claims that the house was first known as a heather hut, about
950, deep in the Forest of Ettrick. When King Alexander I stayed
here and granted a charter from Traquair in 1107 it must have
already been a substantial building. His stay was the first of
many by the Scottish Kings throughout the Middle Ages when it
assumed the importance of a Royal Residence. local justice was
administered, and of course, royal pastimes indulged, Hunting,
Hawking and Fishing. The Forest was known for its abundance of
game and bears. Massive pillars surmounted by two carved stone
bears holding the family coat of arms flank the famous closed
gates at the end of the Avenue to the house. With the death of
Alexander III in 1286 the Golden Age of peace came to an end. By
the end of the century Scotland was at war with England.
Traquair was fortified to become part of the defence against an
English invasion, but was occupied by English troops. Both King
Edward I and II of England stayed here at this time, but with
the accession of Robe