Edzell Castle
Description
It is actually the garden at Edzell which seems
to be more important that the Edzell
Castle
itself.
Edzell Castle's
garden has a large
enclosed area, and the walls are adorned with numerous carvings of Planetary Deities, Liberal
Arts and Cardinal Virtues.
These are actually now resin
casts of the originals, which are located in the delectable Summer House of
1604.
The garden dates from this
time, being laid out by Sir David Lindsay, Lord Edzell, but the present parterre was the work
of the Ancient Monuments Board in 1932 when the garden was taken into state
care.
At the opposite corner of
the garden from the Summer House are the scanty remains of the bath house, with the well
surviving in the thickness of the
wall.
Short
History
The oldest part of the
castle is the L-planned tower of the early 16th century, which is built in a rich red
sandstone. This was added to the north where the entrance pend passes beneath what was once a
large hall, long since ruined.
In 1602-04 Lord Edzell added
the north west tower. The castle was probably never finished, and the Northeast range is
incomplete. It is thought that Lord Edzell became more interested in his garden than the
castle.
Edzell was
the seat of the Lindsays of Glenesk who acquired the lands by marriage in 1358. Previously
owners were the Stirlings, their motte visible from the present
castle.
A fragment of an early
Christian cross-found nearby is located in the Summer House. Mary, Queen of Scots visited in
August 1562. Cromwell took the castle in 1651. The Lindsays retained Edzell until 1715 when
David sold it to the Earl of Panmure. He was deprived of his estates for his Jacobite
adherences.
The
Edzell
Castle was stripped for
building materials in 1764, and one of the turrets can still be pointed out in Edzell village.
Ownership passed to the Earl of Dalhousie whose descendant still retains
it.
Edzell Castle
Map&Location
Edzell Castle Address: Edzell, Brechin,
Angus DD9 7UE. Get help with directions using the map provided
bellow:
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