Elcho Castle Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Elcho Castle
The front of Elcho Castle
Built	Around 1560

Scheduled monument
Official name: Elcho Castle
Type	Secular: castle
Designated	30 April 1920
Reference no.	SM90140


Listed Building – Category A
Official name: Elcho Castle, Doo'cot
Designated	5 October 1971
Reference no.	LB17714


Listed Building – Category C(S)
Official name: Elcho Castle, Custodian's House
Designated	5 October 1971
Reference no.	LB17713

Elcho Castle is an amazing old castle located near the River Tay in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It's about four miles south-east of Perth, Scotland. The castle was built around 1560 by the Clan Wemyss family. They owned it for a long time, even though they didn't always live there.

Today, Elcho Castle is looked after by Historic Environment Scotland. It's considered a very important historical site. What makes it special is that it has fancy guest rooms like a big house, but also many holes for guns, showing it was built for defense too!

What Does Elcho Castle Look Like?
Elcho Castle's Long History
Elcho Castle Today
- Modern Care and Discoveries
Gallery
See also

What Does Elcho Castle Look Like?

Elcho Castle is built in a special shape called a Z-plan. It's a tall building with many floors. There's a large square tower at one corner and three other towers built into the north side.

Castle Defenses and Features

The castle has strong metal grilles on some windows. You can also see 17 small openings called gun loops on the lower levels. These were for defenders to shoot through. The only way into the castle is through a single entrance on the ground floor. This entrance was protected by a strong iron gate called a yett.

There's a walkway on top of the castle walls with a low protective wall called a parapet. This was probably used more for enjoying the views than for fighting. The castle was built with strong stone. Its walls were once covered in a rough plaster called harling, but only small parts of it remain.

Inside the Castle Walls

The first floor was the most important. It had the main hall, which was bright with windows facing south. There was also a large bedroom that could be used as a private meeting room. This room even had its own private toilet!

The upper floors were quite big for their time. They had many smaller rooms and walkways on the roof. Unusually, the castle also had a special "guest wing" with its own toilets for visitors. A large spiral staircase led to the first floor, with smaller stairs going up to the higher levels.

Down on the ground floor, called "below stairs," the rooms had arched stone ceilings. This floor had a big kitchen with a fireplace and storage rooms called cellars. A long hallway connected these lower rooms. There was also a smaller staircase for servants to go up to the main floor without using the main staircase.

Outside the Castle

Around the castle, there was once a surrounding wall called a barmkin. This wall would have protected other smaller buildings. Today, not much of these buildings are left, except for the ruins of a small round tower. There was also a private dock on the river, which is now a garden.

Elcho Castle's Long History

The first clear mention of Elcho was in 1429. At that time, Sir David Wemyss of the Clan Wemyss made an agreement at a place called "Elthok." The Wemyss family slowly gained ownership of all the lands around Elcho.

Building the Castle

The castle you see today was built around 1560 on the site of an older building. Elcho Castle was not the main home for the Wemyss family. Their main castle was Wemyss Castle in Fife. Elcho was more like a country getaway. Sir John Wemyss, who helped build the castle, died in 1571. His son, David, then took over.

In 1628, another family member, also named John, became the first Lord Wemyss of Elcho. Later, in 1633, King Charles I made him the Earl of Wemyss. To celebrate, beautiful plasterwork was added to the castle's main hall.

Later Years and Abandonment

After the 1745 Jacobite Rising, a family member named David Wemyss lost his titles and had to leave Scotland. The castle was then sold to another part of the family.

Elcho Castle was never attacked in a battle. However, in 1773, it was almost burned down! It was being used to store grain during a time of food shortage. People were angry because the grain was being kept for export. Soldiers had to stop a riot. After this, the castle was left empty.

Preserving the Castle

In 1804, an artist named James Fittler made an engraving of Elcho Castle. This picture is now kept at the National Library of Scotland. To save the castle from falling apart, it was given a new roof in 1830. Not many other changes have been made to the castle since it was first built. Around the same time, a small house for a caretaker was built nearby.

Elcho Castle Today

The Wemyss family still owns Elcho Castle, even though no one has lived there for about 200 years. It's one of the first buildings in Scotland to be kept in good condition just because of its history.

Modern Care and Discoveries

Since 1929, Historic Environment Scotland has managed the castle. It is recognized as a very important historical site.

A 16th-century "beehive" doo'cot (a Scots word for a dovecote, a building for doves or pigeons) still stands nearby.
In 1999, about 90 fruit trees, mostly apple and pear, were planted in the orchard next to the castle.
In 2001, the castle's ownership was passed from the 12th Earl of Wemyss to his grandson.

Archaeologists have done excavation work (digging to find old things) at the castle several times, including in 1987, 2006, and 2012. In recent years, the castle has had repairs to its roof and other improvements like new paths. In 2019, Elcho Castle was even a stop for River Tay water taxis!

In 2021, all 96 windows of the castle were checked as part of conservation work. As of 2022, the castle is undergoing more assessments and conservation work. While much of the castle is usually open to the public, access is currently limited while these important repairs are being done.