Aberdour Time Travel Adventure
Think you could get by in Renaissance Scotland? Test your knowledge of life at Aberdour Castle. Do you know enough to be a laird or lady in 21st-century clothing?
You arrive at the castle and are offered a drink. What do you choose?
The well provided clean(ish) water and ale was brewed in the castle’s brewhouse. The wealthy also drank imported wine – James VI liked a good Bordeaux from France. Sadly, though, Irn Bru, the classic Scottish soft drink, won’t be available until the 1900s.
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A glass of wine is best.
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Beer will slake my thirst.
Historic Environment Scotland.
Water please.
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I’d kill for an Irn Bru.
Dinner time! The meal is missing a vital ingredient. You head down to the doocot to get…
Aberdour’s doocot or dovecot has 600 nesting boxes to provide pigeon meat and eggs for the household. The droppings could be used as fertiliser and possibly even to make gunpowder by extracting saltpetre (potassium nitrate) from pigeon poo!
Honey. It looks like a beehive.
Bread. Aren’t grain stores that shape?
Pigeons. Fresh meat maybe for a pie.
Vegetables. Nice dark, cool place to keep them fresh.
Cracks are forming in the castle wall! Make yourself useful – but what should you use for your repairs?
Concrete and brick aren’t modern - the Romans used them both. Aberdour does have oyster shells in its walls – take a look! They helped to make sure the heavy stones didn’t squeeze out the wet mortar that stuck them together.
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Steel beams for strength.
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Stone, mortar, oyster shells.
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Nothing! I like a ruin.
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Concrete and bricks. Let's modernise.
Help! A fire has broken out in the central part of the castle! How can you save us?
In 1710, there was a fire at Aberdour. They blocked the doorway to the long gallery with stones to stop the spread, and likely used buckets of water and poles to fight the fire. The world’s first organised town fire brigade was formed in Edinburgh, but not until 1824.
Call the fire brigade. They’ll know what to do.
Block up the doorway, sealing the fire in and hope for the best!
Organise the servants to get water and put the fire out.
Get everyone out and let it burn down. There’s a more modern house next door we can move in to.
You meet the Earl's son. He says his hobby is “haute école” and “manège" and invites you to join him. What’s he talking about?
William, 8th Earl of Morton and his son Robert were keen horsemen. Their treasured horses were kept in the stables here. Fashion was important to some, as the ever-changing clothing in portraits shows! “Manger” is “to eat”. Fencing was a Renaissance past-time.
Horsemanship . The art of riding, handling and training horses, is a popular pastime for nobles in Europe.
Fencing. Part of a gentleman’s education is knowing how to lunge, slash and parry.
Cooking. Isn't manège French for “to eat”? Maybe he's practising for MasterChef…
Fashion. You need to keep up with the European trends or get laughed out of court circles.
The Earl guides you around the gardens at Aberdour to admire his many exotic plants. Which of these species would you NOT have seen?
No monkey puzzle or Japanese acers in this garden. These were introduced to the UK much later (1795 and 1800s). All the other plants were at Aberdour in the 1600s. Some were bought from the Physic Garden in Edinburgh (now Royal Botanic Gardens).
Persian jasmine, lilac and honeysuckle.
Apricot and peach trees.
Monkey puzzle trees and Japanese acers.
Figs, great scarlet American gooseberries and medlars (a fruit that looks like a cross between an apple and a rosehip).
After a hard day of castle business, you pop to the long gallery for some relaxation. What do you do?
Galleries were intended for indoor exercise (that’s why they’re long and narrow) but were also used for private meetings as walking and talking made eavesdropping harder. Aberdour had a harpsicord in the gallery but baths were usually taken in the bedchamber.
Listen to/play music. I spy a harpsicord! (a keyboard similar to a piano)
Have a relaxing bubble bath.
Exercise. I can do my 10,000 steps a day without getting wet.
Intrigue and gossip with important visitors.
The earl wants to show off his wealth, culture and education. What do you suggest?
Painted ceilings full of symbols were all the rage in the 1600s and 1700s. Tapestry work was very skilled; not something the earl’s wife would do. Fine carpets were displayed on tables, not put on the floor. Leonardo Da Vinci drew plans for a helicopter, but never built it.
Buy a helicopter and enjoy a jet set lifestyle.
Cover the floors with fancy carpets and decorative rugs.
Get the lady of the house to make a tapestry for the walls.
Paint the ceiling. It’s the height of fashion.
You’ve heard that Regent Morton has gone to the Maiden. People are asking where he is. What do you tell them?
Regent Morton introduced the Maiden or heiding aix to Scotland. He was beheaded using this guillotine-like device when convicted of murdering Mary Queen of Scots' husband. Iron Maiden are a rock band.
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He’s been imprisoned.
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He’s been executed. Ouch.
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He’s at a rock concert.
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He’s down the pub - the Maiden tavern is a great place to have a drink.
Fallen warrior. You got {number correct}/{number of questions} correct answers
What went wrong? Do you want to try again?
Modern material! You got {number correct}/{number of questions} correct answers
You live in the present. The past is forgotten.
Modern material! You got {number correct}/{number of questions} correct answers
You live in the present. The past is forgotten.
Modern material! You got {number correct}/{number of questions} correct answers
You live in the present. The past is forgotten.
Average aristocrat. You got {number correct}/{number of questions} correct answers
Some right, some wrong. Maybe this isn’t your time period.
Average aristocrat! You got {number correct}/{number of questions} correct answers
Some right, some wrong. Maybe this isn’t your time period.
Average aristocrat! You got {number correct}/{number of questions} correct answers
Some right, some wrong. Maybe this isn’t your time period.
History buff! You got {number correct}/{number of questions} correct answers
You really know your stuff. Say it loud, say it proud "We love history!"
History buff! You got {number correct}/{number of questions} correct answers
You really know your stuff. Say it loud, say it proud "We love history!"
Renaissance reveller! You got {number correct}/{number of questions} correct answers
Are you a time traveller?!