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Edzell Castle

Edzell Castle was built as a modern replacement for the nearby Edzell Castle motte, around 400 metres to the south-south-west, which had been inherited by David Lindsay in 1513.

Lindsay began the construction of his new castle in 1520, starting with a tall tower house, apparently named Stirling’s Tower in honour of his Stirling ancestors. Measuring 13 metres by 10 metres, it has walls some 2.0 metres thick at ground level, and rises to a height of 16 metres.

At ground level the tower contains two vaulted chambers, a great hall above, and three further storeys containing a mixture of rooms. A caphouse on the roof completes the structure, with a parapet walk and four round corner towers (no longer visible).

In 1542 David Lindsay became the 9th Earl of Crawford, and in 1550 he added a two storey west range containing accommodation more befitting of his new status. On the ground floor was a kitchen, next to a grand arched entrance giving access to the courtyard within. On the first floor of the new range was a great hall and a drawing room. Later in the 16th century another David Lindsay, the 10th Earl of Crawford, began a north range. The intention was apparently for this wing to stretch right along the courtyard wall, but only the western half of it was completed. The north range contained a second larger kitchen and further private chambers, and features a round tower at the north-west corner. The south wall of this new range has fallen, so it is now open to the courtyard within.

Around 1604 yet another David Lindsay, the 11th Earl of Crawford, began laying out a walled garden to the south of the castle. The 3.6 metre high walls enclose an area measuring 52 metres north-south by 44 metres east-west, and are decorated with numerous carved panels. Niches built into the walls are thought to have housed a variety of plants and nesting birds.

At the south-east corner of the garden is a small two-storey summer house, thought to have been built by the stonemason Thomas Leiper. At the south-west corner are the ruined remains of a bath-house.

By 1715 the Lindsays had fallen on hard times, and their estates were sold to the James Maule, the 4th Earl of Panmure, for £192,502 Scots pounds (£16,042 sterling). The Earl didn’t posses the lands for long though, as his involvement in the Jacobite Rising of 1715 meant they were forfeited, and Edzell Castle later passed into the hands of the York Buildings Company, who asset-stripped the estate.

In 1746 government troops stayed at the castle, causing more damage, and in 1764 the remaining contents of the castle and the roof were removed and sold to pay the York Buildings Company’s creditors.

William Maule, the 1st Earl Panmure (and the nephew of James, the 4th Earl of Panmure), bought back the estates, but died in 1782 without an heir, and Edzell Castle passed to his nephew, George Ramsay, the 8th Earl of Dalhousie.

The castle remained in the Dalhousie family, although as it was now a ruin they didn’t live there. In the 1870s they employed a caretaker to look after the castle, and in 1935 the castle passed into state care.

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Alternative names for Edzell Castle

Mains Of Edzell; Stirling's Tower

Where is Edzell Castle?

Edzell Castle is in the parish of Edzell and the county of Angus.

Grid reference: NO 58461 69108

Lat / long: 56.811680, -2.681900

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OS Map for Edzell Castle

OS map 389
Forfar, Brechin & Edzell (Strathmore East)
OS Explorer map 389


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Directions to Edzell Castle

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Weather at Edzell Castle

10°C
max 10°C / min 10°C
9km/h NNW
1029mb
72%
42%
03:53 20:21

Scattered clouds
Weather observed at Brechin at 07:22

References (websites)

Listed Building record
Garden and Designed Landscape record
Canmore
Historic Environment Scotland
Wikipedia

Castles near Edzell Castle

Edzell Castle motte

0.4km away

Poolbrigs (site of)

1.2km away

Dalbog (site of)

2.2km away

Auchmull Castle (site of)

5.4km away

Inglismaldie Castle

6.3km away

Shanno Castle

6.6km away

Balbegno Castle

6.7km away

House of Eslie (site of)

7.2km away

Little Pert (possible) (site of)

7.4km away
more castles....

Ancient sites near Edzell Castle

Inchbare North cursus

4.2km away

Inchbare South cursus

4.4km away

Old Montrose cursus

14.4km away

Finavon fort

15.5km away

Finavon rock art

15.5km away

Hill of Finavon rock art

17.1km away

Milton cursus

19.1km away

Balneaves Cottage cursus

19.8km away

Douglasmuir cursus

21.2km away
more ancient sites....

Pictish stones near Edzell Castle

Arnhall (possible) Class I symbol stone

1.9km away

Aldbar Class III cross slab

11.0km away

St Ringan's Cairn Class II cross slab

12.5km away

Woodrae 1 Class II cross slab

14.1km away

Woodrae 2 Class II cross slab

14.1km away

Farnell Class II cross slab

14.3km away

Aberlemno 1 Class I symbol stone

14.6km away

Aberlemno 4 Class I symbol stone

14.6km away

Aberlemno 3 Class II cross slab

14.6km away
more Pictish stones....
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Pictish sites near Edzell Castle

Dunnicaer fort

33.5km away

Nigg silver chain

49.1km away

Parkhill silver chain

55.6km away

Norrie's Law hoard

64.1km away

Traprain Law silver chain

94.2km away

Gaulcross hoard

94.8km away

Haddington silver chain

95.8km away

Burghead fort

110.9km away

Hoardweel silver chain

110.9km away
more Pictish sites....
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Accommodation near Edzell Castle

The Glenesk Hotel
hotelEdzell
1.8km away
Northern Hotel
hotelBrechin
8.9km away
Gramarcy House
bed and breakfastBrechin
8.9km away
The Gardeners Bothy
self-catering cottageFettercairn
9.1km away
Avenue Cottage
self-catering cottageFettercairn
9.2km away
The Garden Rooms
self-catering cottageFettercairn
9.2km away
Gardeners Cottage
self-catering cottageFettercairn
9.4km away
Chapel House B&B
bed and breakfastFerryden
17.1km away
Links Hotel
hotel, restaurant, café, barMontrose
17.2km away
Park Hotel, Ferryden
hotelFerryden
18.8km away

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more accommodation....

Cafés, restaurants & bars near Edzell Castle

Links Hotel
hotel, restaurant, café, barMontrose
17.2km away
Kinnettles Castle
hotel, barForfar
27.2km away
Best Western Burnett Arms Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barBanchory
28.8km away
Loch Kinord Hotel & Royal Deeside Woodland Lodges
hotel, restaurant, bar, self-cateringDinnet
32.2km away
Lochside Lodge & Roundhouse Restaurant
hotel, restaurantBridgend of Lintrathen
33.3km away
The Deeside Inn
hotel, restaurant, barBallater
34.1km away
19th Hole Hotel
hotel, bar, restaurantCarnoustie
34.7km away
Carnoustie Golf Hotel and Spa
hotel, restaurant, barCarnoustie
35.0km away
Aberdeen Arms
self-catering, bar, restaurantAboyne
36.7km away
Premier Inn Dundee (Monifieth)
hotel, restaurantMonifieth
36.8km away
more food.... / more drink....

Related pages

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Garden of Cosmic Speculation plus castles
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Inveraray Castle and standing stone
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Dunbar harbour and castle
Published on the 19th of July 2010 at 11:32 pm. Updated on the 8th of January 2023 at 12:18 pm.

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Andy Sweet above Fast Castle

Stravaiging around Scotland is written, photographed and researched by Andy Sweet.
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