Cleish Castle facts for kids
Cleish Castle is an old castle in Scotland, built in the 1500s. It's located about 5 kilometers (3 miles) southwest of a town called Kinross. The castle is also just 1 kilometer (about half a mile) west of a small village named Cleish.
The Colville family built Cleish Castle and owned it for many years, until 1775. Over time, the castle has been fixed up and changed several times. It was restored in the mid-1800s and again in the 1900s. Today, Cleish Castle is still a private home. It's also a very important historic building, known as a category A listed building. This means it's one of Scotland's most important historic sites. The beautiful gardens around the castle are also special. They are listed in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland, which is a list of important Scottish gardens.
Castle History
The Colville family first owned the land around Cleish Castle in 1537. This was when Robert Colville received the land from his father, Sir James Colville. The castle tower is a great example of a 16th-century tower house. It was made taller and bigger in the early 1600s. You can even see the date 1600 carved on some of the upper windows.
One famous owner was John Colville, Robert's son. He was involved in some political events during the time of King James VI. John Colville took part in the Ruthven Raid, which was an attempt to control the young king. He also joined with Francis Stewart, 5th Earl of Bothwell, in an attack on Holyroodhouse.
Cleish Castle was sold to the Graham family in 1775. About 20 years later, it was sold again to the Young family. By 1840, the castle was in ruins. It was then restored in a style called Scots baronial style, which makes it look like an old Scottish castle. An architect from Edinburgh named John Lessels led this restoration. He also added more parts to the castle around 1870.
The castle was changed again in the 1970s. However, more work in the 1990s removed most of the newer additions. In 2001, the western part of the castle was rebuilt.
