Edzell Castle
Brief Outline History
Edzell Castle is an atmospheric ruin set in a lovely tranquil Angus glen. It illustrates the rich side of life in late medieval Scotland with its comfortable castle, pleasant location and extraordinary garden. The castle was the seat of the Lindsay Lord’s of Edzell who acquired it in 1358 through marriage.
Inside the castle walls
The original castle was a motte and bailey type castle, a little distant to the south west of the present castle and near to the church. It was replaced by a new, more comfortable castle built in the early 16th century and added to over the years . It was more of a home than a fortress. The village of Slateford had grown up around the castle to service it but it offended the Lindsay Lords and was moved a mile away to the present location at Edzell.
The castle had its share of distinguished visitors. Mary, Queen of Scots visited on 25 August 1562 during her northern expedition to quell the Huntly Rebellion. She slept there for two nights and the room she used was henceforth called the Queen’s Chamber. She held a Privy Council meeting in the castle during her stay.
The castle began the decline into ruin around the time of the 1715 Jacobite Rebellion. The Lindsays were Jacobites and sold to the Earl of Panmure, another Jacobite, to raise money for a regiment. After the failure of the Rebellion the lands were forfeited by the crown and sold to the York Buildings Company. The Company bought many forfeited estates in order to strip them of their assets. The Company were declared bankrupt in 1732. The lands were leased for a number of years before being sold off in 1766 to pay the debts of the Trustees. Any remaining resources were sold to pay their debts. The ruin of the castle was complete.
The Garden
Detail of a portion of garden wall
The garden was created by Sir David Lindsay around 1604. He was a man ahead of his time - a man of the Renaissance. He died in 1610 before he saw any of his projects completed. In the end, his tastes out ran his pocket and he left his family in debt.
The garden is the castle’s crowning glory. The walled garden has unique features with carved images using heraldic and symbolic imagery. It is an Italian Renaissance garden in rural Scotland.
Now that the need for purely defensive castles was over, Lindsay was able to spend time and money to beautify his home. His greatest achievement was the creation of the walled garden. The wall itself has a stunning array of carved panels representing the Planetary Deities, the Liberal Arts and the Cardinal Virtues. The carvings are based on German engravings of the early 16th century by Georg Pencz, a pupil of Albrecht Durer. There are also spaces for busts and flower boxes. It must have provided a feast for the eye.
The current planting system was recreated in the 1930’s. The parterres, so popular in the 17th century were restored.
In 1853 local historian Andrew Jervise described the garden thus:
The overgrown garden before restoration work
"It is, however, in the gorgeous embellishments of the flower garden that the classical taste of the family, and the proficiency to which native sculpture had then attained, are most apparent. It contains nearly half a Scotch acre, and is still filled with gooseberry and other bushes; and many of the old apple and pear trees, from which the favourite fruit was pulled in days of yore, are in full bearing; but scarcely a fragrant flower raised its tiny and variegated head within the whole expanse. The magnificent wall, and the fine sculpture with which it is profusely decorated, and the summer house with beautiful turrets and ceiling of hewn freestone, together with the old part of the house of the Mains (which bore the date 1602), were, as already shewn, the work of the later years of Lord Edzell, with whom, it may be said, the truly mental energy and superior taste of the main line of this great house failed."
The Summerhouse
The summerhouse
In a corner of the garden is the summer house with a huge cool table and built in benches which provided welcome shade in the summer. The panelled room above contains the only surviving example of the castle’s carved oak panelling. They contain a pagan green man and the Virgin and child amongst other images. The panels were rescued from a house in the village where they had been reused. They are believed to have been part of the window shutters in the great hall, according to D. H. Edwards, a Victorian local historian.
In the 19th century when the ruins were first cleared, the ruins in their lovely setting began to attract many visitors. A castle keeper was appointed by the Dalhousie family in the late 1870’s to look after it and the visitors. The summer house was used as a reception area for them. Here they would sign the visitors book before beginning their explorations amid the ruins.
Bibliography
LOW, James G.
Edzell Castle: Past and Present
Montrose, 1918
LEITH & SMITH
Views of Edzell Castle
Edinburgh, 1887
SIMPSON, W. Douglas
Edzell Castle
Historic Scotland, 1994
Edzell Castle is one of 300 properties cared for by Historic Scotland. For further information please contact
Historic Scotland
Freepost
Edinburgh
EH3 5RA
© Angus Council 1998 - 2008