Claypotts Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Claypotts Castle |
|
|---|---|
A view of Claypotts Castle
|
|
| General information | |
| Location | West Ferry, Dundee, Scotland |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Stone |
| Official name: Claypotts Castle | |
| Designated: | 30 November 1981 |
| Reference #: | SM90075 |
Claypotts Castle is a cool old castle from the late 1500s. You can find it in West Ferry, which is a part of Dundee, Scotland. It's one of the best-kept examples of a special type of castle called a "Z-plan" tower house from the 16th century. Even though it's now surrounded by modern houses, the castle is looked after as an Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland.
Contents
History of Claypotts Castle
Who Built Claypotts Castle?
The castle was first built by a man named John Strachan. He started building it around 1569 and finished in 1588. You can see these dates carved into some of the stones of the castle! Building it took longer than usual for a castle of its size. The land where the castle stands was first rented by the Strachan family from a place called Lindores Abbey in the early 1500s.
Who Owned the Castle?
In 1601, the Strachan family sold Claypotts Castle to Sir William Graham of Ballunie. He later sold it to another Sir William Graham, this one from Claverhouse.
The castle became property of the Scottish Crown in 1689. This happened after the owner at the time, Viscount Dundee John Graham of Claverhouse, died in a battle called the battle of Killiecrankie.
A few years later, in 1694, the castle was given to James Douglas, 2nd Marquess of Douglas. It then passed to his son, the Duke of Douglas. After the Duke died in 1761, there was a big legal fight over who should own the castle. This went on for eight years! Finally, the courts decided that Archibald Douglas was the rightful heir.
Later, the castle became the property of the 13th Earl of Home through marriage. In 1926, he gave the castle to the state. Today, Historic Environment Scotland takes care of it.
The Legend of the Brownie
There's a fun story about Claypotts Castle! People say that a helpful little creature called a brownie once lived there. This brownie would secretly help the servants with their chores. But the legend says he left the castle because he was upset with a lazy kitchen maid!
What Does Claypotts Castle Look Like?
Claypotts Castle has a unique design known as a "Z-plan" tower house. This means it has a main rectangular building with two towers sticking out from opposite corners. Imagine the letter 'Z' if you look down from above!
This design was very popular in the 1500s. It was clever because it allowed people inside the castle to shoot arrows or guns along the walls of the main building from both towers. This made it harder for attackers to get close. Even though it had some defensive features, Claypotts Castle was mostly a home, not a big fortress.
