © Sue Wilkes.
St Magnus’s
Cathedral, Kirkwall. The cathedral steeple was fortified by Patrick
Stewart’s son Robert during his rebellion. Black’s
Picturesque Tourist of Scotland, (Adam & Charles Black, 188). Nigel
Wilkes Collection.
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