Elcho Castle
| Elcho Castle | |
|
Perthshire | |
|---|---|
| |
| Type: | Tower house |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NO16232077 |
| Location: | 56°22’19"N, 3°21’23"W |
| History | |
| Information | |
| Owned by: | The Earl of Wemyss (in the care of Historic Scotland) |
Elcho Castle stands a short distance above the south bank of the River Tay in Perthshire, about four miles south-east of Perth. It consists of a Z-plan tower house, with fragments of a surrounding wall with corner towers. The Castle was built on the site of an older structure about 1560 and is one of the best surviving examples of its date in the Highlands. A large portion of the Castle is accessible, although floors in some rooms have fallen, and much of the building can be walked through. The wall-walk is accessible at two points.
The property is still owned by the family of the original builders, the Wemyss family (the style of the heir to the Earl of Wemyss is Lord Elcho), though it has not been inhabited for some 200 years. It has nevertheless been kept in good repair - one of the earliest examples in Scotland of a building being preserved purely for its historical interest. It is managed by Historic Environment Scotland]] as a scheduled monument.[1]
The castle is open to visitors throughout the summer. There is an entrance charge.
An apple- and pear-tree orchard adjoining the castle has been replanted in recent years, and a 16th-century 'beehive' type doo'cot survives nearby. The dovecote is a Category A listed building.[2]
See also
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Elcho Castle) |
- Elcho Castle: Historic Scotland
- Engraving of Elcho castle by James Fittler in the digitised copy of Scotia Depicta, or the antiquities, castles, public buildings, noblemen and gentlemen's seats, cities, towns and picturesque scenery of Scotland, 1804
References
- ↑ Elcho Castle - scheduled monument detail (Historic Environment Scotland)
- ↑ Elcho Castle, Doo'cot (Category A) - Listing detail (Historic Environment Scotland)