February’s talk by Eddie Edmonstone, son of Sir Archibald, was about his long family history and the Duntreath Estate. He explained that the Edmonstones were thought to be Flemish immigrants, arriving in Scotland in the 11C, three years before William the Conqueror made it to England. The family has had the continuous ownership of the Duntreath Estate since the mid-15C, a rare achievement.
All families have their black sheep, of course, and Eddie did not shrink from regaling his large and enthusiastic audience with the antics of some of theirs, including James Edmonstone, who was lucky to escape with his head on his shoulders after being found guilty of plotting against James VI. He took the family to Antrim, where he was responsible for introducing the first Presbyterian minister to Northern Ireland. The Edmonstones also boast a family ghost, “The Dumb Laird” (1621-1677), who is said to haunt the 15thC tower.
In 1745 the Edmonstones originally sided with Bonnie Prince Charlie but defected to the government side when the Young Pretender’s campaign began running out of steam. By now Duntreath had fallen into disrepair and was restored and enlarged from a roofless ruin only in the 1850s. In its heyday Duntreath hosted many famous guests, including King Edward VII, who was a “close friend” of the laird’s sister, the Hon Mrs Alice Keppel, great grandmother of Queen Camilla.