Building record MAB33048 - CORTACHY CASTLE, CORTACHY

Castle, still in use.

Castle, still in use. Built on the site of a 14th century castle belonging to the Earls of Strathearn, of which nothing remains. It has been greatly altered and extended down the centuries. In 1472 it was granted to Lord Ogilvie of Airlie, and the castle is still the principle residence of the Earls of Airlie. The present castle was originally a courtyard-type castle of probable 15th century date, and the Southern part retains the early building and two angle towers, but they have since been harled and heavily altered. Portions of the curtain-walling survive between the towers, which has been raised and incorporated in the later building. There were additions and alterations in 1787-90 by Richard Hogg. In 1820-1, R and R Dickson remodelled the house, added a porch and replaced one of the original angle towers. There was a major addition in 1870-3 by David Bryce to the North and East. A large amount of this was removed in 1949-51 during work by Philip Tilden, but the wing to the North retains a portion of the extensions. The castle has a harled exterior, with polished red sandstone dressings. The South elevation contains fenestration from the 16th century, 17th century and 19th century, and a crenellated wallhead was added in 1820-1. The round South-East tower is from the early-17th century, but with 19th century elements, such as the crenellated wallhead with the same date as the wallhead of the South elevation, and a slated conical roof from the 1870-3 work. The South-West tower has had less alterations, with mainly 16th century material remaining. It is four-storeys, and is circular at the lower three storeys, with the fourth corbelled into a diagonally set rectangle with crow-stepped gables. The top floor's South-East face has a sundial that was added in 2002. The West elevation is U-plan, having removed most of the 1870-3 addition that once extended beyond the Western limits of the castle. The Southern end of this elevation is from the 16th century, with the same 1820-1 crenellated wallhead seen elsewhere. The rest is made up in part of the remaining 1870-3 structure, recast in 1949-51, and new elements also dating from this 20th century work. There is a crenellated wallhead and a crowstepped gable to the North-West wing. There is a square tower at the North-West corner, with a conical roofed circular top stage. The North elevation is from 1948-51, with a crenellated single-storey outshot at the West end. The East elevation is made up of a three-storey wing from 1820-1, but again remodelled in the 20th century, when it was given a crow-stepped gable and catslide dormers. This wing orients East/West towards the South, and projects beyond the Eastern limits of the 16th century South wing. The main entrance to the castle is in the crowstepped gable end of this wing, and there is a pedimented heraldic plaque above the entrance. Airlie Lodge (NO35NE0111) stands at the end of the driveway to the South, and the home farm (NO45NW0057) of the castle is to the South-East. See NO35NE0162 for designed landscape.

Period Notes
Built in the early-16th century on the site of a 14th century castle. There have been additions and alterations in 1787-90, 1820-1, 1870-3 and 1945-51. Listed on 11/06/1971.

A/55256-68, A/55256-68 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB21245.

A/55397-405/CS, A/55397-405/CS (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB21260.

MacGibbon and Ross, D and T, 1887-92, [Untitled], Vol. 4, 50-1 (Bibliographic reference). SAB6098.

TRNATER, N, 1962, FORTIFIED HOUSE IN SCOTLAND VOL4-ABERDEENSHIRE, Vol. 4, 108-110 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1917.

Thomasson, K (ed.), 1963, [Untitled], 13 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10469.

Feb 12 2008 , AAS/08/01/DG8535-52, AAS/08/01/DG8535-52 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB21290.

Record last edited

Nov 29 2023 12:18PM