Burgie Castle facts for kids
Burgie Castle is a historic building in Scotland. It is a type of castle called a Z-plan tower house. This means it has a main rectangular building with towers at opposite corners. Burgie Castle was built in the 1600s. You can find it about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) east of a town called Forres in Moray. It is near a modern house known as Burgie House.
Discovering Burgie Castle's Past
The land where Burgie Castle stands was once owned by Kinloss Abbey. In 1566, the land was given to the Dunbar family. They were the ones who built the castle.
A Dunbar family member from Burgie was involved in some conflicts in 1645. Later, in 1650, he spent so much money helping the army of King Charles II that he ran out of funds. Because of this, Thomas Dunbar of Grange bought the property from him.
In 1702, the castle was made bigger. However, in 1802, most of the castle was taken apart. Its stones were used to build Burgie House nearby. That house was later rebuilt in 1902 as a simple two-story home.
What Remains of Burgie Castle Today
Today, only part of the original castle is left. The north-west tower, which has six floors, is still standing. A small part of the main building also remains.
The top of the tower has a parapet. A parapet is a low wall along the edge of a roof or balcony. There is also a stair tower that sticks out from the main building. This stair tower has a small room on top called a cap-house.
Some windows still have strong iron bars called yetts. The main entrance also has its original iron yett. The castle walls have small openings. These are called shot-holes and embrasures. They were used for shooting weapons from inside the castle.
The basement and the top two floors (fifth and sixth) have vaulted ceilings. This means they have curved, arched ceilings. Inside the remains of the main building, you can see a fireplace. Above it are the Dunbar family's coat of arms and the year 1602. You can also find old plasterwork and wooden features like floors, doors, and a window with shutters.
A wall, known as a pleasance wall, goes around the castle. This wall once enclosed a beautiful garden area. There is also a well in what used to be the castle's courtyard.
A group called the Burgie Castle Preservation Trust is thinking about how to protect and preserve this historic site.
