It's a Palace, not a Castle
One of the first days of orientation we learned the difference between a castle and a palace. A castle was built for protection; a palace was built to show off your wealth. My current home away from home, Dalkeith House, was built as a palace.
It was built on the remains of Dalkeith Castle in 1701 by Duchess Anne of Monmouth and Buccleuch (pronounced: "buck lew"). Anne's is a very interesting story. She married the Duke of Monmouth, but he got greedy and tried to steal the English throne. He was put to death, and Anne could have been too, but she proved that she had nothing to do with the revolt and her life was spared. She went on to build Dalkeith Palace and be quite successful - quite a feat for a woman of her time! Her personal crest can be seen throughout the interior and exterior of the palace. The palace has been host to visitors such as Queen Victoria and Bonnie Prince Charlie.
The palace is currently owned by the present Duke of Buccleuch, Richard. What exactly is a Duke? First of all it is the highest rank below the sovereign (such as the King or Queen). The title is granted by the sovereign and is then passed down through the generations. The origin of Buccleuch came when a young Scott (the last name Scott, not just a Scotsman) was hunting with the King. A stag, or buck, charged the King and the young Scott grabbed the stag by the antlers and threw him into a lew (ravine). The King granted him the title of Duke of Buccleuch.
Welcome to my home away from home. The following pictures do not show the entirety of the house, but it will give you a better idea of where I live.
The bedroom I share with four other girls. This is the side where Gabby and I have our beds, and you can see a portion of our corner of wardrobes on the right. This room is right across a small hallway from the ballroom and used to be a gallery.
The ballroom. Everyone has a job in the house, some people clean, others help in the kitchen. My job is to clean (dust and sweep) the ballroom twice a week.
The dining hall where we eat all our meals.
The library, a great quiet place to study - with, of course, walls of books!
Standing in the marble hall (named for all the marble - even the floor!) looking toward the grand tartan staircase and a statue of Duke Wellington.
The dining hall, library, and marble hall are on the ground floor of the palace. My room and the ballroom are upstairs. There is also a basement with the kitchen, a movie room, the laundry room, and other hang-outs. Above the floor that I live on, there is another floor of bedrooms, and there is also a third floor study lounge above that.
It was built on the remains of Dalkeith Castle in 1701 by Duchess Anne of Monmouth and Buccleuch (pronounced: "buck lew"). Anne's is a very interesting story. She married the Duke of Monmouth, but he got greedy and tried to steal the English throne. He was put to death, and Anne could have been too, but she proved that she had nothing to do with the revolt and her life was spared. She went on to build Dalkeith Palace and be quite successful - quite a feat for a woman of her time! Her personal crest can be seen throughout the interior and exterior of the palace. The palace has been host to visitors such as Queen Victoria and Bonnie Prince Charlie.
The palace is currently owned by the present Duke of Buccleuch, Richard. What exactly is a Duke? First of all it is the highest rank below the sovereign (such as the King or Queen). The title is granted by the sovereign and is then passed down through the generations. The origin of Buccleuch came when a young Scott (the last name Scott, not just a Scotsman) was hunting with the King. A stag, or buck, charged the King and the young Scott grabbed the stag by the antlers and threw him into a lew (ravine). The King granted him the title of Duke of Buccleuch.
Welcome to my home away from home. The following pictures do not show the entirety of the house, but it will give you a better idea of where I live.
The bedroom I share with four other girls. This is the side where Gabby and I have our beds, and you can see a portion of our corner of wardrobes on the right. This room is right across a small hallway from the ballroom and used to be a gallery.
The ballroom. Everyone has a job in the house, some people clean, others help in the kitchen. My job is to clean (dust and sweep) the ballroom twice a week.
The dining hall where we eat all our meals.
The library, a great quiet place to study - with, of course, walls of books!
Standing in the marble hall (named for all the marble - even the floor!) looking toward the grand tartan staircase and a statue of Duke Wellington.
The dining hall, library, and marble hall are on the ground floor of the palace. My room and the ballroom are upstairs. There is also a basement with the kitchen, a movie room, the laundry room, and other hang-outs. Above the floor that I live on, there is another floor of bedrooms, and there is also a third floor study lounge above that.
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