Cortachy Castle is a castellated mansion House at

Cortachy Cortachy is a village in Angus, Scotland. It lies in at the mouth of Glen Clova, on the River South Esk, four miles north of Kirriemuir. Nearby lies Cortachy Castle, seat of the Earls of Airlie Earl of Airlie is a title of the peera ...

, Angus, Scotland, some four miles north of

Kirriemuir Kirriemuir, sometimes called Kirrie or the ''Wee Red Toon'' ( gd, An Ceathramh Mòr; IPA: nˈkʰʲɛɾəvmoːɾ, is a burgh in Angus, Scotland. It reaches back to earliest recorded times, when it is thought to have been a major ecclesiastical ...

. The present building dates from the 15th century, preceded by an earlier structure that was owned by the

Earls of Strathearn Earl or Mormaer of Strathearn is a title of Scottish nobility, referring to the region of Strathearn in southern Perthshire. Of unknown origin, the mormaers are attested for the first time in a document perhaps dating to 1115. The first known mo ...

. It was acquired by the Ogilvies in 1473 and substantively modified in the 17th and 19th centuries. The 1696 remodelling was by Tobias Bauchop of

Alloa Alloa (Received Pronunciation ; educated Scottish pronunciation /ˈaloʊa/; gd, Alamhagh, possibly meaning "rock plain") is a town in Clackmannanshire in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It is on the north bank of the Forth at the spot wher ...

. In 1820 it was "romanticised", as was the fashion of the day, by the addition of

crenellations A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i.e., a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at interv ...

, plus other alterations by

R & R Dickson Richard and Robert Dickson (usually simply referred to as R & R Dickson) were brothers, acting as architects in Scotland in the early and mid-19th century. Whilst most of their work is typified by remote country houses they are best known for th ...

. Part of the building was damaged by fire in 1883 and it was extensively rebuilt in the following two years by Kinnear & Peddie. Cortachy Castle is a Category B listed building and the grounds are included in the

Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland The ''Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland'' is a listing of gardens and designed landscapes of national artistic and/or historical significance, in Scotland. The Inventory was originally compiled in 1987, although it is a cont ...

. The castle is said to be haunted by the spirit of a drummer.

References

{{coord, 56.7233, N, 2.9853, W, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Castles in Angus, Scotland Reportedly haunted locations in Scotland Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes