Building record MAB35615 - INVERMARK CASTLE

Remains of a tower house built in the 16th century, possibly 1526.

Remains of a tower house built in the 16th century, possibly 1526. It was built for the Lindsay family, who also owned Edzell Castle (NO56NE0008). A castle is known to have existed at Invermark in the 14th century, but this earlier structure is thought to have been located on a different site. There were 17th century additions and alterations, and the tower house was repaired in 1729. It was inhabited until at least the middle of the 18th century, and is said to have been gutted in 1803 at which time the surrounding offices were demolished and the stone re-used in the construction of Lochlee Parish Church (NO48SW0013) and the House of Mark (NO48SW0011). It is depicted on the 1st and 2nd edition OS maps as being in ruins. It is a four-storey and attic, rectangular-plan, roofless tower house with walls almost complete to the wallhead. It is constructed from random granite and schist boulders and rubble, with red sandstone margins. There are rounded corners, corbelled to square at the third floor. There is a 17th century bartizan corbelled out at the third floor on the south-east corner, a round-arched entrance with an iron yett at the first floor, regularly-spaced horizontal gun loops at the ground level to all elevations and gable and wall-head stacks. There is very irregular fenestration, with chamfered window margins to older part and rounded margins to the later windows. There is the intermittent remains of an eaves cornice. Inside, the ground floor is barrel-vaulted and accessed by turnpike stair to the left of the principal entrance. There may have originally been a drawbridge over a surrounding moat, however the sources for this are not conclusive.

Period Notes
The build date of 1526 is given on the 2nd edition OS map and also the New Statistical Account, however the source of this date has not been subsequently found. The 1554 Register of the Great Seat mentions the tower house, so it has certainly been built by this time. There are 17th century additions and alterations, and it was repaired in 1729. It was inhabited until at least the middle of the 18th century, and is said to have been gutted in 1803 at which time the surrounding offices were demolished. It was listed on 11/06/1971.

WARDEN, A. J., 1880-85, ANGUS OR FORFARSHIRE: THE LAND & PEOPLE, vol.IV, p224 (Bibliographic reference). SAB2086.

JERVISE, A., 1882, HISTORY & TRADITIONS OF THE LAND OF THE LINDSAYS, 77-8 (2nd ed.) (Bibliographic reference). SAB901.

Simpson, W D, 1934, Proc Soc Antiq Scot 68, 41-50 (Bibliographic reference). SAB9850.

TRNATER, N, 1962, FORTIFIED HOUSE IN SCOTLAND VOL4-ABERDEENSHIRE, 131-2 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1917.

Feb 13 2001 , AAS/01/1/CT25,26, AAS/01/1/CT25,26 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB23496.

Feb 13 2001 , AAS/01/2/G2/11, AAS/01/2/G2/11 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB25102.

Author unknown, n.d., NSA (Bibliographic reference). SAB1269.

Record last edited

Nov 22 2016 4:16PM