Finavon Castle facts for kids
Finavon Castle is located near the River South Esk in Angus, Scotland. It's about five miles northeast of Forfar. The name "Finavon Castle" actually refers to two different buildings. One is a ruined castle from the 1600s. The other is a large mansion house built in the 1800s, located a short distance to the west.
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The land where Finavon Castle stands belonged to the Lindsay family, who were also the Earls of Crawford, starting in 1375. They were the ones who built the original castle, which is now a ruin. A famous event happened there in 1546: David Lindsay, 10th Earl of Crawford, married Margaret Beaton at Finavon.
Over time, the Crawford family spent too much money. In 1625, they were forced to sell the Finavon estate. After that, the property was owned by several different families. It passed through the Carnegie family, then the Gordon Earls of Aboyne, and later the Gardynes.
In 1843, Thomas Gardyne bought the castle. His family had connections to the old Lindsay owners from a marriage many years before. The estate stayed in the Gardyne family until 1953, when Lieutenant-Colonel Alan David Greenhill Gardyne passed it to his daughter, Mrs. Susan Mazur.
The original Finavon Castle was a large tower house. It was shaped like an "L" and had five floors, plus an attic. It also had a courtyard. The part of the tower you can still see today was built around the year 1600. Digging by archaeologists has shown that this tower was actually added onto a much older and larger building that was there before.
The mansion house at Finavon was built much later, in 1865. It was constructed for David Greenhill Gardyne, who owned the estate at that time. The house was designed in the Scottish baronial style. This style makes new buildings look like old Scottish castles, with towers and fancy stonework.
Historians have recorded what daily life was like at Finavon Castle. Families living there had a busy but fun routine. During the day, people would practice fighting skills or go hunting. They would also enjoy big banquets, which were feasts with lots of food. Minstrels would sing songs, and jesters would tell jokes to entertain everyone.
In the evenings, people would play games like chess. They might also read stories, play musical instruments like harps, or just enjoy each other's company. Ladies were part of all these activities. However, they also spent time in their own rooms with their maids, spinning yarn or weaving tapestries.
Sometimes, the lady of the castle had a very important job. If the Earl was away, perhaps attending Parliament or fighting in a war, his wife became the "chatelaine." This meant she was in charge of the castle. She had full power to manage the servants, handle the family's business, and even defend the castle if it was attacked while her husband was gone.
Other Interesting Places Nearby
There are other cool things to see near Finavon Castle:
- The Finavon Doocot is Scotland's biggest dovecote. A dovecote is a building where pigeons or doves are kept. This one has 2,400 nesting boxes! It was probably built for the Earl of Crawford in the 1500s. Today, the National Trust for Scotland takes care of it.
- On Finavon Hill, above the castle, there's an ancient Iron Age hillfort. This fort was built around 2,500 years ago. It's called "vitrified" because parts of its stone walls were heated so much that they melted and turned into a glassy substance.
- The River South Esk near Finavon Castle is a popular spot for fishing. People go there to catch salmon and seatrout using fly fishing.
