Edzell Castle is an early 16th century castle with a 17th century walled garden located near the beautiful town of Edzell.

The castle was built more as a defensive residential country home than a true castle. Upon our visit the castle was closed for high level masonary work, but this did not stop us getting a few aerial shots.

~ History ~

1358 ~ The Edzell estate including the timber motte and bailey castle, originally owned by the Abbe family and later the Stirlings of Glenesk, passes through marriage to Alexander Lindsay of Crawford. The castle is deemed strategically important as is guards the mouth and pass of Glenesk into the Highlands.

1398 ~ Alexander Lindsay's son David, is created Earl of Crawford.

1513 ~ The castle passes into a junior branch of the Lindsay's to David Lindsay.

1520 ~ David Linsday, 9th Earl of Crawford, builds a brand new castle on a fresh and more sheltered location.  He chooses a tower house with barmkin with courtyard style of castle, with residential considerations over defensive, given the location is overlooked by higher ground to the north of the castle. 

1542 ~ David becomes the Earl of Crawford upon the death of his cousin the 8th Earl, who had earlier disinherited his own son Alexander, the "wicked master". 

1550 ~ David expands the castle with the addition of a west range, incorperating a new entrance gate and hall. He also builds Invermark castle 12 miles north of Edzell to serve as a hunting lodge.

1562 ~ David Lindsay receives Mary, Queen of Scots to stay at the castle during her progress across Scotland to subdue the rebellious George Gordon, 5th Earl of Huntly. The Queen spends two nights at the castle, convening a meeting of the Privy Council, attended by the nobility of Scotland.

1580 ~ Mary, Queen of Scot's son, King James I visits Edzell castle.

1581 ~ David's son Alexander is knighted and becomes the Lord of Session (a senior judge), taking the title Lord Edzell. 

He however fails to inherit the castle following his father's decision to nominate Alexander, the "wicked master", to inherit the castle, and so return it back to the senior line of the family. The castle is further extended,

1589 ~ King James of Scotland returns to Edzell Castle and there receives the Earl of Erroll's submission to his mercy, whilst accusing the 6th Earl of Huntly of further treasons to the King. The following day news reaches the castle that King Henry III of France has been assassinated by a Dominican friar, Jacques Clement.

1598 ~ Alexander Lindsay is appointed to the Privy Council.

1604 ~ Sir David Lindsay lays out formal gardens at the castle, with symbols of England, Scotland and Ireland, to celebrate the Union of the Crown completed the previous year upon King James becoming King of England, Scotland and Ireland upon the death of his cousin Queen Elizabeth I.

1610 ~ Sir David Lindsay dies heavily in debt as a result of fines handed down for the unruly conduct of his son.

1651 ~ Oliver Cromwell's English troops occupy the castle for one month during his invasion of Scotland.

1653 ~ John Lindsay is "taken prisoner from his own house" by Royalists during the rising of the Earl of Kinnoul, but is rescued the following day.

1715 ~ The Lindsay's fall on hard times with mounting debts are forced to sell the castle. The new owner, the Earl of Panmure, loses the castle and its estate in the same year for his part in the Jacobite rising. Edzell Castle's days as a noble residence is over as a result and is allowed to fall into ruin. It is sold by the Crown and stripped of its assets