114 ACCOUNT OF LOCHLEVEN CASTLE. June I r 



ereded before the days of Robert Bruce. In the year 

 1335, it fuftained a memorable fiege by Sir John Stir- 

 ling, one of the partizans, and a principal officer of Ed- 

 ward Baliol, who, under the protection o( Edward 

 third of England, contefted the crown with David fe- 

 cond of Scotland. After the alTailants- had endeavoured 

 in vain to take it by ftorm, they adopted the plan of 

 damming up all the riv^ers that flow out of the lake, 

 expefting thru to raife the water in it fo high, as to 

 drive the befieged from tlie fort. They were, as has 

 often happened in fimilar cafes, difappointed. The wa- 

 ter continued to rife for fome time indeed, as they ex- 

 pected : They thought themfelves certain of fucceed- 

 ing : A great part of the arrfiy went to pay their de- 

 votions at Dumfermling, on a particular felHval ; The 

 befieged feiz.ed the favourable opportunity, collected all 

 the boats they could find, and broke down thedam; when 

 the water ruflied out witli fuch impetuofity, as to over- 

 whelm the camp of the beliegers, and to throw them 

 into the utmoft confufion. The befieged returned in 

 triumph, and were no longer difturbed. 



But the circumflance that renders this caftle parti- 

 cularly confpicuous in Scoltiih ftory, is the confine- 

 ment here of the unfortunate Queen Mary. After Ihe 

 was taken prifoner at Pinkie, in the year 1567, the 

 rebels privately conveyed her from Holyroodhoufe by 

 night, and fhut her up in this caftle, under the care of 

 the mother of Murray (her bafcborn brother), who had 

 been married to Douglas of Lochleven. This lady,! 

 whofe manners were as unpolilbed as her conduct as 

 a woman had been irregular, bore an implacable ill 

 will to Mary, alleging that her ov.'n fon was the true 

 and legitimate heir to the crown. Under fuch a guar- 

 dian, the aflTociates thought ilie would be watched with 

 care. But the perfonal charms of the Queen were fuch 

 as to interell the fon of the jailor, George Douglas, a 

 youth of eighteen, fo much in her favour, as 

 J.o make him effeft her efcape. The keys of the calUe. 



