08/12/2025
Happy 483rd Birthday to Mary Queen of Scots!
These are a few of the many beautiful batiks at Neidpath that tell her story. The artist, Monica Hannasch was inspired by Mary's friendship with the owner of her day, William Hay, 5th Lord Yester, a staunch Catholic supporter who spent 1558 in France to celebrate Mary's marriage to the Dauphin, Francois II.
When Mary, unexpectedly returned to Scotland soon after, due to the death of her husband, William Hay was one of the few Catholic friends that she knew well and her visits to Neidpath, were probably a chance to enjoy herself, knowing she was amongst friends.