Mary Queen of Scots letter to be included in Blair Castle auction

A letter written by Mary Queen of Scots, worth around £3,000, is to be included in an auction of historic items from Blair Castle in Ayrshire.

A letter written by Mary Queen of Scots, relieving the Laird of Blair of his duties at court, is one of a number of historic items from Blair Castle in Ayrshire to be auctioned on 14 and 15 March 2012. Lyon & Turnbull auctioneers are to hold the auction in Edinburgh, with lots including a Zeigler carpet and nineteenth-century Irish dining chairs. The items are expected to fetch a total of around £500,000, with 900 years of history for sale through the various items.

Luke and Caroline Borwick, who are selling Blair Castle, and auctioning the historic items, said: 'It's a wonderful place, full of wonderful things, but sadly as we have sold the castle we cannot take them with us. Obviously we hope that every single item goes to someone who will treasure them as much as we have.'

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