The landscape sleeps now. But in the past it thundered with menace, might and war.
Traquar House has seen much of it. Nine hundred years of living history, patronage by 27 kings and queens, pride of place in the stunning Scottish Borders and a fate-bound legend: it is a elegant and breathtaking place.
Once the seat of the noble Earls of Traquair, it's the oldest continually-inhabited home in the country. The site first entered history books in the twelfth century as a hunting lodge of the Kings of Scots, while the current building began construction three hundred years later, playing host to many illustrious guests including Mary, Queen of Scots.
Times have often been harsh in the picturesque but war-torn Borders area, as English and Scottish troops marched north and south, laying waste when the warlords demanded it; so Traquair is a fortified house, without being a castle. It has always been a working landscape, with its fine gardens lying beside crop fields, fishing banks and cattle ranges.
And nearly 1000 years after its creation, only the technology has changed. The Maxwell Stuart family still call the estate home and welcome public visits most of the year. They run the Traquair Brewery, offering a wide range of fine Scots ales, while a restaurant and craft shops can be found near the woodland walks. Adventurers of all ages will enjoy the challenging tree maze, while history buffs will marvel at the classic library and Jacobite glass collection.
In 1745 Bonnie Prince Charlie marched out of the Bear Gates to the north of the house; and the gates were then locked, and an oath taken that they would not be opened again until a Scottish monarch sat on the throne of Scotland. The gates stand shut to this day - but behind them, you're guaranteed a warm welcome to Traquair House.
And the land will thunder again – this time to the sound of Indian Motorcycles.