Airlie Castle

About

Airlie Castle is a property in the parish of Airlie, Angus, near the junction of the Isla and Melgund rivers, 9 kilometres west of Kirriemuir, Angus, Scotland. A castle was built on the site in c. 1432 and was burned down in 1640, with a mansion house built incorporating and on top of some of the ruins in c. 1792–93, and occupied today. The house and the stables are Category B listed buildings, and the grounds are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland.

History: King James I of Scotland granted lands to Walter Ogilvy of Lintrathen, Lord High Treasurer of Scotland, in 1432. Walter Ogilvy then built the castle at the confluence of the River Isla and the Melgam Water. It sits on a raised position with a steep 400 ft drop to the rivers below. A moat on the eastern approach further protected the castle. It became a stronghold and chief residence of the Ogilvies. James Ogilvy, 5th Lord Ogilvy of Airlie planned to rebuild the castle in 1564. The castle consisted of a rectangular courtyard with walls three metres thick. The east wall of the original courtyard still stands; it is about 36 metres long and 9 metres tall. An entrance gateway that now has a...