Inverquharity Castle facts for kids
Inverquharity Castle is a cool old castle from the 1400s. It's found in a place called Angus, Scotland, which is in the country of Scotland. This castle is about 4.5 kilometers (that's about 2.8 miles) north-east of a town called Kirriemuir. It's also quite close to the River South Esk.
Contents
What is Inverquharity Castle?
Inverquharity Castle started as a type of building called a tower house. Imagine a tall, strong tower that people lived in. These towers were built to be safe and easy to defend. Later, the castle was changed into an L-plan castle. This means a new part, or "wing," was added, making the castle look like the letter 'L' from above. This made it bigger and more comfortable.
A Look Back in Time
The land where Inverquharity Castle stands became home to the Ogilvie family around the year 1420. The Ogilvies were an important family in Scotland. The first part of the castle was built in the 1440s. It was a rectangular tower, and it was built by Alexander Ogilvie, who was the 2nd Lord of Inverquharity.
About 100 years later, in the 1500s, the Ogilvie family made the castle even bigger. They added a new wing. This new part made the castle four stories tall and gave it that special L-shape.
Battles and Changes
Castles often saw a lot of action, and Inverquharity was no different. In 1445, there was a big disagreement between Alexander Ogilvy of Inverquharity and the son of the Earl of Crawford. The Earl of Crawford lived in a nearby castle called Finavon Castle.
This disagreement led to a battle called the Battle of Arbroath. Sadly, both Alexander Ogilvy and the Earl of Crawford were killed in this fight.
Later, in the late 1700s, the castle was sold by the Ogilvie family. At that time, the newer wing that had been added was taken down. The castle then started to fall apart over many years.
Bringing the Castle Back to Life
For a long time, Inverquharity Castle was mostly ruins. But in the 1960s, people decided to restore it. This means they carefully repaired and rebuilt the castle, bringing it back to its former glory. They even rebuilt the wing that had been taken down centuries ago.
One very old part of the castle is still there today: the original 15th-century yett. A yett is a special kind of iron gate. It's amazing that this gate has lasted for hundreds of years!
In 2012, the castle was sold for £611,000. In 2014, a TV show on the BBC even featured the sale. The family who had restored the castle and lived there for 40 years decided to sell it. Today, Inverquharity Castle is a "Category A listed building." This means it's a very important historic building that is protected. It is still a private home where a family lives.
