Kinpurnie Castle facts for kids
Kinpurnie Castle is a large, grand house located about 12 miles (19 km) west of Dundee, in Angus, Scotland. It's near the villages of Newtyle and Blairgowrie.
A Look Back: Kinpurnie's History
The land where Kinpurnie Castle stands has a long history. In 1317, William Oliphant, Lord of Aberdalgie was given this estate by Robert the Bruce, who was the King of Scots.
Much later, the estate belonged to James Stuart-Mackenzie. He was interested in the stars and built a special building called an observatory on Kinpurnie Hill. From there, he could watch the sky.
In the early 1900s, a wealthy shipping businessman named Sir Charles Cayzer bought Kinpurnie. He bought it for his sons. Sir Charles owned a big shipping company. While some ships were named after castles, the "Castle line" was actually owned by a different company. However, Sir Charles's company later joined with the Union-Castle Line in 1956. This created a new company called The British & Commonwealth Shipping Company.
Building the Castle
Kinpurnie Castle itself was built in 1907. It was designed in a style called "Scots baronial." This style often includes towers, turrets, and other features that make it look like an old Scottish castle.
The architect who designed the castle was Patrick Thoms. He worked with a company called Thoms and Wilkie from Dundee. Inside the castle, many beautiful details were added. For example, a fancy fireplace in the drawing room came from another old house called Ralston House. The decorative plasterwork on the ceilings was made by a group called the Bromsgrove Guild. The lovely oak wood panels were installed by Methven, Hyslop & Co. of Dundee. The estate also includes another house called Thriepley House.
Recent Times
In 2012, after the owner Sir James Cayzer passed away, the Kinpurnie estate was put up for sale. Sir James's heir, Lord Rotherwick, inherited the castle. It was sold in July 2015 for about £2.09 million.