After prolonged efforts, Captain Maitland-Carew secured substantial grant aid through the Historic Buildings
Council. In 1984, to safeguard the future of the castle, he gifted the main part of the Castle to a Charitable Trust
set up for its preservation. This enabled the National Heritage Memorial Fund to endow further funds. Thus, a great
treasure was saved for the nation.
The extent
of the work required to restore Thirlestane Castle to its former spendour was truly daunting. After many years of
neglect, the vast central tower was in imminent danger of collapse and the building was edging ever closer to becoming
a ruin. Thus, when work commenced, the first priority was to secure the fabric, which was a huge and expensive
undertaking in itself. The repair of the central tower required the insertion of steel support beams and the drilling
of the walls to take steel tension cables. The crumbling stonework of the 16th century Keep below, which had been built
of very small stones re-used from earlier fortifications, had to be reconstructed also.
The
restoration work at Thirlestane required the skills of a dedicated team of specialists and craftsmen. The structural
repairs called for engineers, the restoration of stonework for stonemasons, and the work on the plaster ceilings was
executed by skilled craftsmen from Peebles, who made replacements to the damaged areas using the same techniques as
were used when they were first made. Chimneys were rebuilt, reinforcements inserted, roofs, windows and leadwork
repaired. A complete redecoration of the principal rooms was undertaken. Thirlestane as it stands today is a tribute
to Captain Maitland-Carew's determination to see the Castle restored, and to all those many people who have loyally
devoted their time and skills.
To the casual eye, it might seem that there is nothing more to do, that the job of restoring Thirlestane is done.
In fact, like many old buildings, the Castle will always require constant maintenance to keep it in good repair. There
will always be ways of improving the Castle, its contents, the Border Country Life Exhibitions, the grounds and
policies ... ideas which we can bring to fruition to create an ever better experience for our visitors.
