Our celebrations of Clan Burnett led us to Kayleigh Heister, who is responsible for collection care at Crathes Castle . We are delighted to ask her our burning questions and have a peek into the treasures behind the castle doors at Crathes.
You work for the National Trust for Scotland, what first brought you to this role?
I had just finished my Masters in Heritage Management at Queen Mary University of London in the fall of 2022 and was looking at different heritage organisations and the opportunities they had open at the time. I found that Crathes Castle, Garden and Estate was hiring someone for Collection Care and that they had amazing examples of Painted Ceilings and textile pieces. During this time, they were undergoing a large conservation project for the painted ceilings, and I was able to see before joining the National Trust for Scotland how they want to showcase the amount of work that goes into taking care of the properties and they are always happy to show what goes on behind the scenes and that was something I wanted to be a part of.
This month we are celebrating Clan Burnett, whose clan seat is at Crathes Castle. Your role is Collection Care at the Castle, what exciting things does your job include?
Some of the exciting things that I do is preserving the collection that we house for the next generation to enjoy. This ranges from checking the condition of objects to carrying out treatment. We also bring out objects that are in storage for visitors to see occasionally and carry out special conservation tours that cover what I look for and do on a day-to-day basis. It is not just about dusting and hoovering; it is a lot of in-depth work and problem solving when dealing with older and fragile objects.
If you ever visit Crathes Castle, you might see me around the castle carrying out my day-to-day tasks and are able to ask about how we keep our objects in the conditions that they are in and how we balance visitor enjoyment and preserving our collection pieces as a charity.
We were excited to see you studied ‘History’ at Florida Gulf Coast University. If you could travel back in time to experience any historic event, where would you go?
I think I would like to experience the court of Henry VIII. The Hampton Court Palace that we see today is only part of what the Tudors would have seen while the rest was re-designed by William III and Mary II. Socially and religiously a lot was happening during the period. I would also be able to see the Abraham Tapestries in their original colour scheme and how they were perceived at court.
Crathes Castle plays a huge part in the Burnett Family history, what sort of Clan relics are on display for the public to see?
We have a few items that are Clan relics in the castle. The most important one is the Horn of Leys. This was gifted to the family in 1323 by King Robert the Bruce and acted as the badge of Office for their title as Royal Forester of Drum. It was so important to them that they included it in their heraldry or coat of arms.
Other clan relics are numerous charters, out of all of them the Nova Scotia charter is probably the most important because this is when the family received the Baronetcy title to land in Nova Scotia. However, the current Laird is not also a baronet of Nova Scotia due to the title not being able to pass through the maternal line!
Crathes Castle is home to many historical artefacts including the Horn of Leys, what artefacts are your favourite in the castle and why?
This is always the hardest question to answer! Our painted ceilings are absolutely breath taking and in some of the best condition in Scotland. Most have been touched up by the Victorians, but they still carry historical significance and we do have original 16th to 17th century paint pigments in two areas. The reason this is one of my favourites is due to how rare they are and the condition we have them in. It also offers us a glimpse into the Burnett’s life at the time.
Another artefact that is my favourite is a Georgian Fan that I stumbled upon one day in storage. It has a high level of detail and was one of the first objects featured on our social media, so do have a look at our Facebook page to see this piece along with other pieces of our fabulous collection. This piece has two different images depending on what side of the fan you are looking at and you can almost make up a story from the two paintings. It also features a dog and who doesn’t love animals!
There is a ghost tale of Crathes, where a ‘Green Lady’ has been spotted in and around the castle. Have you had any spooky encounters in your time at Crathes?
I have not had any spooky encounters during my time at Crathes, however, it can be quite creepy being on my own in the castle during the winter because of how windy it is the windows and doors tend to rattle!
We do have traditions at the castle when it comes to the Green Lady. Every time we enter her room, we say hello and goodbye when we leave. This was started by a former staff member, and it is said if you do not greet the green lady or say goodbye that you will have bad luck for the rest of the day.
Other than Crathes, which other castles would you recommend for people to pay a visit to while in Scotland?
It’s hard to pick! There is such a variety of castles throughout Scotland in Aberdeenshire alone there are two hundred castles and ruins. If you are in the North East do visit Fyvie Castle. It is very much a traditional castle with multi-generations of buildings and filled with ghost stories. I really enjoyed visiting Edinburgh Castle as well and seeing the stone of destiny.
You also worked for the Historic Royal Palaces, which must have been a very exciting role. What was the most interesting part of your job?
The most interesting part while I was at Historic Royal Palaces was being able to be apart of different departments and see all the work that goes into major events. I was with Historic Royal Palaces while they were planning Superbloom at the Tower of London for the celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee. Another interesting part is when filming occurs on site and watching what happens from a conservation point of view with the building and then seeing it on screen months later.
Of course we would love to know, do you have a favourite tartan, if so which one and why?
My favourite tartan is the MacNeil of Colonsay Ancient. I really like the colours and there is a possible family connection, but I would have to do a deep dive into my genealogy to see where my maternal family original moved from before they were in the states.
We would like to thank Kayleigh for taking the time to talk to us during this busy season and answer our questions. You can take a visit to Crathes Castle and explore the treasures for your self, and keep your eyes peeled for the mysterious Green Lady. Book your trip today!
Crathes Castle images sourced on National Trust Scotland.
