Forfar Castle

Forfar Castle was a royal castle dating back to the 11th century although nothing of it now remains.

The castle stood on a large mound, which has been identified as a motte, to the east of Forfar Loch and was surrounded by water. Some antiquarian reports describe the castle standing on an island within the loch but this site may have become confused with a religious establishment on Queen Margaret’s Inch.

The castle is on record in the reigns of Malcolm III, William the Lion and Alexander II during the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries. Edward I of England captured the castle in 1291 and in 1306 it was burned by Wallace and destroyed. In 1308 it was captured by the Scots and rebuilt but was destroyed again in 1313 and never rebuilt.

The ruins of the castle were apparently still extant in the 17th century but nothing of it is now visible apart from the large mound of the castle hill, around 15 metres in height, which now has residences built upon it.