Château de Mélac is a rare fortified wealthy house of the southern Rouergue was built between the 14th and the 16th centuries. The castle has four main buildings which are interconnected by towers (Renaissance tower) and form an amazing inner courtyard with arcades.
The castle forms a very contrasted ensemble because of its different architectural styles: exceptional interior courtyard with arcades supporting the galleries on two levels, 15th century watchtower with its original bombards, Renaissance round tower and its cupola storeys, vaulted guards room with rib tufa stone dating from the 14th century, large rougier sandstone fireplace, epic narrative about Dieudonné de Gozon, Grand Master of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem.
During the summer season, enjoy Les Musicales de Mélac festival which is held in the castle inner courtyard.
References:Dryburgh Abbey on the banks of the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders was founded in 1150 in an agreement between Hugh de Morville, Constable of Scotland, and the Premonstratensian canons regular from Alnwick Abbey in Northumberland. The arrival of the canons along with their first abbot, Roger, took place in 1152.
It was burned by English troops in 1322, after which it was restored only to be again burned by Richard II in 1385, but it flourished in the fifteenth century. It was finally destroyed in 1544, briefly surviving until the Scottish Reformation, when it was given to the Earl of Mar by James VI of Scotland. It is now a designated scheduled monument and the surrounding landscape is included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland.
David Erskine, 11th Earl of Buchan bought the land in 1786. Sir Walter Scott and Douglas Haig are buried in its grounds.